A fund that aims to enable a greater number of charities to develop their organisational and operational capacity and achieve long term sustainability has been launched by The Cranfield Trust.

The Smart Fund is the new venture philanthropy initiative led by Nigel Doughty of the private equity firm Doughty Hanson, and supporters include The Execution Charitable Trust and Coutts & Co. It will finance a national programme to benefit up to 250 charities annually over five years.

The fund will finance The Cranfield Trust’s aims of giving free management consultancy support to registered charities across the UK and the commercial value of each of the consultancy projects will be worth between £5,000 and £16,000. The fund will leverage consultancy support worth over £10m to UK charities, including advice on business plans, strategic planning, marketing, finance and HR; over twelve hundred and fifty charities will ultimately benefit.

Tina Baker, Fundraising Manager at The Cranfield Trust, said the fund “was looking for individuals and organisations who want to take a strategic approach to charitable giving and who have financial and intellectual capital they wish to invest.

“Organisations typically approach us when they are making a step-change and the Smart Fund will help provide them with the necessary support to manage change and growth, and provide viable and visible social returns for them and the donor or volunteer.”

The Fund is still open to receive ongoing donor investments, and offers differing entry levels of donor investment.

For more information go to The Cranfield Trust website.