‘From "warm and fuzzy" to a partner larger funders take seriously’

The Situation

Border Trust wanted to tell a genuine story about whether their granting was actually making a difference in the community.

What I Did

I worked with Border Trust across two phases:

• Phase 1 - Framework development: building their Theory of Change, program logic, and impact measurement framework and impact questions to be included in their funding application and acquittal forms

• Phase 2 - Testing and refinement: trialling the framework with grantees, then using that real-world feedback to redesign Border Trust's own grantmaking process, simplifying guidelines, applications, and acquittals.

The Outcome

• A simpler, less burdensome process for grant-seekers. Border Trust took on the responsibility of understanding community need and organisational credibility themselves, rather than asking grantees to keep proving it

• Strong, measurable donor trust. A follow-up donor survey found donors specifically valued that Border Trust does its own needs analysis, tells the story of impact over time, and provides more personal, meaningful feedback than other organisations they give to

• Real financial turnaround. Border Trust significantly increased funds under management this financial year

• A shift in how larger philanthropic partners see them. From a small, well-meaning trust to a credible, serious partner, opening doors to bigger funding relationships.

"What gave me a lot of confidence was your approach to ensure that I was the right client for you, as much as you were the right consultant for us. There was not a single answer for how we would do impact measurement, it needed to be really relevant to us, our work, and our scale, and you helped us navigate what that could look like."  

Sue Gold, CEO, Border Trust