One of the most interesting thought experiments I’ve read recently, arguing a positive future needs doers as well as narrators, and (that China especially) needs a "machinery of care" alongside the production of abundance. Curious what others make of it. thecuttingfloor.substack.com/p/the-republ...

Sport can be a platform for extraordinary social impact. Why? Because it’s about identity, community and belonging. Here’s Andy talking to Frances Milner, CEO of The Leeds United Foundation, about the power of purpose in sport.

Excellent from Martha Lane Fox: "We cling to a model that makes public life feel like a punishing, precarious calling that only a few can endure." martha6j5h2.substack.com/p/this-is-pu...

There is still time to register for Thursday's webinar with Frances Milner, CEO of the The Leeds United Foundation: lnkd.in/ekntM_kn The session will cover the foundation's new strategy, advice for how to engage owners and different audiences, and the role of purpose in a changing sport landscape.

Sport can be a force for social progress and purpose, and when treated as a strategic asset, can create impact and commercial value. Register for our next webinar to hear Frances Milner, CEO of the The Leeds United Foundation, share insights on their approach to social impact: buff.ly/aSoEofM

In the 1970s, the French government ran this ad: “we don’t have petrol, but we have ideas” Today, French electricity generation is 72% nuclear, 21% renewables and 7% fossil fuels. They are the largest net exporter of electricity in the world. m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk0z...

"Resilience won’t come from fixing yesterday’s problems. It will come from perceiving tomorrow’s patterns." A lot of “innovation” work forgets you can’t build for the future if you ignore the present. A smart call to stop designing the future like it’s 2010. medium.com/@paulagilb/w...

If you work in sport or partner with sporting organisations, do join me for our next webinar with the wonderful Frances Milner from the Leeds United Foundation.

Sport can be a force for social progress and purpose, and when treated as a strategic asset, can create impact and commercial value. Register for our next webinar to hear Frances Milner, CEO of the The Leeds United Foundation, share insights on their approach to social impact: buff.ly/aSoEofM

Firetail Webinar: 25 Sep @ 12:00 Join us to hear two incredible speakers - Giulio Quaggiotto (gquaggiotto.bsky.social) and Ben Holt - share their experience of building futures and innovation capacity across government, NGOs and civil society. Register here: www.firetail.co.uk/webinars

We're starting our webinars again! The first webinar in our next series is taking place on Thursday 25th September, register here: www.firetail.co.uk/webinars

MIT study: "Despite $30–40 billion in enterprise investment into GenAI ... 95% of organizations are getting zero return. ..these tools primarily enhance individual productivity, not P&L performance.... ...enterprise-grade systems are being quietly rejected." web.archive.org/web/20250818...

We love working with partners who bring specialist sector expertise and fresh perspectives. Hear from three of our partners: Francine Bennett, Stephen Hilton, and John Hitchin as they discuss the problems they are trying to solve, and how they think about working with Firetail.

The best Harvard Business review article I've ever seen? Side-by-side test of a 'good' strategy visualisation slide vs a 'bad' one of the same strategy. Both still pretty basic design most people could pull off in G-Slides. By João Cotter Salvado and Freek Vermeulen. via @firetail.bsky.social

The government's "Chronic Risks" report is a very good summary of the threats facing the UK. In practice, it's not clear how foresight work like this informs policy. And it's striking how many risks are mitigated by deploying lots of solar, as quickly as possible. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Campaigns to use philanthropy to pay off national debt were tied up in the politics of the time (covered in this excellent short paper by @johnpicton.bsky.social) In 1919, before the treaty of Versailles, Baldwin bought and cancelled £150k of war loans. pure.manchester.ac.uk/ws/portalfil...

A low-key end to one of the most idiosyncratic acts of philanthropy in history. www.ft.com/content/ed1a...

Lots of good ideas in this @nicolascolin.bsky.social essay: "The evidence suggests we're shifting from a time when strong execution could mask weak strategy to one where defensibility and strategic clarity are prerequisites for survival." substack.com/home/post/p-...

In one of our futures reports, we suggested “social security for dogs” as a wildcard, to explore shifting norms around animal welfare. It was seen as an outlandish edge case. The world changes in unexpected ways. The margins become mainstream, sooner than we expect. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In our recent webinar, we explored how innovation funds can be used to drive charitable impact. This Firetail article from last year explores the broader challenge of how charities' income portfolios fundamentally shape their strategies and cultures.

We are pleased to share that Anttoni Huiskonen has been promoted to Consultant! Over the last few years, Anttoni has supported and led on projects ranging from climate policy to working with his beloved Leeds United Foundation. Congratulations Anttoni!

"Strategy is about choices. Boards can’t hand down strategies on stone tablets for execution by staff. There needs to be a dialogue." Charity law does not offer guidance on how trustee boards and their executives should work together to set strategy. This Firetail blog does.

Maybe belief in institutional solutions has become a weakness, a comfortable illusion. Maybe narratives and relationships are all there is.

Join us next Thursday at 12:00 for our final Lunch & Learn webinar of the series! In this 45-min session, Jim Clifford and Kirsten Hopkins from Sonnet will join us to explore the opportunities innovation funds can offer to charities. Register here: buff.ly/09wos6F

On last week’s webinar, we were joined by John Hitchin to tackle a big question: how can organisations truly connect impact, learning and strategy? If you missed it or want to recap on what you heard, the frameworks and write-up can be found here:

Andy Martin wrote Choices in a Crisis, Choices for Renewal during the first wave of the pandemic. It builds on the work of Martin Reeves and five years on, its reflections on leadership, values, and strategic decision-making still resonate deeply. Read the full article here: buff.ly/LsE6kLo

We are pleased to announce John Hitchin will be joining us for our next webinar. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

How can evaluation help organisations learn, adapt, and drive impact? Join us on Thursday 17th April at 12pm BST for a free webinar on using evaluation as a tool for learning and strategy. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Ever feel like every strategy sounds the same—yours included? Find out what's driving this strategic similarity and whether you need to break away from the herd:

"One of the few email newsletters that I look forward to." Don't just take Emily's word for it... Sign up for the Briefing here: buff.ly/t12mx1H

Are you ready to learn the secrets of time travel? In the first part of our guide to time travel, we outline horizon scanning. This powerful tool can help you plan the route, prepare for the journey, and drive towards the future you want to see and shape.

We're proud to be a Certified B Corporation™, with a legal commitment to consider Firetail’s impact on our stakeholders, both now and in the future. Our B Corp accreditation requires us to meet the highest standards in terms of governance, community, workers, clients, and sustainability.

We are thrilled to announce panel participants for Firetail's next Lunch & Learn webinar, "From Crisis to Action: Sustaining the global fight for women and girls amidst US and UK foreign aid cuts". Register here: buff.ly/XgZcs7Q

Last month, Sandra Tasic shared her perspective on the three key elements that underpin the strongest and most impactful client-consultant relationships:

Our next Lunch & Learn webinar will explore how to sustain the global fight for women and girls amidst US and UK foreign aid cuts. We will be joined by expert guests from Refugees International and ODI Global. Register on the following link: buff.ly/XgZcs7Q

It's not too late to sign up for tomorrow's Lunch & Learn webinar, where we will be exploring disconfirming evidence in grantmaking! Register here: https://buff.ly/410wqiB

Last call for the webinar on Thursday. Should be good

Thinking about working with consultants? @sandratasic.bsky.social shares lessons on building partnerships that go beyond transactions and unlock real impact. 🔍 www.firetail.co.uk/news/makingc...

Our next Lunch & Learn webinar is exploring disconfirming evidence in grantmaking! We are delighted to be joined by Kecia Bertermann for the session, where we will discuss our co-authored article featured in the SSIR. Register using the following link: https://buff.ly/410wqiB

Failed State by Sam Freedman is an interesting survey of government and politics in the UK. It also features a reference to one of our blogs. If you've read it, what were your reflections?

Despite what the recent geopolitics might suggest, our world remains deeply interdependent. Membership organisations, and coalitions are driving change that no single member can achieve alone. Our latest article explores what it really means to embrace a networked approach:

This year, the Firetail book club is going to share what we’re #reading. Last year's books included Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, Apeirogon by Colum McCann, and The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. We're currently Patriot by Alexei Navalny. We’d love your thoughts and recommendations.

Our 2024 Impact Report showcases how we've supported purpose-driven organisations across the world tackle society's greatest challenges, from global health to climate change. These issues are increasing in complexity and uncertainty, and our role is to help our clients navigate these uncertainties.

Every other Friday, we send out the Firetail Briefing to our email subscribers. Each edition features a mix of original Firetail content, latest sector trends and reports, and practical tips on strategy and organisational planning. Sign up using the following link:

The next webinar in our series will focus on disconfirming evidence, looking at how to identify and challenge confirmation bias in your organisation. You can register on the following link: https://buff.ly/40r3gbM

There is still time to register for our Futures Gap webinar starting at 12:00pm today: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dxpqsc7WQSGl-Gz94g8AwQ#/registration We look forward to seeing you there!

Ever noticed how many charity strategies look the same? When does following the herd help your mission - and when does it hold you back? Our thoughts on the causes of strategic conformity in the charity sector: https://buff.ly/4jiQqW2

We are delighted to be joined by Gemma Hope, Assistant Director of Policy, Advocacy and Evidence at RSPCA, for our second Lunch & Learn webinar next Thursday. Gemma was part of the project team last year as we explored the future of animal wellbeing together. Register here: https://buff.ly/4gLbeDz

As we step into 2025, it is the perfect time to look forward and consider how philanthropy can shape the future. Andy Martin's article from July, examined how mainstream issues today, were outliers twenty years ago, and how to identify the sector's safe bets of tomorrow.

An excellent summary of yesterday's lunch & learn. Thanks @mrtombaker.bsky.social 🔥