If we are to achieve the wider ambitions of strong and vibrant organisations led by and for the communities they represent, we need to have a common understanding of the current funding position of the sector and the needs they are seeking to address. The research is exploring both the “demand” and “supply” side, where there are gaps and opportunities to inform discussions with funders on the strategic development of funding approaches in this space.
By equity and justice infrastructure, we mean the support offered to organisations led by and for the communities they represent. Equity and justice infrastructure organisations deal with issues that are long term, systemic and structural – and encompass a wide range of functions, from capacity building, leadership development to movement building and a wide range of other resources that can help ‘harness the collective’ power of equity led groups.
While some efforts have been made to better evidence the scale and funding of more generic forms of infrastructure support, we still lack understanding about the infrastructure sector specifically for equity and justice organisations. This project is helping to improve our understanding of the current funding position of the sector and the needs they are seeking to address.
We have convened an Advisory Group of equity partners and funders to guide this work. They have agreed the definitions and scope of the research and are helping us to map other connected or complementary work that is underway.
The work has a number of phases, and is including quantitative analysis from available datasets alongside qualitative research with funders and funded groups.
At the end of 2024 we undertook two surveys of equity and justice organisations, and infrastructure bodies, to understand their funding and experiences of receiving and providing support. In January we shared a literature review which draws together available evidence about funding in this space. We’re looking forward to sharing further learning throughout this process.
We are now (March-April 2025) conducting two further surveys of UK wide organisations: one for Equity and Justice organisations and one for Infrastructure organisations. If you’d like to find out more about this work, please contact our Research & Evidence Manager Shreya Gautam
If we are to achieve the wider ambitions of strong and vibrant organisations led by and for the communities they represent, we need to have a common understanding of the current funding position of the sector and the needs they are seeking to address.