‘How do we build routes to power and influence for people with lived experience of poverty through our grant-making?’
Many funders now recognise the importance of ensuring that their grant giving and programmes support work that prioritises ‘lived experience’. A range of approaches have been pursued - including building ‘voice’, creating platforms, action research, leadership programmes, participatory giving – all of which seek to build routes to power and influence for people with first-hand experience of poverty.
This roundtable session will bring together funders for a conversation about their experiences of supporting work in this space – what has worked well and not so well? What are the difficulties? What can help?
If you have learning to share from your grant-making practice, get in touch with Rebecca or Cullagh, or just come along to the meeting.
Contributors:
- Sarah Campbell, Head of Participation and Advocacy, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Working with groups led by experience to develop our funding approach through taking an experimental approach and doing the work together, reflecting and learning as we go. Taking a broader ecosystem approach, working small scale, relationship based and iteratively.
- Paul Carbury, CEO, Smallwood Trust
- Tania Bronstein, Programme Manager, Trust for London
Tania has been working in grant making for many decades. She has worked for many funders: large, small, local, national and international, private and statutory, specialist and general -mostly on free lance basis but also as staff, and trustee, and has for as many years been involved in civil society organisations, and in particular around migrant women’s rights. Currently, she works for Trust for London as programme manager of a special initiative called Strengthening Voices, Realising Rights which was set up in 2018 to spur a renewed emphasis on the realisation of disabled people’s rights through bolstering the capacity of Deaf and Disabled people’s organisations to protect, promote and advance rights and inclusion for Deaf and Disabled Londoners. There are 2 funding strands: an advice strand and a policy advocacy and campaigning strand. Besides funding, they are investing in building capacity and skills in the sector, and are also piloting participatory ways of working across the grant-making cycle. They are also very keen in sharing what we learning through our practice.
Convenors:
Cullagh Warnock, Trust Manager, Millfield House Foundation
Based in the North East of England, Cullagh is the Trust Manager of Millfield House Foundation – a tiny grant-maker which takes a relational approach to funding local policy work to address the underlying causes of poverty and inequality. She works with a number of other regional and national funders in a freelance capacity and is a trustee of the Pilgrim Trust. Her most rewarding role is as co-chair of a local domestic abuse service.
Rebecca Roberts, Grant Manager, Trust for London
Rebecca Roberts is a Grants Manager at Trust for London and takes a lead on their Decent Living Standards programme. Prior to joining the Trust in 2020 she worked for 20 years in the voluntary sector in a range of policy, campaigning and research roles relating to social and economic inequalities, human rights and criminal justice.
Date: 21st June 2022
Time: 11.00 - 12.30pm
If you would like to discuss access requirements, please contact [email protected].
Please note that this event might contain discussions of sensitive topics or information.