Kirstie York is the CEO of Cygnul Limited, a small business which provides administration services directly to not-for-profit organisations. Her team take care of the day to day back office work so the board can focus on governance and service delivery.
When passion and structure work together, the impact is deep and sustainable. Clear responsibilities, effective governance and sound operational systems are essential. It is her mission to support not-for-profits in balancing their passion-driven work with the day-to-day demands of operations and organisational structure.
Kirstie began her career as a secretary, first in the NHS and then moving to police admin. Like many secretaries, she became skilled at organising information, keeping accurate records and ensuring compliance.
What she loved most, though, was being the bridge between people and process – the person who could listen carefully, spot what was needed and turn ideas into action. When she moved into the not-for-profit world in 2011, it felt like a natural step, and she quickly found her feet, using those same skills to translate emotional, mission-led conversations into practical, achievable plans.
Cygnul was born in 2014 as an alternative to redundancy, and Kirstie took over the helm in 2018 on her colleague’s retirement. She truly understands the juggling act of running an organisation because she’s living it. Her business has evolved from two people to a thriving team, working with a diverse range of organisations across multiple disciplines.
Over the years Kirstie have seen a range of approaches and challenges unique to each sector. The terminology, aims and objectives, partner organisations and stakeholders may differ dramatically, but what never varies is the formal and legal administration requirements.
Not-For-Profit Know-How has evolved from Kirstie’s one-to-one work as a way of helping more people and organisations than she can work with directly. She is currently designing a range of easily accessible training courses alongside a membership community which is designed to foster connections, shared learning and ongoing professional development within the sector.