Enhancing Grant-making to the LGBT+ Community & Voluntary Sector
Introducing ourselves • Heather Salmon, Funding Officer, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation • Joanne Raw, Funding Manager, National Lottery Community Fund • Paul Roberts, Consortium • Maria Antoniou, Consortium • Your name, role & organisation?
Background • The LGBT Funding Project supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation & National Lottery Fund • To explore potential for a sector-wide funding model “how can we increase, enhance and sustain income to the LGBT+ sector?” and support LGBT+ groups to fundraise 1) Consultation with o LGBT+ groups o LGBT+ donors o Grant-makers o Other stakeholders 2) Plus mapping existing models , feasibility of models, business planning … One of the models is an online giving / fundraising platform 3) Report to Consortium Trustees in April 4) Advisory Group to help develop chosen model and decide on Consortium’s role 5) Implementation & launch of model (future funding…)
Background The grant- makers’ perspectives…
Today’s Roundtable Session • Aims: o Share info & experiences of the LGBT+ sector community sector (questions encouraged) o Discuss ways of making LGBT+ community organisations stronger and more sustainable o Consider ways of increasing or enhancing support to the sector, including collaborative approaches
About Consortium • Infrastructure and Membership organisation • UK’s largest network of LGBT+ groups, projects & organisations with 325 Members and growing… • Infrastructure support 1-2-1, training, resources, networks • Advocating & advising – Government LGBT+ Working Group • Grant-making – new LGBT+ Futures fund • Annual Insight survey – ‘state of the sector’ over last 5 years
The LGBT+ Sector in the UK • 325 Members – Estimated 3,000+ LGBT+ groups in UK • Benefitting 4.5 million people – LGBT+ people, their friends & families (2018 Insight report) • Support, sports, youth, campaigning, older people, professional networks, arts, meetups… • 45 Trans groups in our Trans Organisations Network (400+ in UK, Tranzwiki) • 110 Members in London = 1/5 of LGBT+ groups in London • Number of ‘out’ LGBT+ people in the UK is increasing, but figures conflicting: • ONS, 2016: 1 million / 2 % of population is LGB (including 4.1% of 16-24 yr olds); euroClinix, 2018: 9 million / 13 % of population is LGB ( 24% of 18-24 year olds) • (‘Out’) Trans & gender non -conforming people = a rapidly growing population • GEO 2018: Up to 500k Trans people. ONS to include gender identity in 2021 census
Funding the sector • Gradual increase in funding for LGBT+ causes globally, but also fluctuations • 1980s AIDS pandemic – funding for LGBT+ (MSM) projects in global North • 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando • Funders for LGBTQ Issues, 2018 : 0.17% of foundation funding globally (in practice the global North), and 0.04% of government funding currently goes to LGBT issues • GrantNav , UK context, analysis of data to July 2018: • 41% of funders have funded LGBT+ projects; grants to LGBT+ projects • 0.2% of total grants awarded were to LGBT+ projects • Largest proportion ( 39%) of LGBT+ grants = £5-10k (89% of these from National Lottery Community Fund – largest funder on the site giving 66% of all grants) • Over last 10 years, giving to LGBT causes has risen but also fluctuated. 2008, 14 grants listed. Jan - Jul 2018 = 55 grants . 2016 peaked at 101 grants, fell to 88 in 2017 • Regional variations: Highest number of grants: 17% of grants went to North West ; 15% to London ; 10% to Scotland . • Lowest number of grants: South Central (1.5%), Northern Ireland (1.5%), East of England (2%).
Insight survey: Group income?
Insight survey: Main income source? NB: Small & medium sized groups are closer to their communities, so have a higher % of individual giving than larger orgs. 18% of participants had successfully run crowdfunding campaigns.
Biggest challenge re. grants 60 50 40 Percent 30 20 10 0 We do not apply The time it takes to Having to educate Finding appropriate Costing out work Complicated A lack of reliable A lack of in-house Other - Please tell for any grant write a funding bid funders in LGBT funding and projects application evidence and fundraising skills us funding. issues and processes statistics terminology
Reasons for being turned down
Key challenges of LGBT+ groups Small groups with same challenges as all small groups… • Capacity & skills – particularly if volunteer-run • High demand on services • Covering core costs • Funding projects and services • Sustainability • Good governance • Recruiting trustees & other volunteers • Concerns about Brexit & funding cuts
Key challenges of LGBT+ groups BUT also … • LGBT+ people continue to face discrimination in all spheres of life • Leads to… • LGBT+ groups reluctant to approach funders • Reluctance to make themselves visible and vulnerable • Find themselves ‘educating’ funders about needs • Some geographically concentrated, but largely dispersed across UK. So, disadvantaged in place-based funding initiatives.
Focus groups with 44 LGBT+ groups • Asking about their fundraising and consulting on possible solutions • Trans groups: Mainly small, volunteer-run: ‘How do I ask for money?, ‘Where do we start’? ‘How do you open a dialogue with a potential funder?’, ‘How do we find funds?’ • LGBT+ groups of various sizes: “ We [as a sector] rely on the same 4- 5 funders that we know fund LGBT groups.” “Their [funders’] priorities often don’t match the work we see a need for in LGBT communities” “We need longer - term funding as our communities are harder to reach and ‘recruit’ to projects” “We take risks and develop innovative projects. We need funders to take a risk by funding us.”
Howe & Frazer, ‘Strength in Numbers’ 2018 • Europe-wide study, for ILGA • LGBT+ organisations’ sustainability and resiliency is challenged by a lack of paid staff and lack of long-term and flexible funding • LGBT+ organisations undertake many activities, but the activities that are most likely to be fully funded do not align with activities they identify as priorities (most funded = HIV prevention, documenting human rights violations, legal work around LGBT+ rights), • LGBT+ organisations perceive that funding opportunities do not match their priorities (priorities = community organising e.g. campaigns against anti- LGBT+ policies, LGBT+ media, social services for LGBT+ people) • Organisations that focus on a subset of LGBT+ people are more likely to have smaller budgets and fewer paid staff e.g. trans, BAME, faith, older…
Discussion… • In small groups of 3-4 consider: 1) What are your impressions, insights or experiences of the LGBT+ sector? e.g. groups you’ve funded, impressions of the material presented… 2) What’s the key question / challenge for your organisation re. funding LGBT+ groups? 3) How can current funders of LGBT+ work help other grant-makers to get on board? Write on post-it notes & then share your answers in your group.
What can we do to increase or enhance support to the LGBT+ community & voluntary sector? Exploring potential models
Small changes requested by groups Grant- makers’ websites & comms: • Say you welcome LGBT+ applications • Show examples of previous support for LGBT+ groups • Display your diversity & inclusion policies • Mention inclusion and inter-sectionality when inviting applications on broader themes e.g. older people, youth, mental health… Also: • Talk with / listen to LGBT+ groups • Reach out directly to LGBT+ groups and invite applications e.g. via Consortium • Keep a balance between geography-focused funding and communities of identity • Take more risks with innovative projects • Consider longer-term funding for LGBT+ and other hard to reach & engage groups • Specific LGBT+ funding streams welcome, but not essential
Model: Accreditation scheme Could Consortium deliver an accreditation scheme for grant-makers that includes: • LGBT+ awareness raising for staff & boards • Help with inclusion & diversity statements • Help with communications materials e.g. websites • Help with monitoring & evaluation • Examples of good practice? Similar to Stonewall’s Diversity Champions scheme for employers; or LGBT Foundation’s Pride in Practice for healthcare sector
Model: Community involvement Could a panel of Consortium Members help to: • Design grants criteria • Visit and assess projects • Design website & comms? There’s a community involvement pilot with young people in North London – supported by The Blagrave Trust and The Cripplegate Foundation.
A Model: Grant- maker’s Network Based on the U.S. network: Funders for LGBTQ issues • Membership network for funders interested in LGBT+ issues • Special interest groups e.g. older LGBT+ people, BAME, trans groups… • Annual event – roundtable or day conference • Joint funding initiatives or joint awareness-raising campaigns • Resources – Best practice guides; briefings; e-news with info on the LGBT+ sector and funding to the sector
Recommend
More recommend
