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What are some of the key areas you fund?
As a place based giving scheme, we focus on the London Borough of Islington, and we support a huge range of people, activities and projects across the borough through our partnership approaches. Our priorities are to raise funds for local projects, share power through resident-led grant making, increase access to opportunities, reduce isolation through community connection, and share learning to influence the funding sector positively.
Our funds support mental health provision for homeless residents, low-income families, inclusive disability services, local food projects, and access to employment for young people. We have several resident-led programmes, such as our flagship Young Grant Makers, Golden Grant Makers, Carers Panel and Community Fund which puts more power and decision-making control into the hands of local residents. Our report ‘People, Power and Place’ reflects on seven years’ of resident-led grant making.
What’s something exciting that you’re currently working on?
We are always learning and evolving our grant-making. As a result of 7 years’ of resident-led grant making, we are developing an alumni programme to provide more experiences and ways for local residents to get involved in our work and to influence local decision-making. Our alumni manager is herself and alumnus and we have created two permanent alumni roles on our Grants Committee. We are now exploring other ways alumni can get involved in our strategic decision-making, as well as other key influencing roles across the borough.
What’s one piece of learning that you’d like to share with other London Funders’ members?
Throughout all of our programmes, we take a learning approach. One reflection is the value of being flexible in our grant making and ensuring the insights gained from one programme informs future programmes.
Another insight, particularly in the current climate, is the value of bringing joy back into our communities. Yes, there are significant and complex needs across all of our communities, yet we shouldn’t overlook the need for and importance of everyone to experience joy. This was a strong feature of our Make it Happen fund, which has truly brought joy to all corners of Islington.
What do you most value about London Funders?
Connecting with our peers, influencing our sector and collaborating to make London a more equal place for everyone.
What should we prioritise as a network of funders?
With communities facing increasingly complex challenges and resources seemingly scarce, we must collaborate to tackle some of the systemic challenges. As a network of funders, we are stronger together. Whether that is funding collaboratively to tackle a specific challenge, or perhaps using our collaborative voice to amplify the voices of everyone in our communities to advocate for change. By supporting local communities, we can unleash the power within.
What’s an issue or area you’d like to discuss with other members?
Collaborative funding and supporting more grassroots groups to unleash their community power.
Connect with us about:
- Participatory Grant-Making and engaging local communities in decision-making
- Micro-grants to individuals and / or small groups of people, creating access to opportunities and bringing joy to communities
- Place-based grant making
- Engaging and supporting local communities
- Collaborative grant making
- Systems change – through our parent charity, Cripplegate Foundation, we have run a Development Partners programme, which has resulted in an ethos of ‘How Not What’ to influence systems change.
The Member Spotlight is taken from our monthly member-exclusive newsletter, the Member Memo. The newsletter contains targeted information about upcoming events and updates from across the membership, with opportunities to connect and collaborate with other members. If you are a London Funders' member and would like to sign up, please email ora.ataguba@londonfunders.org.uk.