Joe Ferns – Advisory Panel

Joe has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, having spent 20 years working in various roles, including 10 years in senior leadership positions. In 2019 Joe was part of a group who set up the Baobab Foundation, the first funder in the UK to be owned and led by community organisations. Baobab raised £15m in its first year and continues to break new ground in funding practice. Joe set up Ferns Livingston in 2020 and has since delivered numerous projects for funders and community organisations on learning and strategy development, often with a focus on power and engaging marginalised communities. Ferns Livingston has a range of Associates who are deployed depending on the needs of clients. 

Joe has written National and International strategies, served on Ministerial Advisory Groups, worked with No. Ten Policy Units and provided evidence to Select Committees. He has over 10 years of experience working with the media, regularly contributing to radio and television broadcasts on a variety of topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, charity finances, and trends in civil society. He was UK Director for the UK’s largest community funder, where he was responsible for the design, delivery, and learning on a £40 million domestic portfolio and a further £24 million international portfolio as well as being the organisational lead on learning and strategy. Joe has led diverse functions such as strategy, insight, impact, policy, data, research, service design, safeguarding, and brand management.