Alex Ellis-White - Founder and Chief Executive

Alex has 25 years’ experience in strategic communications and engagement, project management and business transformation gained in the public, private and third sectors.

He is Chief Operating Officer at Leeds Community Foundation, which distributes vital grants and gives trusted advice to grass-roots community organisations across Leeds and Bradford to influence positive change. Prior to this he spent 11 years leading strategic communications and engagement for a series of multi-million-pound digital and data programmes in the NHS, such as the NHS App. He also had a four year spell as volunteer Director with the commercial arm of Voluntary Action Leeds, which supports third sector organisations across the city.

Alex founded the charity Better Giving Partnership in 2015 to develop and run the Givto charity fundraising service he devised. He leads the team of volunteers that run the Givto service, and makes sure their Slack channels have plenty of GIFs!

He lives near Leeds with his husband and two sons and in his spare time enjoys walking, songwriting and singing (badly).

Danai Ngangira - Operations and Governance Director

Danai is a risk and compliance professional, with a background in finance in rapidly scaling businesses.

She is our Operations and Governance Director and supports our growth ambitions.

Nick Gregory - Technical Director

Nick originally qualified as an electronic engineer before embarking on a career in internet technology businesses.

Over the past 22 years he has helped to grow multiple startups through to acquisition, and built technology platforms across the finance, security and telecommunications sectors. Nick currently works in an IT consultancy helping FinTech companies bring their products to market.

A keen technologist and self-confessed tinkerer, Nick is at his happiest solving product problems of all shapes and sizes – from selecting the perfect font to improving the performance of high-traffic payment systems.

Penny Coulthard - Charity Engagement Director

As the chair of a local charity, Penny knows how hard it is to raise funds and increase the profile of small charities.

She loves working with teams to create a new product and roll it out to as many people as possible, so the Better Giving Partnership and Givto are the perfect opportunity. She heads up our charity engagement and general operations.

She loves to escape to the fells to run or travel to remote places in her campervan Hamish.

Penny Jones - Marketing and Communications Director

With nearly two decades of experience in helping fast-growing startups succeed, Penny brings a lot of marketing know-how to Better Giving Partnership. She mixes data-driven insights, psychology, and a bit of creative magic to craft strategies that really connect with people.

A big fan of analytics (some would say a nerd), Penny uses data as a basis for decision making, combined with customer insights, and a test-and-learn philosophy to get the best results. She is always on the lookout for new ways marketing can help brands to grow, innovate, and succeed.

When she’s not deep in marketing mode, Penny enjoys quality time with her family—her daughter, husband, and two excessively pampered cats. Her hobbies include reading, gaming (board and video), travel, origami, and sewing. She is also driven by her pursuit of ikigai (‘reason for being’) and is passionate about blending purpose into her work and play. At Givto, she’s thrilled to use her marketing skills for causes that matter to her, supporting a mission she truly believes in.

Sarah Finn - Finance Director

Sarah is our Finance Director and is an experienced finance professional with over 20 years experience. She enjoys using her financial expertise to grow Givto’s innovative platform and support its commitment to social good by empowering charitable giving.

Sarah is leveraging her experience to focus on fostering strategic financial planning and analysis, ensuring the integrity of our financial statements and driving financial performance to support our growth objectives.

In her spare time, Sarah can usually be found somewhere in the Surrey Hills with family and friends.