More than grants collection: Pushing the boundaries of funding

As a country we face huge challenges. These challenges present questions for everyone who funds charities. It’s time to ask whether charitable foundations in the UK are doing enough—and are doing the right things—to support the voluntary and community sector.

NPC and Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales have teamed up to address these questions, looking at funding practices around the globe. In these three publications we present our findings, and call upon funders to consider how they can use their brains, as well as their financial brawn, to support a much relied-upon voluntary sector.

Do share these reports, and your thoughts with us, on Twitter via @NPCthinks and @LBFEW using #MoreThanGrants.

Provocation paper: Grant-makers must learn new tricks

Now more than ever, foundations should be considering whether they should be agents of change rather than just funders of it

So argue Dan Corry, CEO of NPC, and Paul Streets, CEO of Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales.

Drawing on insights from our research, they ask ask whether charitable foundations in the UK are doing enough—and are doing the right things—to support a much relied-upon and overstretched voluntary sector.

How funders can support grantee effectiveness

Organisational development is defined as ‘the funding and technical assistance necessary to help charities increase specific capabilities to deliver stronger programmes, take risks, build connections, innovate and iterate’.

Within this, there are many different aspects that funders can focus on. 

This report focuses on the organisational development support provided by funders from around the world—exploring the types of support given, the evidence for whether it works, and how funders can approach impact measurement. 

How funders can use their influence for good

Influencing involves a wide range of actions from grass roots movement building and building public awareness, to commissioning research and lobbying. More trusts and foundations have become involved in influencing work over the past twenty years, often attracted by the idea of stopping problems before they occur. 

This report focuses on the influencing practices of funders from around the world—exploring the methods that these take, the evidence for whether it works and how funders can approach impact measurement.

Do share these reports, and your thoughts with us, on Twitter via @NPCthinks and @LBFEW using #MoreThanGrants.

 

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