Cairney & Company - Celebrating Our 5th Birthday
They say that time flies and it most certainly does. Today the balloons and bunting are out as Cairney & Company (C&C) celebrates its 5th birthday as a Global Fundraising Consultancy.
Marking anniversaries presents a moment in time to reflect on the year that was, and to shape the year ahead, and we have had a year like no other in my lifetime - one where we have endured and embraced uncertainty with great enthusiasm.
The definition of resilient is knowing that things will get better even if you can’t see a clear path and in 2020 the C&C team rode the sea of change and the storm that brewed around a Covid world - it presented us with an opportunity to reflect on the year that was and to take charge of our future destiny and steer the path ahead.
Thought Leadership
Over the past year we have listened, reviewed, and stayed in touch with clients and colleagues in the sector. Early in lockdown we produced a series of blogs titled The Week That Was. What We Saw. What We Heard. We shared insights on what we were hearing and observing in those critical first few months. One of things that struck us most was the level of empathy and compassion we had not only for each other, but in our communities, and globally. The blog evolved into the Cairney Conversations Leadership Series, where we had the privilege of engaging with a number of Vice-Chancellors and their Chief Executives on the future of Higher Education during Covid and in a post-pandemic world. Throughout the series we interviewed Russell Group, and Post 92 Universities, as well as Independent Schools, and charities.
New Clients
We were thrilled to bring onboard new clients such as University of West of England (UWE) University of Nottingham (Ningbo China), Data for Children Collaborative with Unicef and University of Edinburgh, University of Brighton as well as stay in touch and work closely with former and existing clients UCL, UCLan, Gordonstoun School, and NMITE, to name a few.
Strategic Delivery Partner Model
We also took time to reflect on what was working well and (in keeping with the advice we offer our clients) we conducted a third-party review - speaking with former and existing clients to gather feedback, to make sure we were remaining true to our values and to hear their thoughts on the changing nature of the Advancement sector and how we could add value and support their needs going forward.
The review highlighted our key strengths: international expertise, breadth of experience, nimbleness, agility and flexibility and provided us with the opportunity to refresh our brand narrative, and create an ambitious new operating structure – the Strategic Partnership Model - one that challenges convention that we believe is fit for purpose for both our clients, and the advancement profession. This model allows us to open up new possibilities across advancement and fundraising to deliver increased impact and success, and when we say we bring the best in the business together to deliver for our clients – we mean it!
We recently announced new Strategic Delivery Partner, Michael Lavery (CEO, Brand & Reputation, and featured a case study on how the partnership works in practice. Keep an eye out for future case studies on our website highlighting how we are working with our other Strategic Delivery Partners.
Looking Ahead
As I look to the future and consider what a post-pandemic world will look like, I know that Cairney & Company is geared up and ready to work with and support our clients across the globe – it has never been more important to align institutional activities to support the successful delivery of an advancement strategy.
Cairney & Company is dedicated to discovering new possibilities in fundraising and the advancement of the institutions we work with. We are inspired by the unique strengths of our clients and know from our engagement with leaders that making the most of an opportunity demands more than a one-size-fits-all approach. True accomplishment needs empathy, insight, innovation and creativity and we are in a place of strength and renewed energy to address clients' needs and respond to the challenges and opportunities faced by today’s leaders.
We can give philanthropy a voice within your organisation by bringing the right people together, at the right time, to achieve transformation results.
We look forward and embrace whatever the next five years holds for C&C.
Karen Cairney, CEO & Founder
Other highlights over the last 12 months:
Sir Eric Thomas joined our global consulting firm as a Strategic Advisor, providing insight, advice and thought leadership to clients and educational institutions across the globe. As author of the UK Government report (2004) titled “Increasing Voluntary Giving to Higher Education”, the benchmark for fundraising in Higher Education in the UK, is as relevant today as it was in 2004.
Colin McCallum, Cairney Partner inducted as a CASE Laureate. The CASE Laureates are senior advancement practitioners who give their time and expertise in support of CASE and their advancement colleagues, and who work tirelessly to share their knowledge to help CASE members grow impact, resilience and influence.
Community was never far from our minds and for Christmas 2020 the C&C team gave to charities of their choice including: Alzheimer Scotland, MND Scotland, Movember and The Trussell Trust. For the second year running we also supported the families and children of St Stephen’s and St Kevin’s Primary Schools (West of Scotland). Donna McKay (Head Teacher) said:
“It is very troubling times just now for everyone. Many of our families are affected badly by Covid-19 as they have lost their jobs so the amount of need in our schools has rocketed. Partnerships, such as the one with Cairney & Co, are so vital in helping us make sure our children are ready for learning.”