Rachel Haynes
Rachel is an independent consultant supporting organisations to be strategic and effective about funding. She has worked with funders on research and due diligence, with NGOs and civil society organisations on funding and partnership strategy, funding research, providing support on and leading bids, and she has provided training. She is also a trained coach and mentor.
Director of her small company, Flamingo, Rachel has worked closely with a network of other independent consultants. Since 2012 she has worked with over 70 different organisations of varying sizes.
Flamingo’s clients are non-governmental/civil society organisations. These range from large international NGOs to smaller and medium sized organisations working on specialist themes. Flamingo also works with individuals, networks and other types of organisations.
Recent consultancy assignments have included research into new funding models, conducting funding reviews, managing a fellowship programme based on feminist principles, bid writing support, and coaching and mentoring.
Rachel believes strongly in the power of networks, she has worked extensively with networks, and is Co-Chair of SWIDN (South West International Development Network), a small but mighty network of actors working for global social justice in the south-west of England.
Coaching and mentoring, Fundraising and income generation, Strategic planning
Environment and climate crisis, Global majority, Infrastructure organisations, International development, Women
Clients
Recent clients have included:
Mama Cash
WWF
Amnesty International UK
AidsFonds
ActionAid
Water Aid
Mercy Corps
Intrac
Robert Carr Fund
Eurasian Harm Reduction Association
Sense International
Leonard Cheshire
Qualifications
Gender and International Development MA with distinction, Warwick University 2011-2013
Development Management MSc, Open University 2006
Dissertation: Impact Assessment (Distinction)
Development Studies BA 2.1, University of East Anglia 1985
ILM Level 5 Coaching Qualification 2025 (in progress)
Experience
As well as coaching individuals, and leading and supporting winning fundraising bids, Rachel has led on the following consultancy projects:
WWF International: Localisation Horizon Scan
Flamingo were commissioned by WWF International to provide high level strategic foresight relating to localisation of funding streams. The research process, over 5 months, included desk research into current trends and specific practices, and key informant interviews with internal and external interviews. The study’s conclusion presented evidence-based scenarios for the next 10 years, alongside an analysis of the high-level strategic implications for WWF.
Mama Cash:
Internal Readiness Review
Flamingo carried out a thorough review of the compliance and due diligence requirements of eight European bilateral and multilateral donors. We compared the requirements against Mama Cash’s current systems, processes and policies as a feminist grant-maker, and talked to other peer funders about their experiences. We delivered to Mama Cash a detailed mapping of the compliance requirements, along with our analysis and recommendations, delivered in a final report and reflections session.
ActionAid UK: Flexible Funding Learning Review
Having worked with ActionAid to design and deliver two rounds of their 12-month Women’s Rights Fellowship for Women’s Rights Organisations in 2019 and 2020, I was excited to work with my co-researcher, Aasha Ramesh, on this learning of ActionAid’s Flexible Funding funding model. Using feminist research approaches, we undertook a number of interviews with a broad range of Women’s Rights Organisations and ActionAid staff, and combined this with a desk review of Flexible Funding Models to produce a final report and run a final reflection session.
