How closing down EveryChild grew its impact
In 2009, EveryChild was a well-functioning traditional INGO with 240 staff, headquarters in London, and a mix of country offices and partners in 12 countries. The board asked for options for the long-term future of the organisation. Options like a merger or investing in income growth were raised. But another more radical option was eventually chosen.
The analysis
A review of how they were working and how the world was changing led them to a clear conclusion. If they wanted to really have the impact they sought, they needed to give more voice to the kinds of organisations they had traditionally partnered with to deliver programmes for children in the Global South.
The choice
Well before localisation or decolonisation was on every INGO's agenda, EveryChild took the visionary step of deciding to incubate the development of a locally led alliance of civil society organisations. After a seven-year transition, the Board took an even more radical decision: to close EveryChild down entirely, transferring all assets to the new organisation, Family For Every Child. The transformation meant letting go of the EveryChild brand, and for staff, it meant no longer being 'the experts' - they became facilitators of a process rather than managers or directors.
The buy-in
Rather than EveryChild designing what local CSOs needed, they created a steering group of local organisations to develop it from their perspective. The new organisation also had a board with a majority of trustees elected from members, not just advisory consultation. They were deeply embedded in leading the change. A final stakeholder group was also engaged in the change: EveryChild’s regular donors in the UK, who became key sources of ongoing support for Family For Every Child. Deep engagement in the change and its reasoning meant most donors remained, with very low attrition rates over the many subsequent years.
The resources
As a result of the decision to shut down, EveryChild sold their London headquarters building, creating substantial reserves that Family For Every Child could use specifically for investing in embedding the transformation. These reserves, plus the ongoing income from the individual donors passed on from EveryChild, gave the organisation "time to test theories" and make long-term strategic bets (such as a multi-year fundraising market entry in New Zealand).
Why it worked
The transformation succeeded because it was genuine from the start. This was not strategic theatre with transformation added to existing work - it involved ceasing to be a traditional INGO altogether.
The board made a genuine choice with profoundly uncomfortable implications: giving up the EveryChild brand, central control, substantial income, staff expertise status, and accepting years of uncertainty about whether the model would succeed. That willingness to trade current certainty for mission-aligned transformation, and to recognise that even the "reformed" initial plan perpetuated power imbalances, demonstrates what strategic decision-making requires.
Additionally, those most affected by the change - local CSOs with no prior ties to EveryChild - were at the design table from day one. "It was crucial to break that cynicism about yet again another INGO coming up with a bright idea", said Amanda.
Finally, converting headquarters property into transformation reserves created multi-year strategic flexibility. Making the decision from stability rather than crisis meant:
Time for extensive co-creation without panic
Ability to make long-term strategic bets
Resources to sustain transformation through external shocks
Opportunities to test and adapt rather than implement rigid plans
Permission to live with ambiguity and uncertainty
Key quotes
"The decision to change was made at a point that the organisation was fairly stable. There was a good foundation… Family was coming from a position of strength. It's given us a cushion, it's given us time, it's given us the chance to test out our theories. That's an advantage we've had as compared to other organisations who've had to make decisions on the basis of a crisis."
Katanu Mwosa, former Director of Finance and Corporate Resources"This was co-creation rather than delivering a plan. There were a lot of unknowns and living with ambiguity. Ideas needed to be tested and different perspectives heard and incorporated. It was like a hot air balloon ride - with few mechanisms at your disposal, you have to go with the winds and traverse whatever terrain comes up."
Amanda Griffith, CEO (from a 2023 article in Devex, available here)
The broader lesson
Organisations waiting for crisis to force change miss the opportunity to transform from a position of strength. Family For Every Child demonstrates that converting fixed assets into strategic reserves creates the runway for genuine transformation - but only if leaders are willing to:
Let those who will be affected co-create from the start
Make uncomfortable choices before circumstances force them
Accept that true transformation may mean their current organisation ceases to exist
Embrace continuous change as organisational DNA, not a project with an end date
Recognise when initial "reformed" plans still perpetuate the problems they're trying to solve
As Amanda Griffith says: "This is the time for total reinvention, not surface-level reform. It means some of us, like my old organisation EveryChild, need to decide to step out and place resources and decision-making with local organisations. Now is the time for actions that fundamentally shift the power."
This case study was developed based on interviews by Nick Scott with Katanu Mwosa and Amanda Griffiths at Family For Every Child and an article by Amanda for Devex. Claude.ai supported in the synthesis and writing of the case study.