City St George's, University of London and CPRE KTP 24_25 R3

CPRE, a charity that protects the English countryside, is hiring management experts from City St George’s, University of London to turn itself into a commercially sustainable organisation. The problem is straightforward: CPRE relies heavily on grants and donations, which are unpredictable and shrinking. Without a reliable income stream, its ability to campaign for green spaces, rural communities, and planning reform is at risk. This project treats that financial vulnerability as a management challenge, not a fundraising one. If the Knowledge Transfer Partnership succeeds, CPRE will launch new paid services and products—such as consultancy, data tools, or training programmes—that generate steady revenue. That would allow the charity to reduce its dependence on short-term grants and plan long-term campaigns with confidence. The impact is organisational: a more resilient charity means more consistent pressure on policymakers to protect the countryside. This is applied business development, not fundamental science. There is no laboratory work or new theory here. The research is the process of building commercial capability inside a non-profit, and the outcome is a tested model for how other environmental charities might do the same.