Justyna Wichowska

I help organisations turn great ideas into fundable programmes and build more sustainable income.

I’m an independent fundraising consultant working with small and medium-sized voluntary organisations across health, social care and the arts. My main expertise is in trust and foundation fundraising, but I usually start by assessing whether the organisation, programme, finances and evidence are in the right place before looking at the application form. I can then help address any gaps, shape the programme or funding ask and develop a strong case for support. I will also be honest when pursuing a particular opportunity is unlikely to be a good use of an organisation’s time.

My fundraising services include funding readiness reviews, fundraising strategies, cases for support, trust and foundation prospect research, funding pipelines, bid writing and income diversification. I also support organisations with programme design, strategic planning, partnership development and evaluation and impact measurement.

My approach is collaborative, practical and tailored to each organisation’s capacity. I aim not only to secure funding but to leave clients with stronger programmes, evidence and fundraising skills.

I’m based in Folkestone, Kent and work primarily remotely, so I am available for assignments across the UK.

Clients

My clients range from small community organisations with an annual income of around £150,000 to national charities, most with an income below £1 million.

I have particular experience in children and young people, older people, disability, mental health and wellbeing, substance use, health and social care and the arts.

Clients have included Adfam National, Build on Belief, Claremont Project, Future Men, Kinship and MahaDevi Yoga Centre.

Qualifications

BA History of Art, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Member, Chartered Institute of Fundraising

Experience

I have sixteen years’ experience in the voluntary sector, including seven as an independent fundraising consultant. I have secured more than £2.25 million in funding, including multi-year core grants, with individual awards ranging from a few hundred pounds to £225,000.

Earlier in my career, I worked in various roles around the sector, including four years as a Charity Manager, with responsibilities spanning fundraising, finance, programming, operations, events, communications and project management.

Selected consultancy experience:

Older people’s charity: funding strategy and diversification
I identified an approaching funding cliff edge and developed a prioritised strategy covering renewals, diversification, evidence and new income opportunities. Since 2022, I have secured more than £1.1 million, creating a more balanced multi-year funding portfolio.

Disability charity: building funding readiness
I helped a newly converted charity build its trust fundraising function from the ground up, strengthening its evidence, evaluation, cases for support and programme design. After an unsuccessful Masonic Charitable Foundation application highlighted weaknesses in impact measurement, I worked with beneficiaries and staff to develop new evaluation tools. A subsequent application secured multi-year core funding in 2026, while trust funding has grown from occasional grants to approximately half of the charity’s annual income.

National family support charity: developing a fundable national model
In a field with limited funder interest, I developed complementary local and core funding strategies based on beneficiary insight, service outcomes and local evidence. These approaches reopened previously discounted opportunities and helped me secure £670,000 between 2022 and 2026, including a £225,000 five-year grant.