Frequently Asked
Questions

We provide advice on philanthropy, funding and charitable partnerships. Our work includes research, strategy, drafting, decision papers and review support, tailored to the engagement.

We advise individuals, families, family offices, trustees, livery organisations, charities and businesses. We begin by understanding the support you need and whether our experience is a good fit.

Yes. We help organisations develop funding strategies, research opportunities and prepare applications, proposals and campaign plans. Clients lead approaches to funders, submit applications, negotiate agreements and conduct fundraising.

We can prepare and review drafts using information supplied by your organisation. Your team checks the facts, approves the final application and submits it. You retain the funder relationship and responsibility for any commitments made.

Our current service is advisory. We help you prepare for those conversations, but your organisation makes the approaches and leads negotiations.

We can help define your philanthropic aims and explore the practical features of different approaches. The relevant provider and your appointed advisers assess the legal, tax and investment questions and carry out any establishment work. Voltaire does not act as trustee or provide formation services.

No. We provide philanthropic and funding advice. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, do not arrange investments and do not provide legal or tax advice. Clients engage the appropriate specialists where required.

We agree the scope, deliverables and fees before starting work. Fees reflect the work involved and are not calculated as a percentage of donations or funding secured.

No. Organisations can submit their work for consideration without charge. Separate advisory work is paid for under an agreed engagement. Paying for advice does not give an organisation preferential access to philanthropic clients.

No. We help improve the quality of your planning and preparation, but funding decisions belong to the donor or funding body.

We establish whose interests we represent at the start of an engagement. If an overlapping relationship could affect our advice, we explain it and agree how it will be managed. Where it cannot be managed appropriately, we decline the affected work.

We help clients agree useful measures, review the available evidence and identify what remains uncertain. Our Reason, Dignity, Evidence and Progress approach supports that work without assuming every outcome can be reduced to a single number.

We use the Code of Fundraising Practice to inform advice on fundraising plans and communications. Our engagement sets out our responsibilities and those of the client. Our complaints procedure explains how to raise a concern about our work.

Email hello@voltairephilanthropy.co.uk or use our contact form with a short outline of your priorities. We will discuss what you need and, where appropriate, prepare a proposal.