Case Study: Islington Giving

Islington Giving is a partnership of organisations seeking to improve the lives of people in one of the most unequal boroughs in London.

The partnership was initiated by the Cripplegate Foundation in 2010 who brought on a range of partners who wanted to bring about local change.

Islington Giving’s approach has heavily influenced other organisations and has been at the forefront of London’s Giving Movement which is now active in 20 boroughs across the city.

If Islington Giving had been only one funder it wouldn’t have got so far. You need a coalition of people all invested and responsible for making sure change happens.

Programme structure

The partnership is led by a board of five grant-making organisations who contribute finances and expertise. The board is chaired by the Cripplegate Foundation who also manage the operational working. There is a strong focus on co-designing services with residents and delivering on the community’s vision.

The range of organisations involved include charities, funders and businesses, as well as local residents. Over 75 charities have been grant-funded to date. In 2013 the Office for Public Management released a report claiming that Islington Giving was ‘changing local philanthropy’.

Lessons

1. Understand context: The Islington Giving partnership emphasises engaging with residents and listening to their vision for how they want to shape their community. Cripplegate Foundation describes the importance of genuine follow-through on what it hears from the community.
2. Build expertise: over the last two years, 30 Islington residents aged 16-26 have joined the Young Grant-Makers programme. They are responsible for a fully-delegated portion of Islington Giving’s budget, and receive valuable training and work experience through a full grant-making cycle
3. Partner with others: Partnership is at the heart of Islington Giving, with many organisations working towards a shared vision. Its board is made up of five core partners (City Bridge Trust, Cloudesley, Cripplegate Foundation, Macquarie Group, The Morris Charitable Trust and Paul Hamlyn Foundation). But the broader partnership includes residents, national and international funders and a range of national, international and local businesses who operate in Islington. It has reached and funded over 75 voluntary organisations to date.

For more information contact: mail@islingtongiving.org.uk

This case study is part of our framework for place-based funding.