We are delighted to announce our new Chair today. Richard Taylor, the Outgoing Chair of the Board, will pass on the baton to Luke Mallett, who was appointed as the charity’s incoming Chair last month following an extensive search during Autumn.
Luke Mallett
Richard was a friend of Tony Elischer and, at times, a beneficiary of Tony’s mentorship. Richard joined the charity as a Mentor before joining the trustee board in April 2019, taking on the role of Chair after the passing of Nicky Elischer in October 2022. With over 20 years of leadership in fundraising, marketing, and communication, which included pivotal roles at Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support and as Chair of the Institute of Fundraising, Richard shifted his focus to executive coaching in 2019. His influence will continue to resonate with the fundraisers he has coached and supported as well as through the ongoing work at The Elischer Foundation. We thank Richard for his extensive support to the foundation and wish him well as he steps into retirement.
We are delighted to welcome Luke Mallett as our incoming Chair.
Upon bidding farewell to Richard, The Elischer Foundation is delighted to announce Luke Mallett as our new Chair. A volunteer Mentor with the foundation since the first cohort, and with two decades of strategic leadership experience in the charity sector including roles at Save the Children, British Heart Foundation and Young Lives vs Cancer. Luke has led income generation and marketing, communications and brand teams. Change and transformation have been a key feature of much of Luke’s career – early on, as Chief Officer of a regional health charity, he was responsible for leading the organisation through a turnaround into sustained growth and expansion. Later in his career he took a role directing transformation to embed a new relationship fundraising strategy across a charity structurally, culturally and behaviourally, breaking down silos within fundraising and enabling better cross-organisational engagement in fundraising. During Covid Luke and his team delivered a major project to reposition a charity brand and successfully change the charity name.
Luke now works as a consultant and interim leader. He’s currently working with Ripple Effect, an international NGO, as Interim Director, leading fundraising and communications through an 18-month stability and growth programme, whilst building a unified fundraising and comms workforce across the six countries in which the charity works or partners in East Africa, as well as in the UK and USA. A key priority is to sustainably grow philanthropic and high-value fundraising, with a particular focus on realising the growing opportunity to engage institutional donors in-country and from the charity’s Africa hub in Nairobi.
In his consultancy practice, Luke works with charities and not-for-profits on strategic growth and sustainability, underpinned by robust and insight-rich strategic planning support across the fundraising, marketing and commercial realms. As Luke says, “to grow sustainably, fundraising needs operational effectiveness, be it structures, leadership, data and measurement, processes, fit for purpose or often ‘fit for audience’ assets and/or culture.” As an organisation navigating change and growth, The Elischer Foundation looks forward to drawing on Luke’s experience as we move forward on our journey with Luke as our Chair.
Luke said, “It’s an immense privilege and responsibility to take on this role, and there are certainly some big shoes to fill. We must harness The Elischer Foundation’s momentum and help steer it onto the next chapter of our development and growth.”
Luke added, “I would like to extend my gratitude to Richard Taylor for his dedication and impactful leadership on behalf of the Board and all the Mentees and Mentors of The Elischer Foundation. Richard, working alongside our director and staff, has helped to propel the foundation forward. Richard’s dedicated support for The Elischer Foundation, initially as a Mentor and then as our Chair, has so clearly aided the charity’s development and growth to the extent it has achieved. We will all miss Richard and wish him the very best in his retirement.”
Richard Taylor responded, “Under Luke’s leadership, the foundation is poised for an even brighter future. Serving as a Trustee has been an honour, and I look forward to witnessing the great accomplishments to come under Luke’s stewardship, who has both my sincere thanks and utmost confidence.”
The Elischer Foundation is excited for what comes next. With much accomplished yet a great deal still to be achieved we are looking forward to working with Luke to reflect on the great work that has been done for fundraisers in the charitable sector and ensuring that the foundation remains fit for the future as we continue to uphold Tony’s legacy.
The charity is nearing the completion of the recruitment of Cohort 12. For anyone wanting to join the programme as a Mentee this year – you have until Tuesday 23rd January to apply. Don’t miss your chance.
Comments