Research team

Jay Kennedy is DSC’s Director of Policy and Research and has overall responsibility for DSC’s policy, campaigns and research. He leads the team that researches funding information for DSC’s well-known funding guides and websites.

Jay has held a number of different roles since joining DSC in 2003, including researching government funding for charities, project managing one of DSC’s fundraising websites, and acting as a policy officer and media spokesperson. Jay often represents DSC at various forums, networks and events.

Stuart provides research to inform policy and practice in the charity sector. He is a member of DSC’s leadership team, and he manages the team behind DSC’s bespoke research, funding guides and Funds Online research.

Stuart specialises in Armed Forces charities, and he won the 2021 FiMT Research Award for his work in this field, which is cited at government level. He has co-authored ten reports on the subject, including the definitive 2020 report – Sector Insight: Armed Forces Charities.

Stuart holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology and Sociology, an MSc in Applied Psychology, and a PGCE in Psychology. He is a qualified teacher and taught for five years before moving into applied research.

Rhiannon leads DSC’s bespoke projects and commissioned research. Her work ranges from research on grant-making for Service children, and analysis of local authority grant-making to the VCSE sector, to exploring the scope and nature of funding and types of housing support for charity beneficiaries. Rhiannon’s latest research Sector Insight Armed Forces Charities 2024 is the definitive guide to the Armed Forces charities sector, and she is an expert in this field of research.

Rhiannon holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Communications, and an MA in Politics and Mass Media.

Ian has over ten-years of experience in undertaking charity sector research. He is an expert in grant-making trusts and foundations, having written numerous funding guides on the subject, including most recently, The Guide to Major Trusts, The Guide to UK Company Giving, and The Guide to Educational Grants.

Ian holds a BA (Hons) Politics and International Business from the University of Liverpool.

Senior Researcher, Jessica, has a great deal of experience researching grant-making charities and has co-authored a number of DSC’s guides on the subject, including three editions of bestseller, The Guide to New Trusts. Jessica is also the author of The Guide to Individuals In Need, and she has contributed to several other leading publications, including DSC’s The Guide to Major Trusts.

Before joining DSC in 2019, Jessica graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from Lancaster University. She has also volunteered for a number of charities, including Southport and Formby Special Athletes, where she was responsible for running sports coaching sessions for adults with learning difficulties.

Ross joined DSC in July 2022 as a member of the research team and contributes to our publications and funding websites.

Before joining DSC, Ross worked on various research projects as part of his BA in Hispanic Studies from the University of Nottingham and as an editor for international relations think tank RAIA.

Ross’ favourite part about working at DSC is knowing the positive social impact that we have as an organisation.

Kalli joined DSC’s Research Team in May 2023.

She studied Languages and Politics at the University of Nottingham, before doing a Masters in Gender and International Development at the University of Warwick.

Kalli has co-authored many of DSC’s best-selling funding guides, including; The Guide to New Trusts (13th edition), The Directory of Grant-Making Trusts (28th edition), The Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need (19th edition) and The Guide to Major Trusts (18th edition).

Outside DSC, she enjoys gardening and is involved with community gardens. She also volunteers as a researcher for Women Beyond Walls, a platform that aims to influence policymaking and discourse surrounding the incarceration of women and girls.