Institute For Voluntary Action Research’s Post

Thank you Ubele Initiative for convening a community conversation on Monday about the racist and Islamophobic violence that has threatened the safety and dignity of our communities. The call for more and sustained investment in grassroots and community-based organisations echoes messages set out in https://lnkd.in/e94-skQ3   But it is a message that still needs to be more widely understood and responded to. Research shows that most funders see racial justice work as ‘too risky’; many shy away from supporting work on root causes; and there is very limited long-term commitment to substantive racial justice strategies or to grass-roots community organising: 'Funding Justice 2 analysed over £950 million worth of grants. It found that just 5.7% of UK foundation giving in 2021/22 went towards work to tackle injustice [and] 0.3% …. went towards building people power through organising. This is despite growing recognition that “community organising and local power building is simultaneously one of the best and one of the most under-resourced mechanisms we have to shift power to and secure just outcomes for (and with) communities”.’ (Baring, E. and Cracknell, J. (2023) Funding Justice: An analysis of social justice grantmaking in the UK, 2021-2022, Civic Power Fund.)   There is also a risk in these moments that too many individual funders turn to their grantees to ask what would be most helpful, at a time when they are responding to crisis. We encourage funders to tap into wider conversations: ➡ Migration Exchange (MEX) convened people identifying as having lived experience of the migration system and working in the migration field to share their thoughts and demands for change: https://lnkd.in/e86EMiBg   ➡ Fozia Irfan OBE's key points following a call attended by over 50 trusts & foundations: https://lnkd.in/e3qHNXZg

Our thoughts are with the people and communities affected by escalating riots and violence this week. Charities are clear about what they need from funders in emergency situations: Be brave Be flexible Trust us Be clear and open Understand the pressure we are under and reflect this in how you work Become more of a partner and less of an auditor For funders considering what they can do - you may find ideas in this past work on responding to emergencies: https://lnkd.in/eJ-jct9u Drawn from 'The possible, not the perfect', produced in partnership with London Funders

🆕 report: Supporting the progression of all young people The One Southwark programme managed by United St Saviour's Charity, seeks to address the effects of disparity on young people in Southwark through two parallel routes: 🔹 Supporting the progression and wellbeing of young people aged 16 to 25 (those selected to be on the programme) through individualised and holistic support over two years. 🔹 Championing and influencing changes across Southwark by affecting the behaviours and practices of community stakeholders (businesses, charities, funders, statutory agencies, residents), which remove barriers and strengthen opportunities for young people. Supporting young people to be leading contributors to these conversations. IVAR has worked alongside One Southwark as a learning partner between July 2022 and July 2024 to help capture One Southwark members’ journeys and the programme’s progress towards its ambitions. The insights shared in this report are based on research carried out over the two years with the One Southwark team, programme participants and Southwark stakeholders providing the training, support and programme governance (Asset Network and Coalition members). Read the report here https://buff.ly/4fpOvwX With thanks to Merchant Taylors' Foundation for their support. Merchant Taylors' Company Giles Hutchinson

New blog: Have we found the key to sharing power with communities? We know that communities have an important role to play in decision making. But how can we support people to lead change and shape the national agenda? Over the past few years, Local Trust's Community Leadership Academy has supported residents to lead change in their local areas. We were pleased to work with Just Ideas Sustainable Solutions Ltd. on exploring what could be learned from their approach – and Emily Dyson, our Deputy Director, shares how the insights surfaced resonate with what we’re seeing and hearing more widely. Read the blog to find out more: https://lnkd.in/eXtdfKxP

🆕 briefing: 'Batten down the hatches' Our Leading in Uncertainty briefings aim to support charities to navigate prolonged uncertainty and the latest in this series draws on sessions with 22 charity leaders during June and July ahead of the General Election and change in government. Pressure is continuing to be felt across the sector with charity leaders grappling with prolonged instability and rising need, in particular: 🔸Navigating despair 🔸Relentless financial pressure 🔸Volatile political climate 🔸Long lasting impact of Covid 🔸Shifting funder priorities 🔸Onerous grant-making practices Do any of these resonate with you? Read the full report here https://lnkd.in/eT4GiHcr

Would you like facilitation support for a cross-sector partnership to involve communities in addressing a local health inequality? ☎ Get in touch asap to explore whether our Connecting Health Communities initiative could be a good fit - we're inviting expressions of interest by next Friday 19th July. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ https://lnkd.in/e2vqvpKb #Communities #Leadership #CrossSector #SystemsChange #NHS #LocalGovernment #VoluntarySector #HealthInequality #Facilitation

Important call for urgent and decisive action, Michael - particularly powerful on this of all days. And strong echoes of what we heard in our previous round of Leading in Uncertainty sessions:

Far from ignoring accountability, as some sceptics argue, people's direct (rather than armchair) experience of trust-based philanthropy is that it enhances accountability - but in a different direction: to funded organisations' missions and the communities and causes they serve.