I’ve removed Dot Project from the CoTech website as the co-op has closed, @annie and @CatAinsworth have posted the following on LinkedIn:
We are closing Dot Project
A message from the founders Annie Legge Alex Mecklenburg & Catherine Ainsworth:
After 8 years of partnering with social organisations to strengthen digital confidence and resilience, we have made the decision to close Dot Project this month. This is a moment of reflection, pride, and deep gratitude for the journey we have taken together.
Since 2017, we have worked alongside charities and social enterprises to help them navigate digital challenges, engage with suppliers, and build long-term strategies for sustainability.
Our cooperative model allowed us to collaborate with an incredible network of experts, all committed to supporting the sector in meaningful ways. Together, we have supported 1,084 organisations and nearly 2,000 individuals, working with 65 brilliant partners and freelancers.
From the outset, we set out to do business differently—centering collaboration, transparency, and adaptability. As a female-led nonprofit cooperative, we have advocated for alternative business models and ways of working, prioritised people over platforms, and embraced the complexity of systems change. At the heart of our work has been the belief that genuine connections, building trusted relationships and shared learning drive lasting impact.
We believe this is the right moment to close. The landscape has shifted, and social sector organisations are now better positioned to build their own digital capabilities. Many require less hands-on consultancy and more ongoing coaching and enhancement.
Despite that fundamental shift in support needs, we still see a lack of long term funding support for the sector for organisations to build and maintain their digital capabilities.
Whereas we feel our role as an organisation has been fulfilled, our commitment to the social sector remains strong. We are excited to see how the sector continues to grow and evolve and to see funders redesign their support to keep supporting the sector moving forward.
Looking ahead, the three of us will continue our work through key initiatives that have become our primary focus these are the Digital Strategy Accelerator and Tech4Good South West CIC. As we look to the future we recognise the incredible launchpad Dot Project has been for us, as individuals, to develop our collective strength and skills as well as for the previous members who have found a home in Dot Project as part of their professional journey.
To everyone who has been part of this story—our team members, partners, clients, and supporters—thank you. Your contributions, trust, and collaboration have made this work possible, and we are so grateful. Though this chapter is ending, we look forward to staying connected and seeing what comes next for all of us.
Thank you for being part of our journey—we are incredibly grateful for the relationships we have built and look forward to staying connected in the future.
Reflections on Our Journey: The Dot Project Story
As we close this chapter, we reflect with deep gratitude on the values that have shaped Dot Project and the impact we are proud to leave behind.
Operating with Purpose
From the very beginning, we have taken great joy in bringing people together—helping them realise their potential to create meaningful change. By fostering an environment of shared journeys and trust, collaboration and collective strength, we have contributed to a broader ecosystem of impact and modelling different ways of working.
Creating Genuine Connections
Relationships have been at the heart of everything we do. Every engagement—with clients, collaborators, partners and each other—has been rooted in trust, empathy, and deep connection. These relationships have been the foundation of our success.
Doing Business Differently
As a female-led nonprofit cooperative, we have always challenged traditional business models. We proved that organisations can thrive by leaning into their strengths, embracing continuous adaptation, and prioritising collaboration over competition. Our journey was built without external investment or accelerator support—staying true to our cooperative values.
Systems Change is Hard but Necessary
Beyond our direct work with clients, we have been committed to strengthening the resilience of the social sector. This work has often been complex, frustrating, and time-consuming—but also deeply rewarding. Now, more than ever, organisations need robust support structures and longer term funding models, and we remain dedicated to contributing to this space in new ways contributing to how new models of support can contribute to equality across the sector.
Proud of What We Leave Behind
We are incredibly proud of the breadth and depth of our work—convening multi-disciplinary teams across technology, coaching, and organisational change. As a small but agile team, we have embraced change, adapted to the sector’s evolving needs, and made meaningful progress project by project.
Dot Project has been more than an organisation; it has been a place for growth, connection, and shared learning. It has empowered each of us—past and present—to develop our strengths, expand our impact, and find new ways to model a collaborative future. While this journey comes to an end, our commitment remains. We will continue advocating, innovating, and building support for the social sector in new and evolving ways.
To everyone who has been part of our story—thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you.
@annie and @CatAinsworth you are both still most welcome here, feel free to keep your accounts and update your email addresses if you need to, I have changed your primary group to Friends rather than members, I hope that is OK and best wishes for the future!