1. Supporting impact practice
@LBFEW

2. The basics Founded in 1985, one of 4 LBG Foundations
30 years: distributed over £340m to 42,000 local charities
Independent charitable trust, 4 LBG Trustees
9-year funding agreement
National reach, local presence
Administers LBG Matched Giving Scheme
Foundation sector as a whole: £2.4bn into UK voluntary sector

3. Our programmes

4. What’s impact practice?
Plan Do
Assess
Review

5. How can funders support?
Passive: signalling
Assertive: requirements
Signposting
Capacity building support (grants/funder plus)
Knowledge as a currency
…a defence of the interventionist funder!

6. Assertive: Requirements
Set quantitative “targets” for outcomes for individuals
Report back annually on progress aligned to our priority outcomes
Mixed experience of use for grant management
Forms the basis of wide range of reporting for the Foundation (internal & external)

7. Definitions & grade inflation
Reduced incidents of domestic abuse in adult intimate relationships
Partners and ex-partners of domestic violence perpetrators feel safer
Clients reporting an end to all types of abuse and controlling behaviours
Beneficiaries are be able to exit sexual exploitation safely
Clients better recognise and understand domestic abuse
Individuals are able to live free from domestic abuse and violence

8. Dealing with uncertainty
Data reporting can only be as accurate as the data we get in. Ability to collect basic impact data forms an important part of the assessment of a grant application…
…but once you clear the competence bar, we know there are large variations in the quality of data collection across our grantee portfolio
Small charities can’t always prioritise impact data collection and reporting
Still permissive on methodology, guidance & advice hasn’t had a huge impact.
What does trust look like in impact practice?

9. Direct support

10. Reflections on direct support
Very popular – sometimes valued more highly than the grant!
Gets around the priority barrier: restrictiveness is useful for ensuring work can be implemented that would be otherwise difficult
Instrumental support more tangible than developmental support – but a measurement problem can be a symptom not a cause
Capacity hump – do small charities have the skills & resources to integrate & maintain tools long term?
Charities sometimes attract wider funding/resources as a result, especially in competing for commissioned services – but not a planned outcome

11. Thanks
@alex_vanvliet