Consultancy services
Consultancy services offered by the cdfa
In addition to our specialised training programmes, cdfa provides individualised consulting services for members and stakeholders around all areas of community development finance.
Our consultants are leaders in the community development finance field, with extensive experience in issues facing CDFIs operating across the UK. Consultancy is tailored to any organisation at any stage of development. Our aim is to strengthen the sector through working with you.
To date the cdfa has provided bespoke consulting services around all areas of community development finance, including client outreach and raising CITR investment, as well as undertaking in-depth research studies into financial inclusion services and products.
To find out more about what cdfa consultancy can do for you, please contact our Capacity Building Manager, Claire Caffrey.
Our consultants come from a variety of backgrounds and are specialists in their fields. We are currently searching for more consultants to deliver support to CDFIs. If your expertise could be used to help the sector and you are interested in becoming a consultant for the cdfa, then contact Capacity Building Manager, Claire Caffrey, for more information.
Our consultants
Alternative Choices
Alternative Choices is a social enterprise which provides consultancy in community development finance. It was set up by Stuart Field, who has been involved in the sector since 1992, both in the UK and internationally. Stuart has carried out Change Matters assessments of several CDFIs. He has also worked with the cdfa to develop model financial projections based on his own successful experience of raising finance for CDFIs. Two of his papers, one on CDFI regulation and the other comparing government support for CDFIs and banks, have been published by the Institute for Social Banking.
Andrew Baker Consultancy Ltd
Andrew Baker Consultanyc lt is a consultancy company that focuses on the CDFI sector. Andrew had a successful career in aerospace and joined the CDFI sector in 2002, initially as Project Manager and Chief Executive of Derbyloans (now MCF Loans) and since 2007 providing services to individual CDFIs and consortia. These services can include advice and support for developing CDFIs, work on funding bids or tenders and strategy development. Andrew has worked at board level within the sector and financial planning for loan businesses is a strong personal interest.
Ann Byrne
Ann has over 25 years experience with a high street bank, during which time she was actively involved in personal and small business lending and delinquency management. She has been involved in the third sector since 2006 primarily with a mixed use CDFI in the North West of England. Ann has been actively involved in the successful development of risk processes and procedures, product design, financial modelling, business planning, staff training and grant funding bids. She has also acted as a trainer on the cdfa Delinquency Management Course.
David Herd
David worked with Social Investment Scotland (SIS) - national provider of loan finance to the social enterprise sector, January 2002 until July 2010. He has carried out work on Sponsorship and Member Value for the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition since. He has over 30 years experience at managerial level and experience in working with BIG Lottery programmes.
Skills relevant to the CDFI sector concentrate around business support (structural and financial), Business Plan preparation, investigation and assistance towards Investment Readiness, Lending, Risk Assessment and preparation of funding applications.
Peter Newnham
Apart from two years as the CDFA’s Head of Regions North, Peter has been a management consultant to the Third Sector since 1997. From 2008 his primary focus has been on the community development finance sector. Peter’s experience includes research; operational, monitoring and evaluation system development; feasibility studies; business and strategic planning; Board, management and organisational development; and resource assembly including bid writing. Peter is a trained trainer and qualified labour market analyst.
In early 2009 Peter established an informal network of business lending CDFIs and continues to act as its facilitator.
See Peter’s LinkedIn profile and recommendations at: http://www.linkedin.com
