As a consultant

Association of Charitable Foundations – work on policy issues, for example analysing and
   preparing briefings on the Government's proposals for reforming charities’ legal framework,
   looking at the long-term development of philanthropy

Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust – devising procedures and chairing assessment panels for this new
   philanthropy award scheme, launched in Spring 2003

Brixton Town Centre Area Forum Board - facilitating their 'awayday' strategy review

CANS Trust - Citizens Advice Notes Service – strategic review and successfully finding partner for
   merger

Capacity Builders - Leading a team analysing local and regional infrastructure investment plans

Charities Aid Foundation – review of 50 local and regional 'maps' of the voluntary sector; scoping for
   CAF's survey of local authority funding; research and writing on family foundations.

City University Cass Business School – preparing syllabus for diploma/MSc in charitable grant-making

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Clapham Park Project - training Community Chest panel for this New Deal for Communities
  
organisation

Community Fund and Big Lottery Fund – drafting conditions for grants with political content;
   enquiring into a complaint about a disputed grant

Derbyshire Community Foundation – a review of their governance and the potential for a membership
   scheme

Directory of Social Change - reviews and articles for Funding for Change magazine

Electoral Reform Society – chairing a special commission on internal governance

Futurebuilders – Assistance in setting up database of consultants

Guidestar UK – comparing US and UK classification systems for organisations and grants

Home Office - re-drafting consultation paper on Civil Renewal; designing forms and assessing grant
   applications for the Volunteer Recruitment Fund, reading business plans for another programme

Institute of Fundraising - pro tem manager of Tax-effective Giving project in start-up phase

International Network on Strategic Philanthropy – paper on the principles of accountability of
   foundations

Khodorkovsky Foundation - a governance review of a private boarding school (sometimes referred to as
   an 'orphanage') in the outskirts of Moscow, sponsored by the jailed Russian oil millionaire Mikhail
   Khodorkovsky.  The 'Lyceum' provides a caring environment for 'children of sorrow' from across
   Russia.  I was part of a team including a doctor and senior staff from NCH Action for Children.
  The Foundation is a charity established in England.

National Family and Parenting Institute - assisting NFPI in preparing major tender for Government
   contract

Princess Royal Trust for Carers - presentation on governance at Chairs' and Trustees' conference

Vodafone Foundations - working with David Carrington in devising a procedures manual

As a staff member

Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF)

Director and Chief Executive (1990-2002)

ACF is the UK’s key support organisation for independent grant-making trusts and foundations.
It promotes good practice, influences public policy and the legal/regulatory framework, provides
public information about foundations and helps new ones into being.  I was its first chief officer,
and built its membership to 300 organisations with aggregate annual giving of £1.3bn.  I wrote
many of its guides and briefings, edited its magazine (Trust & Foundation News), was the main
lobbyist for the Trustee Act 2000, and made ACF a key source of advice for grant-makers.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Co-ordinator of Local Development Agencies Fund (1986-1990)

I headed an experimental national grant fund that channelled £3 million of Government funds to
70 voluntary sector development agencies across England.

Lambeth Umbrella Group

Co-ordinator (1978-85)

I was the key staff member of a pioneering federation of 50 local advice centres in the London
Borough of Lambeth - membership including Citizens Advice Bureaux, law and neighbourhood
centres, and specialist centres serving minority ethnic and other disadvantaged groups.

London Voluntary Service Council

Development Officer (1975-8)

Working with Councils for Voluntary Service (CVSs) in the London boroughs

National Council for Civil Liberties (now Liberty)

Administrative Assistant (1974-5)

Office admin, bookkeeping, advice, and campaign work

As a trustee

Current

McDougall Trust (Trustee and Chair of Investment Committee since 2002, Chair of Trust since 2005)

Fair Trials Abroad (Trustee from Spring 2003)

Past

Federation of Independent Advice Centres - now called Advice UK (Founding member, Treasurer,
London Unit Chair, 1981-5)

Lambeth Inner City Consultative Group (Chair, 1984-5)

LASA Computer Development Unit (Board member, 1984-5)

Advice Services Alliance (Chair, 1985)

Lambeth Citizens Advice Bureaux Management Committee (Vice-Chair, 1986-1989)

Campaign for Inter-Country Adoption (Board member, 1990-7)

Family International (Board Member, 1993-7)

Conference of National Resource and Umbrella Organisations (Planning Chair, 1997-2000)

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (Trustee, 1996-2001)

In summary

I've worked in the voluntary and charitable sector for 30 years including 19 as a chief officer,
4 running a grants programme, and 12 as head of the UK's premier good practice organisation
in independent grant-making, the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF).

I’ve built up several organisations from their early days.  Apart from ACF, I built the pioneering
group of advice centres in Lambeth, and was one of the founder group of the Federation of
Independent Advice Centres (now Advice UK).

I've worked with most of the third sector's key strategic organisations, including the National
Council for
Voluntary Organisations, Charities Aid Foundation, Directory of Social Change,
Institute of Fundraising, and the 'builders': Futurebuilders and Capacity Builders.

I’ve worked on issues at the government-voluntary-corporate sector interfaces.

As well as offering consultancy advice, I’ve been both a lead staff member and a trustee - still am
- so I've had plenty of time to practise what I preach.

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I know charity and trustee law very well, and was one of the key lobbyists for the Trustee Act
2000 -  with work that was acknowledged by the Law Commission and the School of Law (which
trains lawyers).  I belong to the Charity Law Association.

I’ve drafted standards and codes of conduct.

I have good international links, especially with foundations and their networks.

I’m experienced at public speaking, writing and editing.

My CV

Download my CV here:

PDF versions:   1 page version       Full version      Skill-centred version      My leaflet

Word versions: 1 page version       Full version      Skill-centred version      My leaflet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clients’ comments

"You have carried out an excellent piece of work relating to a very complex and difficult situation."

Community Fund

"I found Nigel Siederer’s presentation on Governance particularly useful’"

Princess Royal Trust for Carers Conference participant

"You have played a vital role in the development and establishment of Beacon, and as such have contributed greatly to our success."

Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust

"Congratulations to you... on conjuring up such a practical way through the morass via your
excellent... report.  A very difficult
objective for you but you've achieved it.  Well done!"

Anon

"Many thanks.… for doing such a thought-provoking study."

International Network on Strategic Philanthropy                                                SCROLL FOR MORE

"Thanks again for a really useful piece of work.  You have given us a blueprint for improvement
and it will be implemented."

Derbyshire Community Foundation

"Thanks a lot for this really thorough piece of work. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all
your hard work on this."

Charities Aid Foundation

"Many thanks for your time and skill on this paper … in your usual thorough style!"

Association of Charitable Foundations