Mentors
Our mentors are all experienced and successful leaders who know how to help others be the best they can be in their roles. Many are fundraising experts but we also have others who specialise in areas such as innovation or technology both from within and beyond the not-for-profit sector. Their wide range of skills, knowledge, organisational experience and locations means we can always make a really productive match of mentor and participant.
Get to know a selection of our team:
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Sandra Sahusilawani
After a 15 year career in finance Sandra felt she had neglected her responsibility to contribute to society. She tried to volunteer, but that was not the right fit. Sandra wondered how she could use her experience and capacities best and landed at SOS Children’s Villages in the Netherlands end of 2008, where they were setting up a major donor gifts program. Relationship management has always been the red tread in her career, and talking with people about their money was something she was used to. Instead of making more money with their money, this time it was about supporting vulnerable children! Much more exciting and satisfying. It was the best career switch in her life.
Quite quickly, she was promoted as the head of leadership giving and built a great team. Sandra had an amazing time for around 6 years, acquiring and managing up to 7-figure private gifts. As major donor fundraising was not a regular income stream on an international level, the International Office asked her to join the team for a capital campaign. This is where she met Tony, he supported her to drive this project. They brainstormed, analysed and developed a strategy. Tony showed her team the wealth of knowledge and potential they were sitting on, it was already so close to them, already there. It only needed a bit of donor love and care. A little back support. Moreover, Tony told Sandra that she was the one who could pull that off. Sandra joined the International Office in 2015, is now heading the International Corporate Partnerships & Philanthropy team, and is a team member of the International Fund Development Management Team. They drive leadership giving working with an expert network of 82 country offices and manage global corporate accounts.
"I was honoured when TEF asked me to join as a mentor. I am always super proud when you can guide someone, and show them what they are unconscious competent. And that others have recognized that already, they just need to haves someone who gives them a little back support. In addition, than one day, they get it! You can see it by the way they behave and speak. Mission accomplished!"
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Emma Malcolm
Emma is Director of Fundraising & Marketing at the Macular Society and has been a fundraiser for over twenty years. She began her career with the Royal Academy of Music and has also held senior positions with Prostate Action, Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, Dyslexia Action & Rethink Mental Illness. Emma thinks the best part of her job is supporting her fundraising team to become the leaders of tomorrow. In her spare time she is a parkrun addict, both volunteering and running, and has run 3 of the world marathon majors, all be it very slowly but raising money along the way!
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Esther Kwaku
A self-professed rebel with a mission, Esther Kwaku is the Founder and CEO and The Nerve Network, a platform helping people living in remote places on low incomes to start and grow their own businesses. A self-professed rebel with a mission, Esther Kwaku is the Founder and CEO and The Nerve Network, a platform helping people living in remote places on low incomes to start and grow their own businesses.
Her drive for social change has previously had her working for The Resource Alliance and Children in Crisis while her talent for storytelling has seen her presenting at major fundraising events such as the IFC.
In her own words, she wanted to join TEF as a mentor “to honour Tony and what he unlocked in me. Tony taught me to step out into the unknown, be brave and bold and find my ‘thing’. Those things have stayed with me and I want to pass that on to someone else. I want to show mentees that they can boss this!”
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Luke Mallett
Luke began his career in fundraising at Save the Children in 2001, following a spell working in NHS public health. Since then Luke has worked with a range of charities of varying scales, the British Heart Foundation, DHIVERSE and since 2016, Young Lives vs Cancer, where Luke is now Executive Director of Income and Engagement, leading fundraising / retail, brand, marketing and communications.
A former CEO in a regional health and social care charity Luke has experience of working directly with Trustees and establishing a fundraising function from scratch, with particular insight into commissioning and statutory funding as well as stakeholder management and partnership building. Luke has extensive experience of leading and embedding change and transformation.
Over his career Luke has gained experience across the fundraising mix, specialising in community and mass supporter fundraising for several years. More recently at Young Lives vs Cancer he has been responsible for leading the change to the charity’s name and brand positioning.
Luke is a passionate advocate of developing talent within the sector and has mentored and coached fundraisers and future leaders, as well as benefitting from mentoring himself. Luke is a regular contributor at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising convention and conferences.
“Mentoring is such a powerful way to grow yourself and to develop your career. The Tony Elischer Foundation is a most fitting legacy to Tony, who gave so much, to so many, in our sector.”
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Tony Elischer Foundation mentor, please get in touch using the form below or via Get Involved