About us
Tony Elischer Foundation supports and nurtures individuals who have already demonstrated they have a talent and passion for fundraising to help ensure the development of the next generation of sector leaders in the UK and around the world.
There are no geographical restrictions for applicants and all our support is provided free of fees for the participants.
Throughout an illustrious career of over thirty years in fundraising, Tony Elischer was known and respected as a highly inspirational and accomplished fundraiser and leader. Tony was passionate about drawing out the talents of individuals and influenced countless aspiring fundraisers to learn and progress to become the next generation of fundraising leaders.
Nicky Elischer launched the foundation in memory of her dear, late husband Tony, after hearing an overwhelming number of stories of how he helped and guided individuals in their fundraising careers. She was very very hands-on, particularly with the selection process of new mentees and was determined to continue helping talented individuals reach their potential. Upon her very sad passing, Nicky left the foundation a significant gift in her will. This generous legacy means that the work of the Tony Elischer Foundation has been safeguarded and we look forward to welcoming many more mentees to our mentoring programme in years to come.
Read about Tony and his fundraising career
Be inspired by some of Tony’s thinking
Who we are
Tony Elischer Foundation is governed by a board of trustees. These four individuals founded the charity and direct its aims and work. The day to day running is undertaken by the Foundation Director who manages the application processes, liaises with mentors and mentees and runs the day to day operations.
Trustees
Michelle Pease
Michelle has senior management experience in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. She joined the not-for-profit sector in 1993 and has worked a wide range of causes spanning heritage, education and mainstream charity. She has been part of the THINK Consulting Solutions’ team since 2005 and became Managing Director in 2015.
“My first experience of Tony was in 1993, when he spoke at the British Red Cross Fundraising Conference. I was struck and inspired by his infectious energy and enthusiasm on that occasion and subsequently on countless others. I feel privileged to have benefitted so much from Tony’s experience and advice working as part of his team at THINK and know that individuals and the fundraising sector as a whole will be enriched by the support the Foundation can offer.”
Finbarr Coughlan
Once a keen rugby player and now an equally keen supporter, Finbarr has worked in financial services since 1980, gaining a wealth of knowledge with some of the UK’s largest financial providers. A director of Boyd Coughlan Ltd since its establishment in 1994 and latterly of Mattioli Woods, Finbarr focuses not only on individual asset management but also corporate employee benefits solutions. These companies include many charities – WaterAid, Plan International, Medical Detection Dogs and Alzheimer’s Disease International to name but a few.
“Having known Tony for 25 years he always inspired me with his enthusiasm and zest for life both personally and professionally. I am proud and delighted to be a Trustee of this inspiring and valuable Foundation.”
Catherine Parnell
Catherine has a background in design and innovation (both in and out of the charity sector) and a decade’s experience in education. Through her leadership roles in education, she mentors providers at various stages in their professional development, designs mentoring programmes and coaches other leaders.
“Having known Tony for many years, I am delighted to be part of this Foundation taking forward his passion for supporting and developing new fundraising talent. I look forward to helping the next generation of fundraisers benefit from the right support at the right time in their development.”
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Richard TaylorRichard has worked in the Charity sector for over 20 years in Fundraising, Marketing and Communication leadership roles. He was a member of the executive board at CRUK for 12 years and for the past 3 years at Macmillan Cancer Support. Over that period, he has been responsible for generating some £6bn of revenue with teams of up to 2000 staff. He has also held numerous trustee roles drawing on causes that are particularly important to him. He was chair of the Neuro Foundation, a trustee of Willows Counselling and for 3 years until 2017 the Chair of the Institute of Fundraising. He recently embarked on a new career as Executive Coach and works with many of the top UK charities to help individuals thrive and excel in their demanding roles. He is also a member of the Guys and St. Thomas Charity Fundraising Committee.
“ I am delighted to be joining the Trustee team at Tony Elischer Foundation. I have seen the power and effectiveness of mentoring and coaching on many people over many years. I have personally enjoyed its impact having benefitted from spending time with some of the very best mentors in the industry – Tony being one of them.”
Director
Lisa Russel
With nearly 30 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, Lisa has managed a diverse fundraising portfolio. Her experience has been gained as both a senior fundraising practitioner and a consultant. Lisa is interested in developing diverse teams and mentoring individuals with a particular focus on future leaders in our sector.
“I met Tony in the late 90’s, quite by chance on a train. We soon became firm friends and Tony certainly became an informal mentor. It was clear that he was committed to investing time in the development of my career, so it is truly wonderful to be able to continue that legacy as both a mentor and now as the Director of the Foundation”.
Our Mentors
Our mentors are all highly skilled and experienced fundraising leaders who have a commitment to developing the profession. They are all senior leaders in the sector and have demonstrated success at developing individuals.