4 key lessons from our co-production experience in grant-making

Each of our organisations firmly believe that we can’t, and shouldn’t, take on the challenges facing the communities we exist for on our own.

This quote from Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK, outlines the ethos at the heart of the Middlesbrough Collaboration and our commitment  to centring co-production.

The partnership emerged from a shared frustration with some of the oppressive systems that are still common in the grant-giving sector, aiming to tackle financial insecurity in a way that shifts power to local communities.

What did we learn? That trust is everything, you need flexibility within structure, to start with an idea not a blank slate, and that measuring long-term impact remains a challenge.

The Middlesbrough Collaboration

The Middlesbrough Collaboration is a £1 million partnership designed to tackle gendered and child poverty in the Newport area of Middlesbrough (one of the most deprived wards in the area).

Funded by Turn2us, Buttle UK, and the Smallwood Trust and delivered with community organisations Ubuntu Multicultural Centre and Creative Minds Middlesbrough, the programme has worked with local women to co-produce a grant fund.

This allowed us to listen to lived experiences, and create a programme that was shaped by the very community it intended to serve. It’s provided financial support to 50 women so far.

Here’s what we learned from taking a co-produced approach:

1. Trust is everything

Trust is crucial. Many women were initially wary, questioning our intentions. Some even thought the grants were a scam. To build trust, we learned that we needed to create safe, welcoming spaces, ditching jargon, and provide food that participants loved.

Our community partners Ubuntu Multicultural Centre and Creative Minds Middlesbrough were instrumental in bridging gaps and vouching for us.

Nisha, a co-production partner, said: “At first, we were nervous and reluctant to see how it was going to work. But then, when they asked us about our own experiences and what the difficulties parents were having here, we found it very useful, and our opinions were heard.”

2.  You need flexibility within structure

We found that having a clear, yet adaptable framework was key. While it’s important to establish guidelines like budget caps and eligibility criteria, being too rigid can stifle the very collaboration we aimed to foster.

We heard from our co-production partners that they wanted a two-stage grant rather than one lump sum. They agreed with us that we should be as light touch as possible, requesting only the essential information.

3.  Start with an idea, not a blank slate

At the start, we had some awkward conversations and workshops. We wanted to be led by residents. But eventually, we realised that presenting an initial idea and asking ‘what do you think?’ often worked better than offering a blank slate.

Initially, we left the planning entirely up to community partners, which ended up being a little overwhelming. Introducing a basic framework and leaving enough space to change things around turned out to be far more effective.

4. Measuring long-term impact remains a challenge

Traditional metrics don’t always capture the full impact of co-produced projects. We used storytelling and focus groups as qualitative tools to understand the impact of the grants.

During our final workshop, we used the ‘most significant change’ technique to uncover personal success stories. This simply asks people what the biggest change is their lives has been. We heard about how the grants had helped women achieve goals like learning to drive or launching a small business.

Rutendo Ngwena, Shifting Power and Learning Manager at the Smallwood Trust reflected:

The women in the group are now empowered to start to think about long-term systems change, both in how they can collaborate with us and how they can personally contribute towards it. It’s a true sign of empowerment when you can go beyond your immediate challenges and start to think about how to solve the problem itself.

Conclusion

Our journey with this co-produced grant fund highlights the value of community-led decision-making.

It has provided immediate financial support to women and their children while fostering enough trust to begin mapping systems of financial insecurity. This work will guide projects aimed at addressing these systems over the next two years.

By collaborating as three funders and centring local women and their children in our programmes, we’ve shifted power to those most affected and achieved far greater impact than we could have alone.

We hope our insights inspire other grant-makers to consider co-production, recognising the commitment it requires but also its transformative potential as a pathway to lasting financial security.