30 Years of Ethical Consulting Across Europe
For 30 years, EUConsult has been committed to ensuring that consultants working across the not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors in Europe deliver the best impact-driven support and counsel to our clients. Founded in 1991 by a group of leading consultants working predominantly in the area of philanthropy, EUConsult has since grown to encompass members working across a broad range of areas including management, strategy, fundraising, communications, governance and recruitment. If you are focused on delivering ethical and values-led consultancy, we invite you to join us as we look forward to promoting excellence and innovation in consultancy practice in 2021 and beyond!
In 1982, fundraising consultant Thom Harris (Harris & Company), who then was based in Amsterdam, identified the need for a code of ethics which, in particular, would prohibit fundraising on a percentage or contingency basis.
Over a period of time others joined him and meetings took place in Amsterdam, Paris and Prague, where the terms of reference for a membership organisation for consultants working for non-profits were eventually devised.
In 1991, Thom Harris, Rupert Graf Strachwitz (Maecenata Management), Antoine Vaccaro (Excel) and Job van Dooren (Van Dooren Advies) formally set up EUCONSULT. The organisation was established on 18 October 1991 under Dutch law. Shortly afterwards they were joined by John Kelly (Brakeley Europe). For the first few years, membership remained small, while the definite wording of EUCONSULT’s mission and code of ethics were being worked on.
Membership was then and still is for firms and sole traders whose principal business is in and about non-profits, and was not aimed at sub-divisions of very large consultancy firms. While in the early years the majority of members were fundraising consultants, membership since has broadened so that the wide range of consultancy services needed by non-profits is well represented, providing a rich resource.
Subsequently, the name became EUConsult (The European Association of Consultants to and about Not-For-Profit Organisations). Rupert Strachwitz and John Kelly remain active members of EUConsult making a valuable contribution to the work of the organisation, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021.