Charity Consultancy FAQs
Straight answers about how we work with small UK charities.
If your question isn’t here, ask it on a free call – no obligation, and you’ll get a useful answer either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Evolve Catalyst
What exactly do you do for charities?
Evolve Catalyst is a charity management consultancy and mentoring practice for small UK charities. We help charities get the foundations right – governance, strategy, systems and income – from setting up a new charity through to helping an established one refocus. That means two things together: guidance to help you work out what’s really going on and decide what matters most, and delivery of the specialist work your team doesn’t have the time or expertise for.
Is Evolve Catalyst a registered charity?
No. Evolve Catalyst is a limited company, registered in England and Wales (company number 16007722). We’re a consultancy that works with charities – we’re not a charity ourselves, and we’re not a funder.
Do you only work with UK charities?
Yes. We work with charities in England and Wales, and our knowledge is specific to them – Charity Commission requirements, Gift Aid, UK funding, and the rules you actually have to work within. That focus is what makes the advice practical rather than general.
How is this different from hiring an agency?
An agency does a piece of work and hands it over. We work alongside you: we help you reach the decision, then help you act on it, and you keep everything we build together – the systems, the documents, the reasoning behind them. The aim is a charity that runs well without us, not one that depends on us.
Who will we actually be working with?
Ghamdan Al-Areeky, the founder. He spent more than 15 years working inside UK charities across operations, systems, fundraising and strategy before starting Evolve Catalyst. You speak to him on the call, and he’s the one you work with afterwards.
Who we work with
Is this right for a charity of our size?
Probably. We work with small UK charities – usually under £1 million in income, and often a good deal smaller. What matters more than the number is how the charity is run: our clients tend to be organisations where leadership is still close to the work, and the decisions that matter are still made by a small group rather than layers of committees.
We haven't set up the charity yet. Can you still help?
Yes – that’s one of the most common places we start. Charity setup is the earliest stage of the same service: shaping what the charity will do, getting the charitable purposes right, drafting the governing document, and guiding the registration application, so you’re set up properly rather than boxed in later.
We registered a while ago but never really got going. Is it too late?
Not at all, and you’re far from alone. Plenty of charities get through registration and then stall – the next steps weren’t clear, the hours weren’t there, or the way they were set up is quietly holding them back. Getting moving again is a large part of what we do.
Who do you usually speak to?
Trustees and chief executives – and often the founder, wearing one of those hats or both. Senior managers too. Essentially, whoever carries responsibility for where the charity is heading.
Are there charities you don't work with?
A few. We don’t take on work that’s sensitive or carries real reputational risk, or that sits against our values. We’re also not the right fit if you’re looking for someone to do it all for you with no involvement from your side – the work only sticks when your team is part of it.
How we work
Do you do the fundraising and marketing for us?
Not quite. We do the parts that need specialist craft – the fundraising strategy, the messaging, the ad copy, the landing pages. Those need skills a small charity team usually doesn’t have, and getting them wrong is expensive. But the marketing and fundraising itself stays with you: you run the campaigns, you have the conversations, you hold the relationships with your supporters. Systems are different – your website, CRM and email automation are set-up work we do.
What does “one project at a time” mean?
One active piece of work at any point – a website, a CRM setup, a governance review. When it’s done, we start the next priority. It’s deliberate: work done properly in the right order beats several things half-finished at once.
Everything listed under a plan - do we get all of it?
No, and that’s the point. What’s listed is what a plan can cover, not a checklist we work through. We start with what matters most for your charity and move on from there. You’re never buying several projects at the same time.
How quickly will we see results?
Some things change quickly – a website that works, systems that stop getting in the way, governance that holds up. Income and supporter relationships take longer because they depend on things outside anyone’s control. We’d rather get the foundations right than promise a timeline we can’t keep.
Ways to work together
Do we have to sign up to a monthly plan?
No. Most charities start with something smaller: charity setup support, a single one-off project, or a consultation on one specific challenge. Each stands on its own with no ongoing commitment. The monthly plans are there for when you want someone alongside you month to month – not as the only way in.
What's the difference between a one-off project and a plan?
A one-off project fixes one thing: scoped on its own, delivered to a timeline, done. A plan makes sense when there’s more than one thing, when they’re connected, or when you want someone who knows your charity well enough to guide decisions as they come up. Neither is better – they’re for different moments.
What's the difference between the three plans?
All three cover the same four foundations – governance, strategy, systems and income – and each level includes more, with closer support. Foundation gets the essentials of a working charity in place. Development builds those foundations into an organisation that works together. Resilience is for keeping it all working as the charity grows and things get more complex.
What's included in every plan?
Monthly guidance sessions, email and chat support between them, specialist delivery within your plan at no separate charge, and mentoring that adapts as your charity changes.
Can we change plans later?
Yes. You can move up whenever it makes sense – most charities need different support as things develop. Moving down is a conversation, and we’re flexible when circumstances genuinely change.
Practical details
How long is the commitment?
Plans start from three months, and most run three to six. That’s enough time to get real foundations in place and see something change. If it’s working and you want to carry on beyond that, we’ll talk about it then – it isn’t something you sign up to at the start.
How do the monthly guidance sessions work?
Focused video calls about whatever matters most that month – working through a decision, reviewing progress, planning what’s next, or thinking something through together. They’re shaped around what you need at the time, not a fixed agenda.
How quickly do you respond between sessions?
Foundation: within 48 hours by email and chat. Development: within 24 hours, with priority video call access. Resilience: same-day response, plus weekly check-ins.
Are there costs beyond the plan fee?
No hidden costs. The guidance and the specialist work within your plan are included. The only extras are things like software licences, which we’d inform you about before committing to anything, or working well beyond what your plan covers.
What if we need help outside working hours?
We don’t offer 24/7 support, but we respond quickly to genuine emergencies that could affect your charity’s operations or reputation. Development and Resilience clients get priority for urgent issues.
What if it isn't working out?
Tell us. We’d much rather adjust what we’re doing or talk honestly about whether we’re still the right fit than have you quietly stay unhappy. The formal terms – including cancellation and refunds – are set out in our Terms of Service.
Getting started
How do we get started?
Book a free call. We’ll talk through what’s going on, what would help most, and which option fits – whether that’s a single session, a project, charity setup, or an ongoing plan. You’ll get something useful out of it either way.
What happens on the free call?
Around 30 minutes, by video. We work out where you are, what’s driving the pressure, and what to focus on first. No pitch, no obligation. Most people leave with priorities they can act on themselves, whether or not they work with us.
What if we're not ready to take on support?
That’s fine, and it’s common. The call is about clarity, not commitment. If the timing isn’t right, you’ll still leave knowing what matters most – and you’re welcome to come back when it is.
Still have a question?
Ask it on a free call – you’ll get a straight answer.
Whatever’s on your mind about your charity, a 30-minute conversation will get you further than another page of reading. No pitch, no obligation.