About IDFM
About Us
Our Founding
IDFM was founded in 2016 by a group of dedicated charity executives, each bringing extensive experience from working with over 58 different charitable organizations, 12 international NGOs, 12 government ministries, and 4 United Nations agencies.These diverse experiences shaped our understanding of the charity sector’s importance, purpose, and the critical need for funding.
A Shift in Approach
“Pre-Pandemic I worked for a number of different international consulting firms, providing in-person training that was around £800 per day to organisations, charities, and local authorities around the UK. Not only was this exhausting for me, but it was expensive and I couldn’t help feeling that the cost for delivering the strategy maps and coaching sessions seemed overpriced even for me! When the pandemic hit, all in-person training and consultation work immediately had to stop.
Thanks to video conferencing and years of networking, myself and my colleagues can volunteer our time each month to help support causes we are passionate about, sharing our knowledge and skills to a community of like-minded individuals and charities. Along with other partners of IDFM we each focus our free time on helping charities who are doing amazing work, but who cannot afford huge agency fees.
— Samuel Davies IDFM Founding Partner
History
When we started out over 10 years ago we were quite literally in the thick of it- catching rats, hiding from armed rebels, digging through rubble, you name it we worked in some of the most-extreme environments and loved every second of it. However, there was something terribly troubling about the two polar opposite experiences we were in; the disconnect between high-level consulting and the work actually going on- on the ground. One month we could be digging waist deep in mud during a landslide or helping to build and send updates to donors on a new hospital in Kenya. Next sitting in Geneva drinking espresso discussing plans for the global rabies elimination blueprint.
At the time this was a dream jobs, everyone wants money, but as time continued we could no longer ignore the apparent disconnect in funding allocation, with large costs be spent at the international level of salaries experts and ‘technical meetings’ whilst the work on the ground would end up with just a small percentage of this funding.
Our groundbreaking community approach helps to address this imbalance.
Our Mission
This gap in access to training and support became the driving force behind the IDFM CHARITY COMMUNITY. We believe that grassroots charities—those making the biggest impact—shouldn’t be held back by costly consultancy fees. Instead, they should have access to expert knowledge, skills, and guidance for free as a way to transform the world for the better.
That’s why we’ve built a free community where industry and charity experts volunteer their time to share their insights, skills, and training at no cost. Members gain access to expert-led workshops, consultations, and events—all designed to help grassroots organizations grow, fundraise effectively, and maximize their impact.
By connecting charities with professionals who genuinely care, we ensure that those driving real change get the best support—without the price tag.
Join our free community today and start benefiting from expert-led support and training!
Partners & History
