Joanne Ryan
Mob: 07986 473 585
jo@thebrightideaspartnership.co.uk
Career History
Partner
The Bright Ideas Partnership
April 2006 - present
Set up the Bright Ideas Partnership, a Fundraising Consultancy providing
fundraising support and advice to charities (with Sarah Boardman)
The Bright Ideas Partnership specialises in producing business and fundraising
strategies, making complex bids to statutory funders, trusts and foundations,
reviewing funding bids, providing interim fundraising management support, providing
mentoring support to fundraisers, producing reports for funders and undertaking
external evaluations. Examples of my work include:
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Strategic Consultations – Examples include: Completing a 3-year Business
Plan for Carney’s Community (which works with young ex-offenders), and, on
behalf of Victim Support, drafting the Domestic Violence Strategy 2010-13 for
Wandsworth Council.
Bid writing – wide experience of submitting funding applications on behalf of
charities. For example, I have secured £180,464 over 3 years for Latin American
Women’s Aid for their domestic violence services from the Big Lottery Fund,
£45,000 from the Henry Smith Charity for the Basement Project, which works with
homeless young people and £140,000 for the Beat Project (e.g. from BIFFA,
Clothworkers’ Foundation, and the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust) so they
could convert a vacated school building into a local Community Centre for
disadvantaged local people (with a focus on young people).
Interim Fundraising – I have provided interim management to a number of
organisations e.g. the NUS. This involved setting up all fundraising systems
needed, embedding a fundraising culture, making funding applications (resulting
in over £2.5 million in funding), producing a fundraising strategy and providing
strategic advice.
Recruitment – I have assisted several charities to recruit fundraisers, e.g. NUS
to develop and advertise a Trainee Fundraiser role, which attracted over 160
applicants. Following appointment I managed, trained and mentored the
successful candidate.
Training – Bright Ideas runs training courses for charities including ‘an
introduction to grant fundraising’ and ‘how to develop a fundraising strategy’. We
have run courses for Clinks, Shelter and the Consortium of Street Children.
Mentoring – We provide mentoring advice and support to fundraisers, project
workers and Chief Executives. For example, I supported the Director of Justlife, a
small Community Interest Company which engages with vulnerable people, to
secure £380,000 over three years from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching
Communities Fund and supported the Chief Executive of Network for Africa to
secure £155,000 from DFID’s Global Poverty Action Fund for a women’s income
generation group in Rwanda.
Reports and External Evaluations – I have undertaken external evaluations of
criminal justice projects (including a Young Victims’ project and a Safer Homes
Project) which involved qualitative interviewing, quantitative data analysis, review
of project literature and writing up the final evaluation reports.
To find out more visit www.thebrightideaspartnership.co.uk.
Fundraising/Development Manager
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As the sole fundraiser, played a key role in increasing income from £620,401 in
2004/05 to over £1million in 2007/08 (coming in around £150K over target)
Management - Key member of Development Sub-committee, and the Senior
Management Team, deciding strategy and development of the whole of VSS.
Strategy - Writing and implementing a fundraising strategy
Trust fundraising – successes include £30K from the Wakefield Trust and
£120K from the City Bridge Trust. In 2007/08 I had a success rate of 78% for
trust applications. I also worked in partnership with other charities (such as
Refuge, Bede House and other Victim Support Schemes) to develop, and
fundraise for, new projects
Statutory fundraising - Includes writing large bids to Local Councils,
Government, Police and the Fire Brigade. Successes include raising £15k from
Community Chest within my first month, a Supporting People grant (£180K over 2
years) and a grant from Lambeth Council (£140K over 2 years). I also attended
the Safer Southwark Partnership (the local Crime and Disorder Reduction
Partnership) Performance Group meetings to steer local policy (including to assist
in development of the priorities for the 2008-2012 Local Area Agreement). I was
also successfully shortlisted for the Big Lottery’s People’s Millions
Corporate Fundraising - writing corporate ethical policy and soliciting gifts in
kind from local businesses. Also, setting up a Payroll Giving Scheme
Individual fundraising - developed a ‘Friends of VSS’ scheme to promote
individual giving, and produced a regular newsletter
Events -Organised a Project Launch event at Southwark Cathedral. Giving a
presentation on ‘Successful Local Fundraising’ at the Victim Support Conference
Policy - Drafting a ‘Protection of Vulnerable Adults’ policy and the Diversity
Strategy for adoption by VSS
Press and Publications - writing and implementing a Press and PR strategy,
maintaining good contacts with local press, writing press releases, media
monitoring and implementing house style guidelines. Successes include
coverage in the local press, the Daily Express, ITV London News, GMTV and
BBC London Radio. Writing and producing VSS’s annual reports. Also working
with an IT professional to develop the VSS website (including writing all copy).
Fundraising Officer
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Victim Support Southwark (VSS)
Jan 2005 – March 2008
Action for M.E.
Oct 2002 – Dec 2004
Managing all community fundraising, including the London Marathon and
overseas treks
Writing the fundraising pages of InterAction (the members’ magazine), Group
Action (the groups’ newsletter), and the ‘Get Involved’ pages of both the young
people’s website and the main website
Worked closely with designers to produce a ‘Grand Challenge Pack’, a general
folder and advertisements for the Flora Marathon magazine
Responsible for applying to trusts and foundations with many successes. For
example, I secured a grant of £25,790 from Children in Need
Recruitment, training and management of several volunteers
Other duties include assisting with the major donor programme, direct mail
appeals, a Gift Aid Campaign, organising events and producing reports on
Progress Database for the fundraising team
Team Assistant
The West Midlands Probation Service
Jan – Aug 2002
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Instrumental in reorganising office procedures, organising distribution of work
among the administrative staff and dealing with enquiries from the public
Training
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I am a full member of the Institute of Fundraising
As part of my Masters course with the Open University, I have undertaken
modules covering quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
LVSC ‘Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements’ course, Nov 07
NCVO Collaborative Working Unit ‘Inspiring and Enabling Collaboration’, June 07
Directory of Social Change ‘Drawing Up and Using a Business Plan’, Oct 06
Institute of Fundraising ‘Successful Corporate Partnerships’ conference April 06
Camera Media Training (from ITV London and the Media Trust) on delivering
interviews on TV in confidence, whilst getting your key messages across, Sept 05
‘Making Local Business Your Business’ workshop, June 05
NCVO ‘Sustainable Fundraising’ course, May 05
1 day course for third sector leaders on the ‘keys to sustainable growth’, Oct 03
The three-day Institute of Fundraising conference, July 03
Institute of Fundraising course, ‘Grantmaking Trusts and Foundations’, Nov 02
Education & Qualifications
Open University
2008 -2011
MSc in Forensic Psychology and Criminology
Distinction
Cambridge University (New Hall College)
MA (Hons) in Neuroscience
1997-2000
2:1
King Edward VI Five Ways School
1995-1997
4 A Levels (A – B)
Turves Green Girls’ School
1990 – 1995
10 GCSE’s (A*- B)
Additional Information
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I am a trustee of Women in Prison (WIP), a charity which supports women at risk
of imprisonment, in custody and upon release. As part of this role, I have
provided strategic advice, reviewed WIP’s statutory applications (helping to
secure over £500,000 from London Councils) and drafted trust bids (securing
£120,000 from Lloyds TSB Foundation). In addition, I have provided supervision
for the Chief Executive, and dealt with a case of gross misconduct. I have been a
trustee since 2008.
I am currently learning Spanish, and am at an intermediate level. As part of this, I
have earned the Certificate in Spanish from the Open University (achieved in
November 2013).
I am interested in travel, and have organised many trips abroad to North America,
Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand
Referees
Available on request.