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When easyfundraising decided it was time to raise the bar, not just in mission impact but in employee experience, they turned to People Puzzles for expert support.
easyfundraising: At a Glance
The Impact:
Between 2023 and 2025, employee scores jumped dramatically: +22 points for fair pay, +20 for recognition opportunities, +19 for management integrity, and +22 for celebrating wins. By 2025, 90% said management delivers on promises and 95% said people celebrate special events. The transformation earned easyfundraising recognition as one of the UK’s Great Places to Work in Tech 2025.
The Challenge:
Despite strong purpose and positive culture, the business faced barriers around middle-management ownership, career pathways, decision communication, and recognition consistency. CEO James Moir wanted to move from good to great.
The Approach:
Ben Birchall led a two-year people-centred transformation, working closely with the internal HR team through discovery listening, root cause workshops, collaborative working sessions, and embedding accountability. Key initiatives included Line Manager Mastermind sessions and a new Quarterly Impact Cycle.
In 2023, Ben Birchall began a two-year, people-centred transformation journey with the business. Through deep listening, co-designed solutions, and new rhythms of transparency, recognition, and accountability, easyfundraising went from good to great, culminating in its inclusion on the UK’s Great Places to Work in Tech 2025 list.
Client Overview
Based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, easyfundraising is an online platform helping individuals and organisations turn everyday shopping into free donations for good causes. With around 80 team members, CEO James Moir wanted to amplify their strong sense of purpose and ensure that their people practices reflected the same values of generosity, inclusion, and collaboration that define their mission.
The Challenge
By 2023, despite a clear purpose and positive culture, the team recognised barriers holding them back. Feedback pointed to the need for:
- Greater ownership at middle-management level
- Clearer career pathways
- Better communication around decisions
- More consistent recognition and reward
“We wanted to move from being a good place to work to being a great one,” says James. “That meant taking a deliberate, data-driven approach to change.”
The Solution
Ben worked closely with the existing HR team who were instrumental in supporting the process. Ben guided their involvement, providing coaching and development along the way – a truly immersive learning and collaborative working opportunity for the team.
Discovery & Listening
Starting with a company-wide listening exercise, going beyond surveys to uncover the stories behind the scores. Combining these insights with Great Place to Work survey data, they turned findings into meaningful dialogue and a foundation for ongoing improvement.
Root Cause Workshops
Department-level workshops helped teams analyse engagement gaps and identify both local and systemic issues. This led to four main workstreams:
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Collaborative Working
Focus sessions tackled Communication & Collaboration, Pay & Equity, and Diversity & Inclusion and invited employees to co-design practical solutions.
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Embedding & Accountability
Ben and the HR team worked with leaders to set measurable cultural goals and embed new habits: transparent feedback loops, management behaviours aligned with values, and fairer recognition structures.
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Line Manager Development
New Line Manager Mastermind sessions created peer-led learning spaces for tackling real-life challenges. One of the mastermind participants fed back; “The sessions have really influenced how I manage my team. They give us space to work through real management challenges and find the best way forward, and they’ve helped me feel part of a supportive community of line managers who look out for one another and help the business succeed.”
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Strategy to Action
A new Quarterly Impact Cycle connected everyone’s work to company goals hailed by one employee as “the best process introduced in the past 10 years.”
The Results
The transformation has been extraordinary. Between 2023 and 2025:
- “People here are paid fairly for the work they do” +22 points
- “Everyone has the opportunity to get special recognition” +20 points
- “Management’s actions match its words” +19 points
- “We recognise small wins” +22 points
By 2025, 90% of employees said management delivers on its promises, and 95% said people celebrate special events a powerful indicator of a thriving, appreciative culture.
Beyond the metrics, colleagues now describe easyfundraising as more transparent, accountable, and collaborative. They understand not just what they’re working on, but why feeling heard, trusted, and connected to the mission.
“We knew we had strong foundations,” says Ben Birchall, People Director. “The journey was about honest conversations, acting on feedback, and ensuring our culture reflects the heart of who we are.”
“Having Ben from People Puzzles working with our HR team has been game changing. Our people feel heard and the changes prove we mean what we say about fairness, recognition, and community.”
From Good to Great
easyfundraising’s recognition as one of the UK’s Great Places to Work in Tech 2025 marks more than an accolade it’s the result of a thoughtful, people-first journey that shows how purpose-led organisations can achieve both social impact and employee excellence.
