About Us
A short history of Christian Aid
For more than 80 years, Christian Aid has been working with communities across the world with a mission to end poverty and build a more just and resilient future. Christian Aid’s work spans three interconnected strands: emergency response, advocacy, and long-term resilience. It is from this third strand that the Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund (CARFF) emerges; recognising that communities have the ideas, assets and local knowledge to build climate-resilient livelihoods and strengthen their economic futures, but are often held back by limited access to affordable and appropriate capital. CARFF seeks to bridge this gap by unlocking finance that enables communities to invest in sustainable livelihoods, strengthen household and local economies, and build resilience to climate and economic shocks.
Why does The Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund exist?
Across climate-vulnerable markets, some of the enterprises best placed to create jobs, strengthen essential services and build local resilience are caught in a financing gap. They have viable products, customers and the potential to grow, yet are often too established for grant funding and too small, unfamiliar or climate-exposed for conventional investors. CARFF exists to address this “missing middle”. We bring together patient capital, investment discipline and Christian Aid’s development experience to help credible enterprises grow, build track records and move towards larger pools of finance. - Samuel P.S. Williams, Head of Fund.
Our Team
Samuel P.S. Williams
Samuel is the founder and Head of the Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund. He has worked with Christian Aid for eight years, leading work across private sector partnerships, innovative finance and impact investment.
His experience spans international development, philanthropy, blended finance and community finance, with a particular focus on how investment can support locally led enterprise and climate-resilient livelihoods. He has worked with businesses, investors, foundations and development organisations across Africa and the UK, and brings experience in developing partnerships, structuring investment approaches and building models that combine financial discipline with measurable social impact.
Fionnuala Shakespeare
Fionnuala leads on fundraising for the Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund. She has been with Christian Aid for 5 years, working in philanthropy. She is passionate about the potential of the Fund to have huge impact on communities in sub-Saharan Africa, and working with philanthropists and investors to realise systemic change.
Career wins include securing numerous six-figure grants from individuals and foundations; and tripling a donor portfolio size to exceed £1million in total value through strategic cultivation and high-value acquisition.