Philanthrope LLP
21 Mar 2025
How formalising as a co-operative strengthens our commitment to shared governance, distributed value and principled collaboration
At Philanthrope, we support organisations to appoint and develop leaders who align purpose with performance. Our work has always been grounded in values such as transparency, inclusion and accountability. Not just in leadership, but in how organisations govern themselves.
We have now taken a step that brings those values into our own legal structure.
Philanthrope is now formally registered as a co-operative and a member of Co-operatives UK.
This change does not alter what we do. It gives structure to principles we have practised since inception. Shared decision making. Distributed value. Collective accountability.
Why we made this change
This was not a pivot. It was a progression.
From the beginning, we set out to build a firm that treated clients as partners rather than transactions. That rewarded contribution over seniority. That aligned long term success with fairness rather than extraction. The co-operative model gives legal and operational form to that ambition.
We believe:
Those who do the work should help shape the organisation
Clients should be part of the conversation, not just the contract
Value should be created and shared through principled collaboration
With the support of Co-operatives UK and the Business Support for Co-ops programme, we have designed a model that embeds these beliefs in our governance, ownership and incentives.
What it means in practice
Our co-operative model now includes:
Shared governance between consultants and partners, with structured voting rights
A stakeholder profit pool that includes eligible clients
A Client Advisory Panel to strengthen strategic alignment and accountability
Ongoing reinvestment in leadership development, pro bono work and sector innovation
These commitments are now backed by a formal constitution. But they have guided our decisions from the start.
Looking ahead
Becoming a co-operative does not change our work. It codifies how we do it and why.
We will continue to support ethical organisations to navigate succession, build high trust teams and lead with integrity. What is different is that our own governance now mirrors the kind we advocate.
If you would like to understand our model in more depth or explore how similar principles could support your own structure, we would welcome that conversation.