What do you do when your charity has stood still for twenty years?
Montgomeryshire Community Regeneration Association (MCRA) had barely changed in two decades. The trustees were committed and loyal, and cared deeply about its history. But every conversation drifted back to the same things: the building, the name, how it had always been done. The big question, "what is this charity for now?", never quite got asked.
Evidence before plans
What helped wasn't a new plan written in a hurry. It was evidence:
- a thorough review of where the organisation really stood
- structured interviews with the people who knew it best
- hard questions to surface the real challenges, and the opportunities nobody had spotted
- a set of ambitious but credible options, so the board could choose its own future
The decisions that followed
From there, the board could face the decisions that had been put off for years, including a new name, the sale of a property, and a new role as a grant-giving foundation that honours the charity's legacy while putting its assets to work for the community.
Honouring your history doesn't mean repeating it. Is your board discussing the future, or protecting the past?
Our organisation had reached a point of stagnation, and Matthew helped unlock a clear path forward through robust, insight-led market research. Working with Matthew marked a genuine turning point for our organisation, and the quality, depth, and practical application of his research exceeded our expectations.
Julie Turner, Vice Chair, Montgomeryshire Community Regeneration Association
