Vanessa Lesnie
Impact Specialist
Working with Vanessa and the team has been excellent. The balance of deep expertise with practical, real work experience of their team was just what we needed. [They] helped us make a shift in organisational culture to focus on the impact of our work and given staff the tools to put this into practice. As a result, our work is more effective and better aligned with our purpose. It has been particularly powerful in driving project design, helping us better articulate the outcomes we expect to achieve and attract financial support for our work. We have secured a number of large, multi-year grants as a result. We are also better able to communicate our successes.
Jonathon Hunyor,
CEO, Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
Vanessa and the team of senior practitioners are leading impact specialists who bring significant insights and expertise to their projects.
The team works with organisations who are ready to increase their social impact through an evidence-based approach that centres the needs of vulnerable people, ecosystems and cultures. Team expertise lies in researching, designing, costing, measuring, reporting and developing impact-focussed theories of change, measurement frameworks and strategy.
The team also has extensive experience in preparing for, negotiating and implementing payment by outcomes contracting. If your organisation is committed to improving, measuring or reporting your impact but unsure how best to achieve it, Vanessa and the team can help.
Capabilities
Insights and impact
- outcomes measurement
- impact measurement
- evaluation
- impact/outcomes reporting / frameworks
- theory of change
Organisational and business planning
- strategic planning
Strategy, risk and governance
- strategic planning / review / retreats
- business improvement
CSR and ESG
- purpose strategy
- community / charity partnership development
- impact measurement
Philanthropy, grantmaking and impact investing
- issue research
Fundraising and partnerships
- outcomes / impact reporting
Clients
Benevolent Society
Save the Children Australia (now 54 Reasons)
RSL Queensland
Community Legal Centres Australia
The Foyer Foundation
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Qualifications and recognition
Sydney Leadership Program Graduate
Philanthropy Australia Awards (Winner of the Collaboration Award 2024)
Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
BComm/LLB (UNSW), LLM (NYU)