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A sector that deserves
better than it gets.

Sympact CI exists because the organisations doing the most important work in our communities are consistently the least equipped to prove it, grow it, or protect it. We are here to change that.

Why We Exist

The for-purpose sector is
underserved and underequipped.

Australia's community services, not-for-profit, and social impact sector is doing extraordinary work under extraordinary pressure. And yet, the infrastructure that would allow these organisations to demonstrate their value, make the case for investment, design better programs, or engage effectively with government is chronically underdeveloped.

The literacy gap is real. Too many organisations lack the internal capacity to make sense of their own data, articulate their theory of change, navigate a policy environment, or build a funding argument that holds up to scrutiny. This is not a failure of the people doing the work. It is a structural inequity in the support that has been made available to them.

"Purpose-driven organisations are doing the hardest work in our society with the least structural support. That is not inevitable. It is a choice the sector keeps making by default."

The organisations best positioned to support this sector — the big consulting firms, the management consultancies, the research institutions — are largely inaccessible to it. Sympact CI was built to fill that gap: providing the same rigour, the same quality of thinking, the same strategic and analytical depth, in a practice designed specifically for how purpose-driven organisations actually work.

What We Believe

The principles that
shape our work.

These are not values statements. They are the convictions that determine how Sympact CI operates and who it works with.

01

A strong sector needs strong organisations at every level

Not just the well-funded ones. Not just the ones with existing infrastructure. The health of the sector depends on the capacity of its smallest and most stretched members — and that means making strategic support genuinely accessible.

02

Data and evidence are tools for equity, not just compliance

Impact measurement, data systems, and evaluation are not administrative burdens. When they are done well, they are instruments of advocacy, credibility, and change. The organisations that can speak the language of evidence have more power than those that cannot.

03

Practical solutions beat elegant frameworks

Sympact CI's approach is lateral and applied. We are not here to produce reports that sit on shelves. Every engagement is designed to produce something the organisation can use — something that builds capacity rather than dependence.

04

Crossing silos produces better outcomes

The most significant opportunities for community organisations often live at the intersection of sectors, disciplines, and systems. Sympact CI is built to operate in those intersections — connecting data, policy, strategy, and advocacy in ways that specialists working in isolation rarely can.

05

Honest, rigorous advice is a form of respect

We do not tell clients what they want to hear. We tell them what we actually think, explain why, and offer a path forward. Organisations with limited resources cannot afford advice that is cautious, vague, or designed to avoid difficult conversations.

06

Access to quality support should not be determined by revenue

Sympact CI takes deliberate steps to ensure that smaller organisations can access the same quality of work as larger ones. The fee reflects organisational capacity — not the value of what is delivered.

Our Approach

Systems thinking.
Lateral solutions.

Sympact CI's approach starts at the relationships between things: how a data gap shapes program outcomes, how an evidence base connects to a funding argument, how a policy environment determines what advocacy can achieve. We work across these connections — not within a single lane.

Understand

Start with the system, not the symptom

Before recommending anything, Sympact CI seeks to understand the full context: what the organisation is trying to achieve, what is getting in the way, and how the external environment shapes what is possible. The presenting problem is rarely the only one worth solving.

Build

Capacity, not dependence

Every engagement is designed to leave the organisation stronger than it started. Sympact CI builds frameworks, systems, and capabilities that clients can own and operate independently — not outputs that require us to return every time something changes.

Connect

Work across disciplines

Data and strategy. Policy and program design. Evidence and advocacy. Sympact CI operates across all of these — recognising that the most effective interventions are rarely contained within a single domain.

Apply

Grounded in what actually works

Sympact CI's work is anchored in applied research, sector experience, and a practical understanding of how community organisations operate. The result is advice that is rigorous enough to withstand scrutiny and practical enough to implement without a change management program.

Accessibility

Quality advice that
reaches who needs it.

Sympact CI believes that a diverse and resilient community sector depends on organisations of all sizes having genuine access to strategic and analytical support. Smaller organisations — grassroots groups, emerging charities, volunteer-led services — often face the most complex challenges and have the least capacity to address them.

Sympact CI makes deliberate pricing considerations for smaller organisations. Fees are structured with organisational capacity in mind. Larger organisations with greater revenue contribute more, which enables genuinely reduced rates for those with less. Everyone receives the same quality of work. The fee reflects your situation, not the value of the service.

We also offer project-based and retainer arrangements, flexible scoping, and honest conversations about what is realistic within a given budget. We would rather design something achievable than propose something that does not get started.

"Access to quality support should not be a privilege reserved for well-resourced organisations. It is a prerequisite for a sector that can actually deliver."

Every engagement begins with a conversation about scope, budget, and what success looks like for your organisation. Get in touch to talk through what is possible.

Fee Structure

Scaled to your organisation.

Fees are assessed on annual organisational revenue. Every tier receives the same standard of work and full access to all service areas — the fee reflects your capacity, not the value of the work.

Tier One

Community

Small charities, grassroots and emerging organisations, volunteer-led groups
✓Reduced rates in recognition of limited capacity
✓Flexible scoping to match available budget
✓Priority consideration for pro bono components
✓Full access to all service areas
Typically suited to organisations with annual revenue under $1M
Tier Two

Growth

Established NFPs, mid-size service providers, regional organisations
✓Standard sector-conscious rates
✓Project-based or retainer arrangements
✓Bundled service packages available
✓Full access to all service areas
Typically suited to organisations with annual revenue between $1M and $10M
Tier Three

Enterprise

Large NFPs, government agencies, corporate ESG programs, peak bodies
✓Full commercial rates
✓Retainer and ongoing advisory arrangements
✓Contribution supports access for Tier One organisations
✓Full access to all service areas
Typically suited to organisations with annual revenue above $10M

Project-based and retainer arrangements available. Get in touch to talk through what is realistic for your budget.

How It Works

From first contact to
getting started.

01

Get in touch

Tell us about your organisation, what you are working on, and what you need. No lengthy brief required — a conversation is enough to start.

02

Scoping conversation

We will have a focused discussion about the problem, the scope, and what success looks like. We will also talk through what is realistic within your budget.

03

Clear proposal

You will receive a straightforward proposal: scope, deliverables, timeline, and fees. No hidden costs, no surprise add-ons.

04

We get to work

Direct access throughout. Regular check-ins, transparent progress, and a final deliverable built to last beyond the engagement.

Who we are

The person
behind Sympact.

Sympact CI is led by one person with a clear purpose — making quality strategic support accessible to the organisations that need it most.

Leith Symes, Founder Sympact CI
Leith Symes
Founder & Principal Advisor

Leith Symes founded Sympact CI on a deceptively simple insight: that purpose-driven organisations are routinely under-supported in the areas that matter most. He is an expert at exploring complex systems and developing lateral, innovative solutions that elevate the impact of programs, produce actionable insights, and build lasting capacity across organisations working at the edge of what the sector makes possible.

His work spans three interconnected disciplines: data and intelligence, impact measurement and evaluation, and program design and strategy. What distinguishes Sympact CI's approach is not the application of a standard framework, but the ability to move fluidly across these disciplines — recognising how a gap in data infrastructure shapes program outcomes, how an outcome framework can unlock a funding relationship, how strategic advice needs to be grounded in evidence to hold up in rooms that matter.

Leith brings this cross-disciplinary perspective from a background that spans community services, public health, and applied research. His academic grounding in social science and research methodology underpins an approach that is rigorous without being inaccessible, and evidence-informed without being detached from what organisations are actually trying to do.

Sector Engagement

Leith is an active participant in networks, alliances, and working groups across Victoria's community services, housing, and social policy landscape. He contributes to policy development, advocacy, and sector capacity-building efforts — bringing practical consulting intelligence into collaborative spaces, and bringing sector intelligence back into his work with clients.

Leith's ability to cross silos between sectors and disciplines is rare. He can hold complex social theories and apply them practically — and he makes those connections legible across charities, government, and large corporates in ways most people simply cannot. That combination of depth and accessibility is significant.

Senior leader, Victorian community services sector
Let's Talk

Ready to work
with Sympact CI?

Whether you are starting from scratch or looking to sharpen what you have — get in touch and let's talk about what is possible.

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