"GivingWorks supported GIZ’s Inclusive Business Action Network (IBAN) in developing a new strategy and business model to improve its effectiveness, focus, and impact. Despite the highly complex inclusive business ecosystem, Nazir and his team were quick to grasp the key underlying issues and develop a clear approach and strategic vision. The team’s strong analytical competency and focus on evidence as well as their ability to distill what is important were critical for the success of this project. Highly adaptive to our shifting needs, GivingWorks applied a methodological approach that perfectly fit the highly uncertain environment we were operating in. 

 

In addition to the team’s professionalism, I appreciated the practical and actionable advice that Nazir provided throughout the project, carefully taking into account what is feasible at any given moment. Nazir engaged us in critical thinking and inspired us to step out of our comfort zone. GivingWorks  is not only dedicated to delivering results of the highest standard - their team is extremely passionate in supporting their clients work to make a real difference."

- Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Inclusive Business Action Network

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“GivingWorks played a useful catalytic role in helping us to think differently, to overcome sectoral parochialism, and to help us concentrate on delivering results rather than inputs. They were skillful in creating a non-threatening, evidence-based, decision-focused, and intellectually lively environment…. GivingWorks helped lay the groundwork for the difficult discussions on choices and trade-offs that are hallmarks of a sound strategy.”

- Country Director, The World Bank 
 

“They synthesized the findings into a framework that was exceptionally useful in forcing us to think about the trade-offs of different objectives and strategic options...the entire process served to spur us to make various assumptions we had about ourselves explicit,...a much better position to debate, refine, or reject them.”

- Funder of early stage development innovations
 

“GivingWorks consultants bring to the task excellent minds, highly relevant experiences, and a crucial willingness to listen and be substantively responsive to client needs. Nazir Ahmad, president of GivingWorks, is a resource we are privileged to draw on for our effort to enhance strategic risk management. He has made a number of valuable contributions to our thinking and to the development of tools for broader risk assessment – as a foundation for our formulation of country strategies.”

- Former Director of Corporate Strategy & Risk Management, The World Bank

 

“We found the GivingWorks staff to be of remarkable quality and capability. They not only quickly demonstrated a solid grasp of public sector and United Nations-specific issues, but also sensibly adapted significant lessons and concepts from the private sector into their strategy recommendations for UNICEF. The presentations and discussions with our Global Management Team were well-prepared, lively and thought-provoking.”

- Deputy Executive Director - Management, UNICEF

 

If you are looking for a consultant to only tell you what pleases you, don’t hire GivingWorks, but if you are ready for a very challenging and strategic journey with highly innovative thinking, go for GivingWorks.”

- Global Director of Change Management, UNICEF

 

“Bringing an understanding of the international aid environment, they effectively situated our challenges within the context of a dynamic aid and global health financing environment. They demonstrated strong insights on the shifts underway as well as the inherent uncertainties. GivingWorks assisted us with identifying and validating a number of strategies for mobilizing core (unrestricted) and programmatic resources….[and] delineated the short and medium-term actions….The GivingWorks team brings a certain passion, independent thinking and deep professionalism in their work. We were pleased with our collaboration with them and highly recommend their services.”

- Fundraising Advisor, UNAIDS, Geneva

 

“Nazir Ahmad, the President of GivingWorks, in particular, has proven that he can steadily accomplish goals in the face of daunting challenges. He has been an important resource in helping us assess our strengths and deficiencies, and has enriched our thinking about the future. The GivingWorks team demonstrated both an appreciation and a valuable independent perspective and their findings have been a catalyst and a rationale for making improvements. Their work, completed nearly two years ago, did not merely sit on shelves but continues to benefit the entire network.”

- Executive Director, Open Society Foundations

 

“We were impressed by their ability to gather and distill a vast amount of qualitative and quantitative evidence and pinpoint organization-wide and localized patterns of strategic and operational consequence. GivingWorks’ comprehensive analysis produced useful, thought-provoking and even unexpected results.  Many months out from the completion of the project, this multi-layered analysis is still proving to be valuable.”

- Member, Global Board, Open Society Foundations

 

“GivingWorks' very dedicated and resourceful staff helped the Bipartisan Policy Center address the challenges of a young and growing organization. They guided us in identifying our individual strengths and helped us to establish an organizational structure that leveraged those skill sets most effectively. Their team was able to dive right in, rapidly understanding the external landscape and the substance of the Center's projects. Nazir Ahmad facilitated effective discussions with our board, project leaders and staff."

- Senior Vice President, Bipartisan Policy Center

 

"GivingWorks provided AFI with high quality, innovative solutions and were always committed to deliver against expectations. GivingWorks made substantial effort in comprehensively understanding our overall vision and mission as well as our distinct approach. This understanding was then translated into fresh and thoughtful recommendations. We found great pleasure in working with GivingWorks' strongly dedicated and enthusiastic team."

- Executive Director, Alliance for Financial Inclusion
 

"I just wanted to thank you for the invaluable advice and guidance you provided my team in arriving at a scalable business model for the program.  When we started, we had so many reservations about being able to do this.  Your background "real time" research and the very strategic recommendations that your team eventually provided (and, just as important, the encouragement) to align our program tightly with our lending operations and establish a solid foundation for scaling up… Hopefully we can engage you again soon on the next phase….  In any case, you've done us well!"

- Practice Manager, World Bank

 

"I loved your work! It's fascinating to find people that can arrange dispersed and chaotic thoughts into a strategy and action plan!"
- Member of Parliament, Argentina

"It's for me to thank you most sincerely for your partnership with us... In the process we have drawn so much from you and your team in ways that place us, and this product on a much firmer footing than might have been possible otherwise. I appreciate your diligence, your keen, strategic insights, and the very high level of debate that your approach engendered - which helped us to see things differently and in a more critical light."
- Practice Manager, The World Bank