A New Funding Ecology — A Blueprint for Action is the latest report in our Funding Ecology programme in partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) and the Big Lottery Fund.
The report builds on our previous work in this area to shape a vital debate about changing models of social change, and the roles of the social, public and private sectors in funding and supporting it.
The report argues that the operating context for independent funders is changing rapidly, and that those changes — to the role of the state, the financing of social support and the needs and aspirations of citizens — place renewed responsibility on funders to adapt and respond to them.
Key arguments from the report include:
- Independent funders cannot fill the gap left by budget cuts — but they can play a key role in building new models of social support that prioritise prevention, early intervention and building cross-sector models of change.
- The ecology approach requires funders to turn their differences into strength by being clearer about where they have impact and comparative advantage in relation to their peers.
- Devolution is an opportunity to build new models of social change — but this will require independent funders to work closely together to better understand their impact and potential in a place, and learn the lessons of Scottish and Welsh devolution so far.
Published in conjunction with A Blueprint for Change is Supporting Social Change: The Role of Social Investment. This report explores the emerging relationship between grant-making and social investment, and the ways in which independent funders across the spectrum can work together to develop new financial models to support social change. The report is written by Richard Harries and supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch).
To find out more about our Funding Ecology series, and the practical tools and collaboration support mechanisms we are developing, get in touch with Anna Randle.