Strategy, governance, partnerships, positioning, and the shared narratives that align actors across complex systems. For foundations, family offices, and philanthropy leaders serious about long-term, partner-led, locally grounded change.
They are the ones that think in decades, stay close to partners, and take questions of power, trust, and equity seriously. Not rhetorically, but in how decisions are made.
One of the key pillars of my portfolio work is acting as senior adviser to philanthropy leaders and boards. For the past three years I have worked with senior leaders across philanthropy on strategy, governance, partnerships, positioning, and building the shared narratives that align actors across complex systems.
That work draws on senior in-house roles at CIFF and the LEGO Foundation, and on twice representing private philanthropy on the global Board and Executive Committee of the Global Partnership for Education.
Much of the work involves helping leaders slow down enough to ask the hard questions that get crowded out by urgency.
The kinds of questions that tend to get crowded out by urgency, and that the most thoughtful leaders keep returning to.
Funding models, risk appetite, collaboration, narrative, and culture are too often treated as separate conversations. They are tightly connected. The advisory work moves across them.
Refreshing or sharpening philanthropic strategy. Anchoring giving in a clear theory of change, with the discipline to say what you will not fund as well as what you will.
Working with boards and trustees on the questions that matter most: where power sits, how risk is held, how decisions are made, and how leadership is held to account.
Building and stewarding partnerships with grantees, peer funders, governments, and multilaterals that are partner-led in practice, not just in language.
Helping foundations articulate who they are, what they stand for, and where they add value, in ways that build trust with grantees and credibility with peers.
Building the narratives that align actors across complex systems. The shared stories that hold coalitions together and move ecosystems, not just individual organisations.
"Change at scale does not happen organisation by organisation. It happens through ecosystems, not egosystems."International Education Funders Group
A selection of the foundations, family offices, and philanthropic funds KW Strategy has advised over the past three years.
Earlier senior in-house roles at CIFF and the LEGO Foundation, and twice representing private philanthropy on the global Board and Executive Committee of the Global Partnership for Education.
Euan has spent 30 years advising senior leaders on strategic communications, advocacy, and social impact, with a particular focus on philanthropy, education, early childhood, and international development.
His last executive role was at the LEGO Foundation, leading advocacy, partner engagement, and external communications. Before that, senior roles at CIFF, The Coca-Cola Company, Pearson, WPP, and IBM. He has twice represented private philanthropy on the global Board and Executive Committee of the Global Partnership for Education.
He currently chairs and sits on boards including Play England, STIR Education, Home-Start UK, and Svitlo Education. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow, a member of the World In 2050 Expert Network, and writes regularly for the Diplomatic Courier.
Always interested in partnering with leaders and boards serious about the long view. If this resonates, do get in touch.
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