Daniel Phelan was the founder and editor-in-chief of Civil Society Media Ltd.

He died on 11 February 2015 following a long battle with cancer.

Daniel began his media career in 1987 with the magazine Assembly & Association, a title drawn from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provided a forum for representative and membership bodies throughout the not-for-profit sector. In 1988, in collaboration with what was then the Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers (now the Institute of Fundraising), Phelan founded Fundraising, the UK’s first-ever magazine for fundraisers. 

In 1990, Dan founded the company which is now Civil Society Media. He started Charity Finance magazine that year and was editor for its first seven years. In 1999, he founded The Charity Awards, the annual UK-wide programme recognising excellence in charity management. In 2005, he launched Governance, the UK’s foremost magazine for charity trustees.

Until shortly before his death he was a trustee of StepChange Debt Charity (formerly the Consumer Credit Counselling Service/CCCS), Britain’s largest debt counselling charity, and Alliance Publishing Trust which publishes Alliance, the leading magazine for philanthropy and social investment worldwide.

Daniel is survived by his wife Cathy and a daughter, Fabienne.