Simon Thorne is Head of Finance, Operations and Supporter Services at the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand. He works across finance, operations, reporting, governance support, supporter systems and the practical machinery that helps a good organisation actually function.

Simon brings a different, and essential, set of skills to the fundraising conversation. He sees the numbers, the risks, the systems, the timing, the assumptions and the operational load sitting underneath a bold idea. While fundraisers are often focused on what could be possible, Simon is looking at what would need to be true for the organisation to back it with confidence.

His view is that strong finance does not make charities less ambitious. Done well, it helps them become more ambitious in the right ways, because decisions are better informed, risks are understood, and growth is built on something stronger than hope and a well-designed powerpoint.

As one half of “Glitter and Spreadsheets”, Simon brings the spreadsheets, the scrutiny, the operational reality check and the kind of steady judgement every bold fundraising idea needs if it is going to survive first contact with a forecast.