The Charity Changemakers Podcast

About The Charity Changemakers Podcast

The Charity Changemakers Podcast dives deep into the world of non-profit leadership. Join us as we interview the CEOs and directors who are making a real impact in our communities. Each episode unveils the journeys that led these passionate individuals to the third sector. We explore the inspiring stories behind their charities, the challenges they navigate, and the exciting opportunities they're tackling. Get ready to be motivated by the power of giving and discover how you can get involved in creating positive change.

Publisher

Adam Stacey

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Jun 2024

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

49 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Season 3 | Ep17 Robin Peake on the fundraising fundamentals your charity is forgetting

   Robin Peake, Deputy CEO at Wycliffe Bible Translators, has just written the 8th edition of The Complete Fundraising Handbook, and he has a warning for the sector: too many charities are abandoning what works in favour of the next shiny thing. In this episode, Adam Stacey talks to Robin about why the fundamentals of fundraising never change, what he put into the new edition, and how to build innovation on tried and tested foundations rather than putting good money after bad. Along the way, Robin shares how a masters in 1920s football history led him into fundraising, the major donor meeting where he stopped himself five minutes before walking in, and why relationships don’t work in 12 month cycles. We also talk about the £50 a month budget that turns a supporter care team into donor delighters, why he only hires fundraisers who give, and the personal board of trustees that keeps his thinking sharp. If you work in fundraising, lead a fundraising team, or want to understand what actually makes donors give and stay, this one is for you. In this episode Why the fundamentals of fundraising don’t change, and why the sector keeps forgetting them What’s new in the eighth edition, from Facebook ads to AI Why “people give to people” and “people give because they’re asked” still hold true The major donor meeting that nearly went wrong, and the mindset shift that saved it Why Robin only hires fundraisers who are donors themselves How a £50 a month budget creates donors for life Building a personal board of trustees Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and introduction 01:04 Quickfire questions: camping, electric scooters and Bible translation myths 04:32 How Robin found his way into the charity sector 06:50 Learning from other charities: lunches, coffees and generosity 10:56 Donor-centric fundraising and why it works 12:54 Hiring fundraisers who give, and building a culture of thanks 16:02 Standing out: the £50 a month supporter care budget 20:55 From Innovista to Home for Good to Wycliffe 23:24 Mentors, coaches and a personal board of trustees 26:58 Becoming Deputy CEO and the problem of quieter feedback 30:17 Building culture in a remote-first organisation 34:28 The Complete Fundraising Handbook, eighth edition 36:52 Why the fundamentals never change 39:13 The lesson Robin learned the hard way: relationships don’t work in 12 month cycles About the guest Robin Peake is Deputy CEO at Wycliffe Bible Translators, with around 15 years in the charity sector, primarily in fundraising. He is the author of the 8th edition of The Complete Fundraising Handbook. Links The Complete Fundraising Handbook: Directory of Social Change website (https://www.dsc.org.uk/publication/the-complete-fundraising-handbook/) and Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Fundraising-Handbook-Robin-Peake/dp/1784821276/ref=asc_df_1784821276?mcid=5e83aeb90bad33539b8fdefec5386425&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=814567085967&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15331672955232609593&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045736&hvtargid=pla-2494801255101&psc=1&hvocijid=15331672955232609593-1784821276-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1) Wycliffe Bible Translators (https://wycliffe.org.uk/) Robin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-peake/)

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Season 3 | Ep 16 Louise Morris on building a major donor programme from scratch

   Why isn't major donor fundraising working for your charity? According to Louise Morris, it's rarely the cause, and it's almost never a lack of contacts. Louise is the founder of Summit Fundraising, a consultancy and training company specialising in major donor fundraising. She began her career in sales and marketing at Unilever, moved into the charity sector in her mid-twenties and held fundraising roles at Tommy's, Samaritans and RNID before becoming a Director of Fundraising. Ten years ago, she set up Summit and now works with charities of every size, from small local organisations to household names. In this episode, Louise shares: Why losing her Dad prompted her to leave Unilever and look for more meaningful work How corporate negotiation training gave her confidence with donors Why she stepped away from a director role, and what a missed after-school football club taught her about flexible working The fear and "lumpy cashflow" of going it alone, and how Summit grew from there We then dig into how small and medium-sized charities can start or grow a major donor programme: Why it won't grow unless someone has protected time to lead it, even if that's just three hours a week Why trustees hold back on introductions, and why they don't need to ask anyone for money Why doing major donor fundraising badly can be worse than not doing it at all Where to find your first potential major donors (they're probably already involved with you) Why being a smaller charity can be a real strength The most common mistakes; impatience, skipping the building blocks and nobody owning it How long a board should realistically wait, and the milestones to track besides income Louise closes with a reflection that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt stuck - leadership is not your job title. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and introduction 00:40 Quick-fire questions 03:30 From Unilever to the charity sector 09:40 Leaving the director role and starting Summit 17:20 What Summit does today 20:57 Where to start with major donor fundraising 28:13 Making the case to your board 30:34 The skills and support you need 33:09 Common mistakes charities make 36:21 How long before you see returns? 41:21 Leadership is not your job title Resources mentioned The Summit 3 Essentials guide and other free resources: https://summitfundraising.co.uk/free-resources/ (https://summitfundraising.co.uk/free-resources/) Join the free Summit major donor community: https://summitfundraising.co.uk/join/ (https://summitfundraising.co.uk/join/) Find out more about the Major Donor Fundraising from Scratch programme: https://summitfundraising.co.uk/from-scratch/ (https://summitfundraising.co.uk/from-scratch/) Connect with Louise on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-morrisminstf/) (Louise Morris, Summit Fundraising) or visit summitfundraising.co.uk (https://www.summitfundraising.co.uk)

3. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Season 3 | E15 Kathryn Ward on why growth mindset beats a perfect CV in charity leadership

   In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Kathryn Ward (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-ward-cpo/), a people leader, consultant, interim, fractional and coach who spent six years as Chief People Officer at Guide Dogs before founding her own consultancy, Zephyr People. Kathryn shares the moment a headhunter first called about the Guide Dogs role in January 2019 - and why she turned it down, convinced she didn't have the right background. By the time they called back in April, a shift from a fixed to a growth mindset had changed her answer, and it shaped how she's approached every big career decision since. Together, Adam and Kathryn unpack: Why she nearly said no to the job that defined her charity career The gendered confidence gap behind that hesitation, and how she moved past it Why "you have to like people to be good at HR" is a myth Trusteeship as the smartest, lowest-risk way to test a move into the sector The breadth and loneliness of sitting on a charity exec team Why charity leaders need more peer-to-peer networks, not fewer Leaving Guide Dogs to build Zephyr People - a portfolio life of consultancy, interim work and coaching Burnout, trauma-informed coaching, and why change is so hard for people who've self-actualised through their cause Kathryn also reflects candidly on loneliness in leadership, the staff reps she still stays in touch with more than former senior colleagues, and why making space for quieter voices has become central to how she leads. This is a warm, practical conversation for anyone weighing a move into the charity sector, sitting on the fence about a trustee role, or wondering whether "good enough" really is good enough to take the next step. Takeaways Career journey from commercial HR into the charity sector Imposter syndrome and the shift to a growth mindset The realities - and the myths - of a career in HR and people leadership Trusteeship as a deliberate route into charity leadership The breadth and complexity of sitting on a charity exec team Portfolio careers - consultancy, interim work, fractional roles and coaching Peer-to-peer networks and why the charity sector needs more of them Burnout, trauma-informed coaching and leading through change Inclusive leadership and making space for every voice Chapters 00:00 Introduction and quickfire questions 07:11 The phone call that changed everything - falling into charity leadership 10:46 Overcoming imposter syndrome to become a Chief People Officer 18:40 Why trusteeship is the smartest way in from commercial 22:17 The hardest part of stepping up - holding the breadth of an exec role 26:58 The power - and the gap - in charity peer-to-peer networks 32:06 Leaving Guide Dogs and launching Zephyr People 35:53 Coaching, burnout and why change feels so hard in charity culture 38:40 Leadership lessons learned the hard way If you enjoyed the episode, please like, share and leave a review. Your support helps more charity leaders and changemakers discover the show. #CharitySector #CharityLeadership #NonProfitLeadership #CharityCareers #HRLeadership #PeopleAndCulture #Coaching #CharityChangemakers

Who has been a guest on The Charity Changemakers Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Olivia Barker White
• Ru Watkins
• Rushab Shah
• Callum Dixon
• Jess Camburn-Rahmani

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

8,502

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

23

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

32

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