Hello!
My name is Alexandra Watson and I’ve spent the last twenty years working for cultural organisations, grant makers and charities across the North of England.
As a freelance consultant, I specialise in community engagement and work with organisations to plan and fund strategic projects, undertake research and community consultation, manage project and event delivery, and plan and deliver evaluation.
I’m also a long-term Trustee and active volunteer with experience of a range of causes and organisational types.
How can I help?
Fundraising & Bid Writing
I've worked as a grant assessor for major funding bodies and a fundraiser for small charities, so can offer a unique perspective on what makes an application successful. I can:
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Write persuasive funding bids that clearly demonstrate the impact you intend to make.
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Secure Trust & Foundation funding: drawing on my experience of identifying and successfully drawing down grants from a wide range of charitable trusts.
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Offer specialist guidance for complex grants, in particular National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England bids, from initial project development through to submission.
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Manage crowdfunding campaigns.
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Support with grant monitoring and reporting, helping you maintain a positive relationship with your funders.
Project Management
I design and deliver community projects and events, working from inception through to final reporting. I can help with:
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Events Management: Organise and execute successful events that engage your audiences and meet your objectives.
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Project Development and Delivery: Design and deliver cultural and heritage projects that reflect the unique needs and aspirations of your communities and audiences.
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Monitoring: Develop customised strategies to gather meaningful data and demonstrate your impact to funders and stakeholders.
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Evaluation: providing ongoing evaluation to ensure your projects stay on track and achieve their goals.
Strategy & Development
I've worked at strategic level in a number of organisations managing business planning and development. I can:
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Undertake community and stakeholder consultation to identify the best way forward for your project or organsiation
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Undertake research to map your organisation's market position
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Collaborate with Trustees to understand how well your organisation is achieving its mission and develop strategic priorities for future work.
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Analyse consultations and evaluations, delivering clear findings and practical recommendations.
Let's have a chat!
Contact me to discuss your idea: