Shift is a consulting and advisory firm based in London that uses design principles to help clients and nonprofit organizations accomplish social goals, including tackling problems surrounding childhood, food security, financial wellbeing, mental health, and COVID-19. ¹

History and Activities

It is unknown when Shift was founded, however the organization has had a Twitter profile since March 2009. ²

Shift is a public charity in the United Kingdom that applies design thinking to tackle social problems, including problems surrounding childhood, food security, financial wellbeing, mental health, and COVID-19. ³ Shift advertises that it can help organizations understand how and why people act in particular ways; analyze factors that contribute to a problem; leverage evidence to support choices; identify opportunities to approach situations differently; communicate with team members, partners, and a broader audience more effectively; shape an organization’s “theory of change” and strategy; design and launch new programs, services, ventures, or products; and test and scale new ideas. ⁴

In 2020 and 2021, Shift created Beyond, a six-month design and digital training service focused on helping nonprofits respond to COVID-19 without canceling services due to a lack of digital skills. ⁵

In 2018, Shift produced ten principles for making collective progress formed by reviewing various theories and frameworks. ⁶ These principles include “democratise decision making” and “build a pluralistic, diverse, and inclusive network.” ⁷

Shift also partnered with eBay to develop strategies to support e-commerce among “social entrepreneurs” to improve exposure and drive sales on eBay’s platform. ⁸

Additionally, Shift claimed that “false news” is much more likely to be shared on social media than verified news, which has created an “infodemic.” To respond to the threat of false news, Shift created maps of initiatives fighting “health misinformation” online, with a focus on vaccine uptake, as well as similar maps focused on counterterrorism and climate change. ⁹

Shift also began publishing on its own Medium page beginning in mid-2023. Articles include “DEI at Shift,” a piece outlining the organization’s four diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles. These include hosting internal DEI training sessions; sharing DEI-related information about the organization publicly; hiring a more diverse board and staff; and creating “inclusive spaces” for team members to feel “that they truly belong.” ¹⁰

People

Polly Mackenzie is the chair of the board of Shift. Mackenzie is also the chief social purpose officer at the University of the Arts London. ¹¹

Funding

Shift received nearly all its £1.3 million ($1.64 million) in revenue in the financial year ending March 31, 2023, from donations and legacies. ¹²

Partners

Shift has partnered with Welcome; Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charity; the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a large British child protection charity; the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), a British charity focused on pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting; the Community Fund, also known as the National Lottery Community Fund; Google; Fait Finance; Gingerbread; the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation; One Manchester; ¹³ Catalyst; DOT Project; ¹⁴ and Stanford University. ¹⁵

1. “What we do.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/what-we-do/.
2. “@shift_org.” Twitter. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://twitter.com/shift_org.
3. “What we do.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/what-we-do/.
4. “Work with us.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/work-with-us/.
5. “Powering nonprofits to respond to the crisis. Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/portfolio/beyond/.
6. Making collective progress toward shared ambitions.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/portfolio/making-collective-progress-towards-shared-ambitions/.
7. “Making Collective Progress Pdf.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/content/uploads/2022/02/Making-Collective-Progress.pdf.
8. “Building eBay’s support for social entrepreneurs.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/portfolio/building-ebays-support-for-social-entrepreneurs/#overview.
9. ^[1] “Healthier Internet: Making high quality health info easy to find and trust. Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/portfolio/wellcome-healthier-internet/.
10. Roberts, Michael.” Medium: Shift-design. July 13, 2023. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://medium.com/shift-design/dei-at-shift-making-our-commitments-561ee6d70bac.
11. “Polly Mackenzie.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/people/polly/.
12. ^[1] “Shift Foundation.” Charity Commission for England and Wales. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4038121/charity-overview.
13. “Work with us.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/work-with-us/.
14. “Powering nonprofits to respond to the crisis. Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/portfolio/beyond/.
15. ^[1] “Shift.” Shift. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://shiftdesign.org/