About Alice Clifford
I am an independent strategic philanthropy advisor based in West Cork, and founder of The Changemakery.
I work with philanthropists, foundations and social investors to develop giving strategies, identify high-impact opportunities, manage/monitor investments, and strengthen the learning that underpins effective philanthropy.
My Background
My career has been spent at the intersection of philanthropy, social impact and organisational leadership.
I began my career as an environmental engineer before transitioning into the social impact sector, bringing an analytical and systems-focused perspective to my work alongside a deep commitment to social change.
Over the past decade, I have worked across fundraising, grantmaking, impact measurement and executive leadership, giving me a unique perspective on how resources flow through the social sector and how meaningful change happens in practice.
Before establishing The Changemakery, I held senior roles across the Irish nonprofit sector, including at Ireland’s Social Innovation Fund, where I worked with funders and some of Ireland's most innovative social impact organisations through grantmaking, capacity-building and philanthropic partnerships.
I have also led fundraising and partnership development within nonprofits, including helping to establish a national mentoring programme for girls at The Shona Project through collaborations with corporate and philanthropic partners. Alongside this, I have supported organisations to strengthen their impact practice, build fundraising capacity, and served in executive leadership roles in organisations ranging from startup to mature organisation.
These experiences have given me insight into the sector and its challenges from multiple perspectives: as a fundraiser, grantmaker, nonprofit leader and impact practitioner.
Philanthropy Advisory in Ireland
Ireland has long been recognised as one of the most generous countries in the world. However, Ireland's philanthropy ecosystem remains relatively underdeveloped compared to countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. While there is a growing infrastructure to support philanthropy, many donors still have limited access to independent advice, donor education and opportunities to build a deeper understanding of the sectors in which they are investing.
Throughout my career, I have worked across fundraising, grantmaking, organisational leadership and impact measurement. From each perspective, I saw the same challenge emerge: people wanted to make a difference, but navigating complex social issues, funding landscapes and questions of impact was often difficult to do alone.
Over the last number of years I have had many conversations with philanthropists, funders and nonprofit leaders, and spent time engaging with more established philanthropy ecosystems such as San Francisco. Through this experience I became increasingly interested in the role that independent advice and learning can play in helping people give more thoughtfully, in ways that not only help organisations, but also help to address the root causes of social issues.
I founded The Changemakery in 2025 to support philanthropists to better understand the issues they care about, the systems that shape them and the organisations working to create change.
I believe that meaningful philanthropy starts with understanding: understanding the issue, understanding the people closest to it, and understanding how social change is created. All of this leads to a deeper understanding of where funding can add value and where it may unintentionally create challenges or reinforce the systems that have created the issue in the first place.
It also creates space for stronger relationships between funders and the organisations and communities they support. Meaningful philanthropy is not only about outcomes, but also about trust, listening and a thoughtful awareness of power. By taking the time to learn and engage with different perspectives, philanthropists can make decisions that are both more effective and more equitable.
Let's Start a Conversation
Whether you are exploring a new area of giving, developing a philanthropy strategy, identifying organisations to support, or looking for a trusted partner to help manage and monitor your philanthropic portfolio over time, I would be delighted to hear from you.