Why DEI? 

In today’s rapidly evolving society, DEI has emerged as a key driver of organisational excellence and impact. Forward-thinking organisations are discovering that robust DEI practices deliver tangible results: sharper decision-making, higher employee satisfaction, deeper community connections, and breakthrough innovations.[1]  

DEI is intrinsically linked to the pursuit of fairness, equality, and social justice. The most impactful social work inherently relies on reaching and empowering marginalised communities – making DEI not just a ‘nice-to-have’ but a strategic imperative. For social impact organisations, DEI excellence translates directly into programme effectiveness, stronger stakeholder relationships, and increased influence in creating systemic change.  

Our Approach to DEI 

Traditional DEI models often fall short for social impact organisations, typically offering either generic corporate approaches or narrow programmatic focuses. They often focus on internal DEI and employee experiences but lack a holistic view of DEI. Specifically designed for the social impact sector, our DEI Maturity Model for Social Impact Organisations – “DEI Cube” recognises the complex, interconnected nature of DEI maturity across three critical dimensions: 

1. Mission: Moving beyond standard HR policies to embed DEI throughout organisational culture and strategy 

1. Leadership & Power: Addressing the unique power dynamics in social impact work through governance and decision-making 

1. Programmes & Processes: Integrating DEI throughout your social impact delivery, from programme design, resource allocation, partner selection to evaluation 

DEI progress is not linear – excellence in one dimension doesn’t automatically translate to others. We strive to help organisations understand how different aspects of DEI work interact and reinforce each other while identifying specific areas for improvement. 

You can read more about the DEI Cube framework here. 

Our Services

TSIC’s dedication to facilitating meaningful social change is integrated with the commitment to enforcing DEI within the social impact domain. We partner with our clients to incorporate these values into their social impact strategies and at each stage of the operational processes. 

Every organisation’s DEI journey is unique. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, we work closely with our clients to develop approaches that align with their organisation’s culture, goals, resources and stage of DEI maturity. The services listed below are not exhaustive, and we often combine different elements to create a customised package that meets clients’ specific needs. 

DEI Audits & Assessments

We conduct comprehensive organisational audits that give our clients deep insight into their current DEI practices, culture, and ways of working. Our approach combines policy and practice reviews with extensive stakeholder engagement through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. We analyse this data to identify the organisation’s strengths and opportunities. The result is a clear, actionable roadmap that reflects the client’s unique context and challenges. 

Selected Projects: 

• We worked with the Better Org to review Wellcome Trust’s progress on its Anti-Racism Programme and commitments. The report found that limited progress had been made on Anti-Racism internally or externally, resulting in further actions taken by the Trust. The full report and the Trust’s response to the report can be found here. 

• We conducted a comprehensive DEI audit for Teach First using the DEI Cube framework. We engage internal stakeholders across all levels through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, resulting in a detailed audit report and a clear action plan to enhance its DEI efforts. 

• We completed a comprehensive DEI audit for the Social Research Association and developed an easy-to-use DEI action plan to support SRA to embed DEI principles internally and within its strategic roles in the social research sector in the UK.  

• We provided DEI advisory to multiple grantees of the Lloyds Bank Foundation, which typically include DEI audits, training and conversations staff and Boards. We also conducted a year-long consultancy project for the Foundation to improve on DEI, especially racial equity. 

At the intersection of social investment and DEI, we work with grant-makers and social investors to review and embed DEI considerations in their investment portfolios and processes. 

Selected Projects: 

• We conducted research on how the National Lottery Heritage Fund can be more inclusive of under-represented groups, speaking to hundreds of their grantees. The report can be found here. 

• We conducted an independent review of the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation’s funding process to inform more inclusive practices and processes. It included a review of their full grant portfolio through segmenting it by different DEI characteristics, a qualitative analysis of 100 grant applications in order to determine reasons for approval and rejection, and the development of recommendations for improvement. The findings are published here. 

• We supported the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s social investment department to embed DEI in their social investment. We conducted a DEI review of their social investment portfolio and identified common practices, barriers and opportunities for investees to advance on DEI. We shared the learnings at the Social Impact Investors Group (SIIG) convened by the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF). 

Learning Journeys & Capacity Building

Our learning journey approach focuses on building lasting DEI capability within our clients’ organisations. We work with the clients to establish and support internal DEI champions, equipping them with the tools and confidence to drive change from within. Rather than just creating ‘safe spaces’, we cultivate ‘brave spaces'[2] where team members can engage in challenging conversations, acknowledge discomfort, and grow through authentic dialogue. By facilitating these courageous discussions, we help the team develop a shared understanding and collective ownership of DEI.

Selected Projects: 

• TSIC supported Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) in mainstreaming equity into their work. We created an overarching equity framework for CIFF’s investments and a DEI Toolkit for CIFF staff serving on grantees’ Boards and convened all-staff learning sessions on anti-racism and equitable grant-making. ​We also facilitated team-specific sessions on anti-racism and equity to over 130 staff members across multiple geographies and functions, including grant-making and internal functions, as well as providing strategic counsel to the team leading on the DEI journey on best practices and recommendations. ​ 

• TSIC was appointed as Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s DEI Learning Partner, supporting staff and trustees by interrogating the Foundation’s DEI plan. We conducted a series of interviews, group exploratory conversations and other specified methods uncovering the Foundation’s systems, structures, strengths and biases; and curated a learning programme for the Foundation’s staff and trustees. 

Training & Development

Our training goes beyond generic DEI workshops to deliver learning experiences tailored to clients’ specific needs and contexts. We adopt a trauma-informed approach, recognising that discussions around DEI issues can touch on deeply personal and sometimes difficult experiences. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique culture, values, and challenges, and use the insight to design training content that is culturally sensitive and can best support their teams.  

Our training often starts with basic DEI concepts (e.g. definitions of DEI, power and privilege, and unconscious biases) to build a foundation for more in-depth discussion (on topics such as allyships, anti-racism and equitable and inclusive practices) that leads to concrete actions. The sessions typically include group activities, discussions and case studies/mock scenarios.  

In some cases, we combine leadership coaching on inclusive practices with practical skill development in areas like inclusivity and cultural competency. 

Selected Projects: 

• We collaborated with Equality Impact Investing Project (EIIP) to deliver its inaugural training on equality impact investing (EII) to over 80 international impact investors and developed an interactive online toolkit. We introduced the theory and practices of equality impact investing and approaches to integrate EII throughout the investment process. 

• We collaborated with Efiko Academy to deliver a masterclass about DEI in impact investing. It included three live interactive sessions covering concrete actions investors can take to champion DEI within the organisation and contribute to real DEI change in the society. 

• We worked with Global Fund for Children to develop and deliver customised anti-racism learning sessions across their global teams and with the aim to develop an action plan to support anti-racism effort of the organisation. 

Strategy Development

We work with our clients to co-create DEI strategies that genuinely align with the organisation’s values and goals. Through a co-production process, we help them develop a clear vision for DEI and translate this into customised goals and KPIs that matter to their context. Our approach ensures the strategy reflects both aspirations and practical realities, creating a robust foundation for sustainable change. 

Selected Projects: 

• We worked with Better Society Capital to embed DEI into their investment strategy and frameworks through the creation, testing and implementation of a DEI framework and due diligence process 

• Following a DEI audit, we worked with Charity Bank to co-create an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement and action plan based on the audit findings and the DEI Cube framework. The Statement can be found here.  

Monitoring and Evaluation 

Moving from strategy to action requires careful planning and consistent monitoring. We support our clients to develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track DEI progress, identify challenges early, and demonstrate impact. Working closely with the clients and their stakeholders, we help them establish effective feedback loops and adjust approaches based on real-time learning and evolving needs. 

Selected Projects: 

• TSIC worked with Meridian Institute to develop metrics to measure the implementation of DEI objectives by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Conservation and Markets Initiative (CMI) grantees in the scope of the CMI projects. We also supported the pilot implementation of the metrics with one of the CMI grantees and developed a learning report to support further implementation. 

• TSIC collaborated with 360giving to design the DEI Data Standards for the UK philanthropy sector.  

Customised DEI Projects

We understand that every client has distinctive requirements when it comes to their DEI journey, and some may have specific focuses of DEI or areas to address. We are happy to discuss and explore customised projects, which are crafted to align with their unique context, challenges, and aspirations. We collaborate with topic experts from our extensive associate network, allowing us to bring in deep, specialised knowledge in areas such as accessibility, and communications. Our process starts with working with our clients to understand the requirements in depth and developing a plan that is tailored to their needs.  

Selected Projects: 

• TSIC worked Royal British Legion to conduct a review of their newly introduced Diversity and Inclusion staff networks, providing a series of recommendations to ensure the long-term success of the networks, based on our effective practice in DEI networks model. 

• TSIC supported the Impact Investing Institute in integrating a DEI lens into its endowment with impact research and advocacy. We guided the Institute to consider systemic problems and impacts of (in)equity and advised on integrating DEI into investment strategy and implementation. We also held the Institute accountable for its DEI efforts, ensuring DEI integration into research and advocacy. The “Endowment with Impact” guide is available here. Our reflection on this project is in this blog.  

Convening and Influencing

Beyond our client projects, we play an active role in shaping the future of DEI in the social impact sector through our convening and thought leadership. Our approach brings together diverse stakeholders to create collective momentum for systems change, while developing practical resources that benefit the wider sector.  

Selected Projects: 

• We co-founded the Diversity Forum, a collective driving inclusive social investment in the UK. Through the Forum, we produced research on diversity in social investment and developed a toolkit addressing topics such as hiring processes, monitoring, unconscious bias and training.  

• As a research partner of Pathway Fund, we worked with the EIRIS Foundation to develop the Racial Equity Scorecard. By providing a definition of racial equity in the context of investment and a practical tool for a comprehensive assessment of companies’ racial equity performance, it allows investors to be intentionally equitable when investing in the UK public markets.  

• As the DEI partner for the Charity Investment Governance Principles (CIGP) project, we advised on each iteration, ensuring equity cantered charity investment and governance. We also held focus group discussions with stakeholders to validate the principles from a DEI perspective. The project was led by consultant Gail Cunningham and hosted by Charity Finance Group. 

Our Commitment 

In our DEI projects, we are committed to: 

• Understanding and challenging our own biases: We understand that we as consultants may come with our biases – for example, as people of colour, we may still hold colonised or biased beliefs, and we critically challenge ourselves and ensure that the biases are not baked into the deliverables. 

• Implementing intersectional approaches that recognise overlapping identities: We recognise that individuals hold multiple, overlapping identities that shape their experiences, and ensure our approaches consider how different forms of marginalisation or privilege interact and impact people differently. 

• Demonstrating cultural sensitivity: We are committed to working in culturally sensitive ways, recognising that DEI issues are experienced and understood differently across cultures. We strive to create inclusive and respectful spaces for dialogue, taking into account the cultural norms and values of the communities and contexts in which we work. 

• Being mindful of power dynamics and ensuring voices from underrepresented groups are meaningfully included: We are aware of the power dynamics that exist in interactions and actively centre the perspectives and lived experiences of people from marginalised communities, ensuring they have meaningful influence in shaping both the process and outcomes of our work together. 

• Using participatory and appreciative inquiry methods: Our collaborative approach builds on our clients’ existing strengths and brings people along on the journey, rather than purely imposing solutions from the outside. 
• Focusing on sustainable cultural change: We help our clients identify and establish the key building blocks – from practical tools to internal champions – that enable the organisation to continue its DEI journey independently after our project ends. 

Download the full service offering document.

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[1] A research done by McKinsey found that companies with diverse leadership are 36% more likely to outperform financially and 63% of organisations with mature DEI practices report significant positive impacts on their agility and innovativeness.

[2] https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/Policy_and_Practice_No_2_Safe_Brave_Spaces_DOWNLOAD.pdf

 

Consultation

Strategy formulation
Develop strategies for your organisation to create impacts based on SDGs
Policy and workflow review
Review existing policies and workflows in your organisation to align the targets of the SDGs

Convening

In order to advance our mission of a thriving social sector, we also convene various initiatives especially those that further the cause of building an inclusive and diverse social sector. We proactively bring together various influencers, partners and leaders on forums, conferences and networks to help propel this space towards a better future. Through these engagements, we not only further cement our relationships with the key players in the industry but we also develop further expertise in cutting-edge, future-oriented topics that, in turn, help during our client work as well. Moreover, as responsible stewards who drive social impact change across organisations, we believe it is our duty to actively convene high-impact initiatives that would ensure creation of a just organisational ecosystem in which true social impact is seamlessly integrated.

TSIC is proud to embrace diversity in terms of age, race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, sexuality and disability, and we work to ensure that these systems of discrimination are not perpetuated among capital and wealth holders. We are proud to have incubated and launched Diversity Forum, which gathers over 50 social investment firms and 100 individuals across the social investment sector in the UK, to drive inclusive social investment.

We have previously convened Women in Social Finance, a network of 120 senior female professionals working in social finance, dedicated to increasing visibility of female leadership, providing peer support and training for career advancement, and influencing the agenda on gender lens investing. We continue to support this initiative. 

Currently we are convening a network called People of Colour Evaluators and Researchers, an informal network for those who identify as people of colour working in research and evaluation. If you are interested to join, please contact us.

Research

TSIC envisions a future with a thriving social sector – where funds would be directed efficiently towards causes where they would have impact for those who need help the most. To achieve this, we conduct in-house research on topics and issues that are important to the sector. Our research is backed by our team’s rich practical experience and its professional/academic expertise. 

We begin by defining the scope of the research initiative, followed by rigorous deployment of qualitative and quantitative techniques including market research, surveys, interviews, data collection, data analysis, etc. to gather and analyze information. Next, we engage various public and private sector organisations at the relevant stages of the research while also collaborating with independent experts. Finally, we deliver insights and recommendations that would help achieve the desired results while simultaneously developing action plans for the involved organisations. 

Some examples of research reports that we have produced include:

• The City of London Corporation to scope potential new sources of capital for the UK social investment market. Read more here.
• Minority Supplier Development UK to identify ways to promote inclusive procurement, launched in the House of Lords in October 2014 and received nationwide coverage. Read more here.
• SPRING Accelerator to produce a comprehensive report on investing with a focus on girls and young women in emerging markets, and on specific needs, challenges and opportunities in five sectors. Read more here.

Our firm is at the forefront of driving innovation to create meaningful social impact across multiple domains. We are dedicated to creating changes in social systems by working with our clients, independently engaging in social sector initiatives and incubating our own projects. We strive to hone a mindset of open-mindedness with readiness to challenge the status quo. 

While working with our clients, we adopt an approach where we break down all existing limiting beliefs and systems that refrain the organisations from driving meaningful social impact. Next, we replace these limiting systems with new, modern organisational systems while leveraging cutting-edge technological and management techniques. Finally, we ensure that these new, innovative systems operate independently and efficiently with minimum intervention. For clients that are looking to build the next generation of social impact frameworks, we combine creative methodologies from diverse domains to develop tailored, forward looking processes that disrupt redundant, age-old systems.

Our firm’s independent engagements in cutting-edge social initiatives are a testament to our commitment to driving innovation within this space. We partner with leading public and private sector enterprises to envision the future of social impact, and we leverage our expertise to help take steps towards achieving that vision. Our contributions range from developing innovative business models to creating new operating procedures around data capture and analysis, from identifying diverse partnerships and networks to creating radical social impact strategies, and from building fundraising plans to engaging and training various operating stakeholders.

In our quest to create a future for social impact that is centred around innovation, we incubate radical projects that are in their infancy and we channelize our resources to help them succeed. If we come across a new project with an innovative idea, methodology, system, product or service, we provide a nurturing environment for the team that helps them test their innovation while receiving access to our expertise. With our rich experience across social consulting, we help the project teams with problem-solving and social impact frameworks, monetisation models, personnel training, financial impact assessment, fundraising and much more. We are currently incubating the following two projects:

Humanity Data

They are working to build technology products to model complex humanitarian engagement in conflict zones, and simplify the process of collecting large-scale community feedback. TSIC is incubating the project through: building its business plan and fundraising, engaging with humanitarian stakeholders including local responders, funders and international agencies, and building the methodology and data model. Humanity Data launched in April 2019 and is funded by Humanitarian Grand Challenge.

If you are interested to find out more please contact [email protected]

Business4Purpose

B4Purpose is a B2B marketplace to exchange products or services to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by providing an environment dedicated to sustainable innovation. B4Purpose is an innovative platform which helps companies specialised in providing B2B products or services achieving one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, to connect with potential customers. This, in turn, increases the impact of such sustainable businesses at a local or global level.

If you are interested to find out more please contact [email protected]

Advisor to Impact Investors

• Develop ESG strategy, E&S management systems (ESMS), and governance capabilities
• Conduct portfolio-level analyses to decide on investment strategies to align and accelerate investment pipeline
• Provide KPI measurement framework
• Contribute to robust  ESG due  diligence and enable measurement verification and reporting
• Build capacity of staff members

Our regulated service on investment advisory in the UK covers non-retail clients and investors only

Consultant to Investee Firms or Corporates and Social Enterprises:

• Develop and/or support them in implementing the E&S Management Systems and reporting
• Facilitate linkages with investors
• Develop their Theory of Change/Impact Framework
• Build ESG capacity of staff members
• Align CSR investments to SDG Goals

Advocate to and for Beneficiaries:

• Directly engage with diverse groups of product or service end-users and beneficiaries to understand their E&S needs and identify emerging investment opportunities
• Collect user voices and advocate for them in investors forums and publications
• Promote civil society’s interests and influence impact investors and ESMS ecosystem

 

• Equality Impact Investing Project (EIIP): We supported EIIP to launch their inaugural training programme  for over 80 impact investors and author their digital toolkit:

 

• This report is based on in-depth conversations with a range of stakeholders— funders, asset managers, intermediaries, and social purpose organisations — unearthing their approaches, best practices and challenges in hearing and integrating end-community voices in the design, deployment, and measurement of their work.