1. Duty to Care? How to ensure grant-making helps and doesn’t hinder
London Funders
7 March 2019

2. Speakers James Banks Eliza Buckley Monsur Khan Gina Crane Renae Mann
Director, London Funders
Eliza Buckley
Head of Research and Development, Institute for Voluntary Action Research
Monsur Khan
Community Engagement Projects Manager, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chlesea
Gina Crane
Head of Communications and Learning, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Renae Mann
National Business Development Manager, Refugee Action

3. About IVAR 01 04
Our work starts with a practical problem, challenge or opportunity.
We pose questions, encourage reflection and debate. 02 05
We collaborate closely with the organisations we work with.
We only take on a project if we believe it will contribute to meaningful change. 03 06
We make the most of the academic literature and expertise that is already available.
Relevant, useful and available for all.

4. What can we do to make it easier for people and charities to do their job well?”

5. Life for voluntary organisations in 2018
Instability
Higher expectations of transparency and professionalism
Commissioning and procurement processes
Adaptation
Maintaining services vs growth
Determination of their people

6. In a time of austerity and shrinking sources of funding, just how Richard Branson-like do people think we can be?”

7. Voluntary organisations experience of trusts and foundations
Generally positive
Often encouraged or required to work in partnership/collaboration
Increasingly providing opportunities for learning/networking
Slow application timeframes
Reporting pressures often disproportionate to the size of grants
“What would really help is a three year significant grant so that I can develop the model rather than spend my time writing funding applications and end of period reports.”

8. Foundations are adapting to this new context
Shifts to application processes
Enabling more honest relationships and communication
Being more realistic about expected outcomes
Understanding and taking on more risk
Introducing core funding
Advocating and giving a voice

9. Every day in a community is an emergency
Every day in a community is an emergency. Funders don’t have to have a tragedy to give in that way.”

10. Reflections from Monsur Khan
Community Engagement Projects Manager, Royal Borough for Kensington and Chelsea

11. New principles for aligning grant reporting
Funders explain why they have awarded a grant.
Funders and funded organisations are clear about what grant reporting will look like.
Funders are clear about the type of relationship they would like to have with the organisations they fund.
Funders only ask for information they need and use, and question whether they need bespoke reporting.
Funders give feedback on any grant reporting they receive, and share their thoughts on the progress of the work.
Funders describe what they do with the information they obtain from funded organisations.

12. Reflections from Renae Mann
National Business Development Manager, Refugee Action

13. Our call to action
Our call to action

14. Are you taking enough risk?
Tomorrow: Make a grant to an organisation that is doing great work but that you might have said ‘no’ to because they are facing an uncertain future. Your grant might give them the breathing space they need.
Soon: Have a board discussion about the sorts of risks faced by the types of organisations you support, and consider how as a funder you can help.
Collaboration with IVAR: Become part of IVAR’s new Thinking about Risk project.

15. Could your processes be more useful and less burdensome for the organisations you fund?
Tomorrow: Think of one thing you can do, or stop doing, that will make your process easier – and do it.
Soon: Go systematically through your application, grant management and reporting processes and question the purpose and value of everything you ask organisations to do. Take out everything that is not essential.
Collaboration with IVAR: Sign up to the New principles for aligned reporting.

16. Can you have “better conversations” with your grantees?
Tomorrow: If you have complicated questions you need to ask a grantee or applicant, which you would usually sort out by , send them this way but arrange a call to talk it through.
Soon: Think about the kind of relationship you are trying to build, explain it to grantees and make it easy – and safe – for them to tell you how you can do better.
Collaboration with IVAR: Adopt suggestions for moving grant reporting from paper to conversations.

17. Choose one area to explore:
RISK: Are you taking enough risk? How could you take more risk?
PROCESSES: How can your processes be more useful and less burdensome for the organisations you fund? What changes could you make?
RELATIONSHIPS: How could you have ‘better conversations ‘ with your grantees?
Think about what you could do differently…
Tomorrow
In the next week or month
In collaboration with IVAR (or others) going forward

18. Our call to action
Our call to action