Craig is the founder of Fundraising Radicals and has spent more than three decades helping nonprofits around the globe figure out how to evolve their funding model, and build better funding partnerships so they can diversify their income and fund their future impact.

He has worked with civil society visionaries in 100+ countries, mainly in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Latin America and designed many strategies and pathways that have led to major funding shifts :

- That enables a nonprofit owned by indigenous forest communities to collaborate and protect 250,000 more hectares of primary rainforest in Papua New Guinea.

- That is transforming child and maternal health in The Gambia through West Africa’s first social enterprise hospital.

- That made the UK’s landscapes more accessible through Northumberland National Park’s The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre.

- That bolsters critical thinking and intellectual resistance within Myanmar, by building the country’s first liberal arts and sciences university.

- That creates a place to explore global Palestinian identity and resistance in the West Bank’s incredible and important Palestinian Museum.

- That supports brilliant medical researchers in Africa and breaks down the barriers to funding, through the Africa Research Excellence Fund.

- That drives better healthcare and training through the Royal College of Physicians northern hub in Liverpool’s iconic and nature-inspired The Spine building.

- That protects academic freedom by supporting persecuted academics and their families, and those in conflict zones via partnerships brokered by the Council for At-Risk Academics.

For Craig it’s always about much more than raising big chunks of cash, he believes deeply that why funding is needed, and how funding is raised, matter most. Funding is powerful, it amplifies and accelerates, which means Craig is careful about the causes he works with.

He created the learning space that has evolved into altFund to challenge traditional ideas of what funding knowledge and expertise really matter and where everyone can share more relevant experiences of regional partnership-building in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania.

Craig has come a long way since teaching maths in Nigeria with VSO, and wearing a suit to crunch numbers at KPMG. But the nonprofit world kept calling, he worked with Amref Health Africa, and SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) before cycling from London to Cape Town. He found his joy in blending finance, people, organisational change, and social impact.

These days, when he's not designing strategies and organisational pathways to funding, or training people and teams around the world, you might find him paddle boarding, hiking, or surfing. Oh, and Craig's got the academic chops too - a first degree in maths, chartered accountancy credentials, and a master's in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS.

What really makes Craig tick is his belief that meaningful change happens when you get the fundamentals right and the deep work done - purpose, values, people, and culture - funding is downstream from these. It's probably why he's won awards for transforming fundraising programmes, and for innovation in fundraising, and why organisations keep asking him to guide them and to join their boards.

Lucila is based in Buenos Aires and is our expert on all things social innovation and entrepreneurship. She has a long track record of guiding innovation initiatives within the social sector with Bridge for Billions, Yunus & Youth, Slidebean and Ashoka.

She has experience across education, entrepreneurship support, and global innovation programs. She served as an Assistant Professor at Universidad Austral, teaching Introduction to Social Innovation, and previously worked as Regional Programs Director for LATAM & USA at Bridge for Billions, leading incubation programs for entrepreneurs. Earlier, she held roles as Global and LATAM Project Manager at Yunus & Youth, supporting social entrepreneurship initiatives, and worked with Facebook as a Business Education Partner for LATAM, delivering training and workshops through the Blueprint program.

Lucila leads the Ashoka<>IKEA Social Entrepreneurship accelerator programme 'Dela', which means "to share" in Swedish, which is exactly what this accelerator is all about. Sharing knowledge, perspectives and networks to support social entrepreneurs who are striving to make a positive impact on society and improve the lives of vulnerable and marginalised people.

Lucila's talents extend to graphic facilitation and she was also a Chevening Scholar.

Lilian Mabonga is a seasoned Development Specialist with over 18 years of diverse experience across agriculture, green energy, and currently in Water Sanitation specialising and Hygiene (WASH) as part of SDG 6 and 13. She has participated and contributed to SDGs 1 to 5 initiatives over the years. 

She is driven by a passion for creating sustainable impact and change in the
communities she serves. With a robust academic background, Lilian holds an MBA in Strategic Management and an MA in Monitoring and Evaluation. Her academic journey complements her practical experience, enhancing
her ability to design and manage impactful development programs. 

Lilian is distinguished by her project management acumen, holding certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro). She has further honed her leadership skills through specialised coursework at Cornell University, including Project Management, Project Leadership, Women in Leadership, and Change Management.

Lilian’s expertise extends beyond program implementation; she is also a proficient fundraiser, having successfully raised millions of dollars to support vital development projects benefiting communities across Africa, Latin America, Asia. 

Her commitment to excellence led her to pursue advanced studies, and she holds a PhD in Development Studies at the University of South Africa.
Her expertise blends academic rigor with practical project management to drive excellence in global development and women’s leadership. She is a highly sought-after speaker on global platforms in matters of leadership, fundraising and development studies themes.

Dr Kyaw Moe Tun is President of Parami University in Myanmar and is currently living in exile in the United States.

Kyaw Moe Tun completed his undergraduate education at Bard College and Oxford University then received his PhD in Chemistry at Yale University. The transformative liberal arts and sciences education he received abroad challenged him to find deeper meaning behind his actions, informing his ensuing work.

He returned to Myanmar in 2014 to dedicate his life to developing his native country. As a young social entrepreneur with a dedicated mission to create the next generation of responsible and competent leaders, he believes that empowering the youth is the most rewarding investment a country can make to safeguard its sustainable future.

He believes liberal arts and sciences education has the transformative power to develop the innovative, adaptable leaders needed to address fast-changing global socio-political trends and industrial disruptions.

With this mission in mind, Kyaw Moe Tun established the Parami Institute in early 2017, providing high-quality, innovative liberal education programs to young Myanmar graduates who want to take on challenges facing their country. He raised millions of dollars from local and international philanthropists to transform the institute into a private, non-profit, residential, degree-granting university to create next-generation leaders for Myanmar – a plan curtailed by the military coup in 2021.

To meet the growing educational needs of a country in crisis, he quickly pivoted to incorporate Parami University as a private, non-profit, synchronous online university licensed by the Higher Education Licensure Commission, Washington D.C. offering Associate and Bachelor degree programs since 2022 to students in Myanmar and other areas under authoritarian control.

Jess has worked in the social Impact space for over 20 years,designing equity-centred social change programs in the UK as well as humanitarian relief programs.

She has worked with the Fundraising Radicals on multiple projects. Currently, she works at Global Fund for Children, a global nonprofit dedicated to finding, funding, and coaching truly local organisations that uplift young people worldwide. 

Jess is also the founder of Design for Social Impact Lab, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting organisations design equity-centred programs, policies, research and learning. 

Design for Social Impact has worked with dozens of grassroots organisations as well as the British Red Cross, National Lottery Fund, Association of Charitable Foundations, the Stephen Lawrence Foundation, Plan International, and Save the Children.

In 2024, Design for Social Impact launched Its first global learning program, bring together participants from over 15 countries to explore equity-centred approaches to research design for social impact.

Jess has recently moved to Mauritius from London, in the UK.

Nachula Wilson is a strategic partnerships and operations professional with extensive experience across Africa. She is currently a Doctoral Researcher at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland, where her research focuses on supporting the development of resilient and effective entrepreneurship ecosystems in Africa.

Prior to beginning her doctoral research, Nachula served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Ashesi University in Accra, Ghana, where she led efforts to cultivate relationships and secure funding from major donors, foundations, and corporate partners across Africa.

Earlier in her career, Nachula held leadership roles at African Leadership University in Rwanda and Mauritius, overseeing academic operations and program development. She also consults with organisations, providing advisory services on strategy development, fundraising, and education management. In addition, she has held board roles, most recently serving as Treasurer for Lycée Français International Jacques Prévert d’Accra.

Nachula holds an MBA from IESE Business School and is an alumna of the Saïd Business School at University of Oxford, where she completed the Social Finance Programme. Her expertise spans participatory project planning, financial analysis, fundraising, governance, and leadership development. With a deep appreciation for Africa’s development challenges gained through working across the continent, Nachula is passionate about turning those challenges into opportunities and uses her work to advance this effort. 

Steve Murigi is a trustee of The Fore, which funds exceptional small charities that are transforming lives and society. Steve is the CEO of WeSeeHope, partners with local NGOs to provide children in East Africa with access to community-led education, child rights and economic empowerment programmes.

With previous roles as CEO at Primary Care International and diverse leadership roles at Amref Health Africa, he has a deep understanding of the complex challenges surrounding charity operations and social enterprise development. With nearly two decades of directly developing strategic partnerships, Steve has facilitated effective collaborations with major partners including GSK, the Guardian, and Barclays.

His work spans multiple countries and continents, reflecting a deep commitment to decolonising and localising international development and advancing trust-based philanthropy. Steve's extensive experience in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships emphasises his dedication to ethical practices and promoting equitable healthcare access worldwide.

Respecting local knowledge and cultural contexts, Steve’s initiatives set high standards for the delivery of training and resources in challenging environments. His leadership continues to drive forward a legacy of community-centred change.

Charles Kojo Vandyck is a development practitioner and strategic leader with extensive experience in strengthening the financial sustainability and resource mobilisation capacity of civil society organisations across Africa and the wider Global Majority. As Head of the Capacity Development Unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), he provides strategic leadership for programmes that help organisations build resilient systems, diversify funding sources, and develop long-term financial strategies that support their missions.

With a background in Banking and Finance and deep expertise in civil society strengthening, Charles supports organisations to move beyond short-term, restrictive funding cycles towards more flexible and sustainable financing models. As a Change the Game Academy Master Trainer, he works with civil society leaders to strengthen fundraising strategies, expand income streams, and build partnerships that reduce reliance on traditional aid while advancing locally led development.

Charles is also recognised for his work in partnership building and systems change. He brings together grassroots organisations, national networks, governments, philanthropic actors and the private sector to co-create solutions that strengthen civil society ecosystems. He serves as Co-Chair of the Global Advisory Panel of Pledge for Change, a Core Team Member of the Reimagining International NGOs (RINGO) initiative, and an Advisory Committee Member of the Alternative Resourcing for Change and Solidarity (ARCS) initiative. Through his writing and his podcast, Alternative Convos, he continues to advocate for innovative financing, stronger partnerships, and more equitable development systems rooted in local leadership.

Irene brings ten years of experience in designing and leading development and social innovation initiatives in the social, public, and private sectors. She holds a Master's degree in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a track record of putting the theory into action in every role, from her work with Care Perú and her current role as Executive Director of Asociación UNACEM which brings together corporate and community strategies.

Irene is an active member of the Chevening Scholars network, Teach For All Alumni, and the Latin America Leadership Program at Georgetown University. 

Emily Monville Oro is the Acting Asia Regional Director and concurrent Philippines Country Director of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR).

She provides strategic direction and oversees implementation of its key programs focusing on strengthening local Food Systems for food and nutrition security, Economic Empowerment, especially of women, conserving environment and Biodiversity for climate and disaster resilience, improving local Health care delivery system, Education and Global Learning.

Emily has 33 years of work experience mostly in Asia, leading conduct of development action research, managing community development programs, and designing capacity building activities and learning events in the region.  She finished her Master’s in Public Health and has been co-lead investigator of various research projects including many relating to Upscaling Integrated School Nutrition Program in the Philippines, and the recently concluded regional research project on Climate Smart Villages as Platforms for Resilience Building, Women Empowerment, Equity, and Sustainable Food Systems in Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

She is actively involved in the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN) being a staunch advocate for Health and Nutrition, and is currently the Senior Regional Adviser for Asia of the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network. She believes that trust-based giving builds strong organisations and sustainable development programs.

Timor Sharan is a development practitioner, civil society leader, and policy analyst with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of governance, human rights, and social change in Afghanistan and internationally.

He is the Founder and Programme Director of HAMRAH Network, a coalition of Afghan civil society organisations working in exile to resist Taliban repression and build the foundations of a rights-based, inclusive Afghanistan. At HAMRAH, Timor leads fundraising and resource mobilisation, making the case for sustained investment in Afghan civil society at a moment when global attention has waned and the need has never been greater.

Timor has spent his career on both sides of the funding relationship, designing and managing multi-million-dollar programmes for USAID, The Asia Foundation, and the International Development Law Organization, and leading resource mobilisation for civil society organisations on the ground. That dual perspective, understanding what funders look for and what organisations actually need, informs how he builds partnerships and makes the case for investment.

Timor holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Exeter and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. He has taught at King's College London and the American University of Afghanistan, and is based in Oxford, UK.

Highly Satisfied

99% of graduating participants described themselves as “highly satisfied” and would recommend the altFund programme to others.

Transformational

95% of certificated participants used the word “transformational” to describe their altFund journey (in their end-of-programme evaluation).

Million

75% of certificated participants directly attribute major new funding partnerships (collectively worth +20 million EUR) to what they learned during their altFund journey.

Live Attendance

The attendance rate (for all participants across all LIVE altFund webinars and coaching sessions) averages over 90%.