A few years ago Jan Tallis, chief executive of the charity School-Home Support, knew little about strategy or marketing. Now she is something of an expert. "Don't forget to put the hyphen in 'School-Home Support'," she cheerfully instructs. "It's all about branding."

The transformation came through mentors from the Private Equity Foundation , a venture philanthropy fund. Volunteers from McKinsey, the consultancy, taught her about strategy and branding, Specialists at consultants Deloittes helped with accounting and information technology support. She is also receiving leadership training from professors at Insead.

School-Home Support, which works with teachers and families to ensure children get the most out of their schooling, is one of more than a dozen charities the Private Equity Foundation has opted to fund. The aim is to help young people not in education and training. It covers three categories: literacy and numeracy; disruptive teenagers; and unemployed teenagers aged 16 plus, says Shaks Ghosh, chief executive of the foundation. She says: "Young people are leaving the world of education without having the skills to enter the world of work."