Sophie Macken

Consultancy for mission-led organisations and projects, focused on programme development, project management and coaching. Clients to date include Lloyds Bank Foundation, SoGive and Social Investment Business.

• Design and delivery of a support programme to complement a government funded capital works scheme, developed at pace to integrate into existing processes and iterating to respond to grantee and programme challenges.

• Programme development for a corporate funder to support systems change through community action, kickstarting activity in what had previously been a stalled initiative.

• Supported the formalisation and development of an effective altruism start up through creating and embedding key systems and processes, working towards charitable status and building team culture and ways of working.

• Managed a community engagement project aiming to build awareness and use of a community space, running a series of events alongside family activities and drawing in local organisations.

• Career coaching for everyone from first jobbers to CEOs, tech professionals and charity workers.

Not-for-profit campaign organisation that uses the law to protect the interests of the public. Reported to CEO, managed 1 person.

Responsible for building and managing partnerships with non-profits and advocacy groups, collaborating on campaigns and legal interventions to effect social change.

• Developed a new workstream supporting communities to use the law for themselves, supporting a narrative of agency and hope with extensive sector engagement

• Sourced and developed pilot projects for the above workstream ranging from community use of compulsory purchase order powers to the inclusion of profits from shorelines in community economic development.

• Created an engagement and relationship management strategy to be implemented across the organisation.

• Developed early stage partnerships with grassroots organisations, networks and campaigners across a number of subjects including academic freedom, racial inequality and violence against women and girls.

Charitable trust endowed by the Big Lottery Fund to support and grow the community enterprise sector. Reported to Director of Programmes, ran a team of 7.

Responsible for leading partnership building and advocacy work engaging with stakeholders including local authorities, health bodies, VCSE and professional networks as well as developing and overseeing grant, support and social investment programmes.

• Created a £5 million grant, investment and support scheme [pdf] in a matter of weeks to kickstart community business recovery from Covid-19, drawing on extensive stakeholder and sector engagement, commissioned research and learning from existing organisational initiatives.

• Oversaw the development and establishment of relationships with multiple local authorities and national bodies resulting in national pilots with the Care Quality Commission and Public Health England and a multi-million pound investment vehicle in Liverpool that supported over 200 social enterprises in its first 4 years, wcreating 500 new jobs and £10million in social value and a 25% reduction in carbon emissions among supported enterprises.

• Developed a £10m multi-year place-based funding and support programme using latest research on best practice to facilitate grassroots community action and enterprise development

• Oversaw programmes of £5million p/a and line managed a dispersed team of five plus two indirect reports across multiple locations