Trauma Research Foundation

What we did

Embedded leadership and day-to-day support
Clarified structure and coherence across the organisation
Delivered and evolved certified education programmes
Strengthened the annual conference model, significantly increasing profit
Developed multiple streams of fundraising
Established a direct, internal model to increase revenue

From fragmentation to focus: Building structure, stability and sustainable growth

The Trauma Research Foundation supports non-partisan research, education, and collaboration focused on helping children and adults recover from traumatic experiences. It brings together clinicians, researchers, educators, body-based treatment professionals, and individuals affected by trauma to advance effective treatment approaches and create a safe, collaborative community dedicated to healing and recovery.

When we began working with TRF, the organisation stood on deeply respected ground. Its clinical voice, global reputation and intellectual leadership were unquestioned. But internally, it had been through a period of disruption. The team needed stability. The structure needed clarity. And while there were many ideas about what TRF could become, very little had been operationalised. There was energy, ambition and credibility. What was missing was cohesion, execution and a clear path forward.

Our work began with helping TRF stabilise what was already there, then build the structure needed to support growth. Within the first year, that shift was visible: two TSS Certificate cohorts delivered, significantly increased programme revenue and an annual conference repositioned towards a projected $200,000+ profit.

A respected voice at a turning point:
The value was there. The structure wasn’t.

TRF’s challenges were not unusual for organisations operating at the intersection of research, clinical work and purpose-led impact:

A small team carrying significant responsibility without consistent operational structure
Disconnected workstreams, stalled initiatives and limited operational follow-through
Reliance on external partnerships that limited financial independence
An annual conference that had not generated profit since COVID
No clear fundraising engine or scalable infrastructure for growth

The organisation was not lacking in vision. It was lacking the systems and leadership needed to deliver on it.

Our role

We stepped in as an embedded executive and delivery partner – operating across leadership, strategy and execution. Not to replace what was already there, but to stabilise the organisation, introduce structure and take shared accountability for delivery.

Our role was to:

Bring clarity to strategic direction
Introduce operational structure and accountability
Align the team, programmes and revenue around a coherent plan
Execute, not just advise

Putting structure behind the vision

To avoid isolated fixes that would fragment over time, we looked at the organisation as a whole, aligning its goals across leadership, programmes, revenue, events, fundraising and community. Each part had to become clearer on its own, while also working as part of a more coherent system.

1. Leadership and structure

We established consistent leadership rhythms across the organisation, creating stability within the team and clarity across priorities. This included:

Regular leadership and team integration
Defined workstreams and ownership
Clear decision-making structures
Alignment between the board, leadership and delivery

The immediate impact was a shift from reactive to coordinated execution.

2. Programme and product development

We led the delivery and evolution of the Trauma Stress Studies (TSS) Certificate Programme, including:

Successfully delivering two cohorts within the first year
Increasing revenue significantly compared to previous years
Developing and launching an enhanced offering:
TSS Certificate,Supervised Edition, introducing a more clinically integrated model

This moved the programme from a static offering to a growing, evolving product with stronger long-term potential.

3. Revenue and financial turnaround

A critical part of our work was shifting TRF towards financial sustainability.

Key outcomes:

Transitioned from an external partnership to a direct model, enabling TRF to retain its own programme and conference revenue
Repositioned and optimised the annual conference, moving it from break-even or loss-making to a projected $200,000+ profit
Strengthened commercial thinking across all programme areas

Within eight months, TRF moved from financial uncertainty to a position of stability and profitability.

4. Events and delivery

We led the planning, production and marketing of TRF’s annual conference, ensuring:

Cohesive programming aligned with TRF’s mission
Stronger audience engagement and positioning
Improved commercial performance

Events shifted from being isolated outputs to integrated drivers of both impact and revenue.

5. Fundraising and the TRF Institute

We supported the development of the TRF Institute as the organisation’s core fundraising vehicle. The actions below laid the foundation for scalable, long-term funding:

Working alongside Chief Science Officer Wendy D’Andrea and CCS Fundraising to shape fundraising strategy
Developing the structure for long-term donor engagement
Creating a job description and hiring pathway for a Major Gifts fundraiser
Supporting early-stage funding conversations and pipeline development

6. Community and programme expansion

We worked closely with the internal team to expand TRF’s community-facing work.

A key example is Integrate, led by Mary Frangie, a long-standing member of the TRF team, now focused on the redevelopment and delivery of the programme as a core expression of TRF’s applied work. Integrate reflects the practical translation of the principles advocated by Bessel van der Kolk into accessible, community-based learning and support. Outcomes include: