How can grant-makers let go of the reins to support greater social impact? Let’s explore this from the perspectives of both funders and charities.

Research shows that a diet of restricted grants forces charities to focus on short-term outcomes and operate without stability or confidence about the future.

Whilst unrestricted funding offers multiple benefits – security, flexibility, better use of staff and volunteers, and space for learning – many funders worry about how to assess its impact.

In this episode of “Listening and Learning Together”, IVAR’s Ben Cairns and guests discuss how we can use the principles of open and trusting grant-making to treat the impact of unrestricted funding as a shared endeavour, respecting the knowledge and expertise that charities bring to achieving the best possible impact for the communities and causes they serve.

Ben is joined by Amy Braier, Gina Crane and Chris Woo to discuss IVAR’s research report: A shared endeavour: Five approaches to assessing the impact of unrestricted funding.

The guests explore their experiences of unrestricted funding and how ‘letting go’ of control can create trusting relationships, leading to enhanced impact. They also explore the technical and cultural shifts required in funders moving away from imposing conditions and constraints to more collaborative approaches to assessing impact.

The Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) works at the interface between charities, foundations and public agencies, facilitating collaboration and learning that supports and strengthens communities across the UK.

The Guests

Amy Braier is Director of the Pears Foundation

Gina Crane is Director of Communications and Learning at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Chris Woo is Programme Development and Resourcing Lead at Trussell

Music Credits

RA on Uppbeat

How is the dominance of short-term grants preventing charities from providing quality services?

Multi-year funding provides a vital alternative in the funding mix and in this episode of Listening and Learning Together, we hear why.

IVAR’s Director Ben Cairns is joined by Co-op Foundation’s Charlotte Wilson, Emma Goldthorpe of the Eric Wright Charitable Trust and Lindsay Oliver, Founder of New Beginnings Peer Support.

In IVAR’s report “time to end the dominance for short term grants”, we learned that charities are calling out for revisions to the way in which funding is given, in order to enable them to do their best work.

Whilst short-term funding has a place, Ben and his guests discuss the negative impacts upon charities and their beneficiaries of working for repeated short-term bids.

The group shares consensus on how multi-year funding can improve security, retention and wellbeing of quality staff, whilst allowing smaller charities to grow more, gather powerful data and respond flexibly to emerging needs.

They discuss how multi-year models can help improve relationships throughout the chain, from communications with the funder all the way through to beneficiaries, building trust that the charities will be there to support their causes long term.

So what are the barriers to increasing multi-year funding and how can we move forward collectively?

Over 145 funders are signed up to IVAR’s Open and Trusting Grant-Making initiative. You can find out more here.

The Guests

Charlotte Wilson is Funding and Partnerships Manager at The Co-op Foundation

Emma Goldthorpe is Head of Finance and Governance for the Eric Wright Charitable Trust, which provides grant funding to registered charities in the North West of England and South Lakeland area.

Lindsay Oliver is CEO of New Beginnings Peer Support, an after crisis domestic abuse service for women and their children operating primarily in Harrogate and Craven areas of North Yorkshire, as well as some services across the country.

Music Credits

RA on Uppbeat

In the first episode of Listening and Learning Together – the IVAR podcast, Ben speaks to Edmund Kung – Executive Director at Sport4Health, Amy Sutcliffe – Fundraising and Communications Manager at One25 and Carolyn Sawers – CEO at Corra Foundation.  

The group reflect on findings from recent peer support sessions with 28 charity leaders, where people described the rising pressures they face in light of the cost-of-living crisis, the emotional strains of leadership, the stress of fundraising and more. While things are challenging, our guests offer some clear actions funders can take and share their moments of hope.  

Music from #Uppbeat:

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/summer-with-you

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