Why you should fund the disobedient!

We approach the end of the second decade of the 21^stCentury, with society mirroring politics and being more fractured and divided than at any point since the trauma of the Corn Laws crisis of 1846. With the progressive liberal social democratic advances of the last 100 years increasingly under attack from the extremes of the hard right and left of the political spectrum, it is right that we should ask the question of ourselves: Is civil society fit for purpose?It’s a key question for you – trusts and foundations are vital part of civil society.

Change is needed. The Charity Commission Chair reminded us in a recent speech that charities “don’t have an immutable monopoly on doing good”and the Bank of England’s Chief Economist said (in a recent lecture for Pro Bono Economics) that civil society is not fit for purpose, arguing: “We have the triple threats of disconnection of people from society, mistrust of institutions, and the rising tide of populism because we have structurally underinvested in civil society”.

As the report from the independent inquiry led by Julia Unwin, Civil Society Futuresfound: “Civil society risks becoming irrelevant if we do not change. We must be in step with – or a step ahead – of the time we live in.”

So if the moral imperative of our fractured society isn’t sufficient motivation to change, then perhaps the growing public discourse about the unhealthy state of philanthropywill be? While this discourse is largely being played out in the US, fuelled in recent months by three compelling books focusing on colonialism, anti-democratic behaviour and tax avoidance in philanthropy, it is starting to disrupt the congenial world of UK philanthropy.

Civil Society Futures heard again and again about the vast gulf in income and wealth within civil society, and the repeated allegation that those in power are too extractive in how they operate.

Call to action

In response to these clamours for change, Civil Society Futures sets out a clear call to action to everyone in civil society – people, organisations and institutions – to commit to building a movement through a shared ‘PACT’. A movement that builds on and connects the networks, coalitions and collaborations (the social infrastructure) necessary to create a great power shift; enable an accountability revolution; build deeper closer connections; and re-establish meaningful and lasting trust.

Endowed foundations are an essential part of this movement for change as you individually and collectively currently hold (or hoard) great wealth and power, and while it’s great to see the steps that a number of ACF members are taking in response to the challenges explicit in the PACT, some still believe as Matthew Taylor said at last year’s ACF conference, that you don’t think it’s bad enough to change! I, and many others, disagree.

So, if you now think it’s bad enough to change, what might that change look like for you?

• You can commit to consciously shifting power in big ways, with funding decisions decided by the people the fund is there to help.

• You can commit to being more accountable: as a first step committing to publishing your grants data on 360Giving.

• You can commit to being more connected, connect with those funders working in the same area as you (place or theme) and ask yourselves: If we connected more would we have a greater impact?

• You can commit to using your grant-making to build trust, provide year zero funding for new projects and no-strings-attached core funding, supporting the disobedient who challenge systems and the status quo.

Even simply devoting time at your next trustee or team meeting to having a discussion on the PACT and what it means for you is an important first step in bringing about a new future for civil society.

David Warner, former director of London Funders, is an independent Social Change and Strategic Philanthropy consultant who is supporting the current phase of Civil Society Futures.

This article was first published in the July edition of ACF’s Trust & Foundation news

Making a power shift happen

If we care about reviving our dented democracy, rebuilding our social fabric, talking about and confronting racism and enabling us to address the great challenges of climate change and environmental degradation; then Civil Society Futures is about providing the evidence base, the intellectual underpinning and foundations for how we all – as individual citizens who live, work and play in places and communities (and who are also participants in organisations and institutions) need to behave.

Crucially Civil Society Futures was not, as it is sometimes described, an inquiry into the “the future for civil society”. It was established as an inquiry into “the future of civil society”. Itwas about investigating, questioning and understanding the major forces at play in driving changes in the eco-system of which civil society is a part.

It was about listening and reflecting, about analysing and futuring, and doing so at a time when the tectonic plates of the eco-system are moving at a pace and volatility as never before.

And it was about shining a light onto the depth, intensity, vitality and the cruciality of civil society to the wider eco-system that it, along with the state and the markets, are part of.

The thoughtful, reflective and encouraging conversations, blogs and commentaries that have followed the publication/launch of Civil Society Futures fill me with optimism that we might be able to reach the critical mass of people committed to really make a power shift happen.

There can be no doubt that, amidst all the challenges facing us as a society, a movement for change is not only necessary but also timely.  First the English Revolution (1640-1660), next the Industrial Revolution and now the Civil Society Revolution?

As Julia wrote in a blog (Standing On The Shoulders of Giants)at the start of the inquiry:

“This is not a time to withdraw into nostalgia about the past, nor to simply do what we’ve always done, and get what we have always got. It is the time to examine our powers of connection and our capacity for association. To examine our accountabilities, and our relationship with others, and forge a new future, just as surely as our predecessors did before. We need to ask some fundamental questions about who we are, what we stand for and where we are going.”

Surely this is the time to be building a movement for change?

A movement that builds on and connect the networks, collations and collaborations (the social infrastructure) necessary to create a great Power shift; enable an Accountabilityrevolution; build deeper closer Connections; and re-establish meaningful and lasting Trust.

A movement, that connects public sector radicals grappling with these changes – highlighted so well in The Community Paradigmby Adam Lent & Jessica Studdert from NLGN– with the hundreds of change-makers from across the civil, enterprise & business communities that gathered together under the flag of Losing Control 2019a few weeks ago.

We know that across the country our communities want change, they know that the “system is broken”, they want to take back control and gain power and control over their futures.

We know that across the country, within our communities, there are entrepreneurial people  that are stepping up to these challenges as Paul Taylor highlighted in his recent blog If we don’t develop different relationships we’ll lose our legitimacy:

“The modern social entrepreneurs aren’t waiting for permission from regulators or consensus from their industry body. They aren’t bothered about awards or being seen at industry events. They never look at benchmarking. Many of them aren’t even paid or employed in the social sector.

They know that the way we have become organised is dysfunctional – and they are forging ahead with relationships first and services last. They are working with communities as equals rather than as professionals.

They might not know what works yet but they are clear about one thing: not returning down a path to paternalism and disempowerment.

If you’re reading this the (I suspect) you are already part of the movement of eco(system)-warriors making change happen in your community. So where ever you are in this eco-system– citizen, civil society, local or national state, business –share your story of the change you’re making with us all using #civilsocietyfutures & connect with a growing movement of change-makers!

Are we (collectively) brave enough? – Collaborative Funding Infrastructure

Where to start?

Well, I’ve written elsewhere about why Director of London Funders is the best job in London (here). I have shared my initial reflections on the funding community’s response to the recent events in North Kensington (here) – a continuing example of effective collaboration, which I predict will influence the policy and practice of Independent Trusts and Foundations for years to come.

So I will end my time at London Funders where I started many years ago, with an issue that has been at the heart of all of my work over the last 32 years. Collaborative Infrastructure.

I have been privileged to lead two extraordinary collaborative networks, London Funders and Homeless Network, and been involved in many other infrastructure organisations (a few excellent, a few ok, but most not so good if I’m being honest!)

And as regular readers will know, London Funders has been driving (in collaboration with others) an agenda to emphasise the importance of recognising support for civil society and communities across London. This agenda has taken place through The Way Ahead project.

Whilst I’m pleased with everything that London Funders has achieved during my period of stewardship, our work on The Way Ahead is the initiative that I am most proud of. It has shaped and is leading a London-wide collaborative conversation concerning, the value of infrastructure for civil society and communities in London. It is being used by the Mayor and the GLA as a key lens through which this administration is seeking to define its relationship with civil society. It is influencing the work of London Councils, individual boroughs and funders across London. That really is a legacy to be proud of.

So what makes for an effective Collaborative Infrastructure organisation?

I make no claim about original thinking or new insights and have hugely benefited from building on the shoulders of giants over my career (thank you, amongst others, Julia Unwin, Clare Tickell and Steve Wyler) but in my experience, there are three conditions that need to be met:

Mission and Purpose – Not simply about being true to your mission and purpose, it is more fundamental than that. It is that the mission and purpose is not about the constituent parts (funding institutions or homelessness charities), but about the mission and purpose of those constituent parts. Here at London Funders, our mission is “to strengthen and support funders and promote effective funding practices, to meet the needs of Londoners.” At Homeless Network our mission was “improving services for single homeless people in London”.

Purposeful Values and Behaviour – Again, not simply about the values and behaviour that a Collaborative Infrastructure organisation needs to have, but about how those particular values and behaviour are demonstrated and made real. It’s both “talking the talk” and “walking the walk”. For London Funders, these can be seen in our Theory of

Change.

Independence, Transparency and Accountability – The third and final leg of the stool. Transparency and accountability are obvious: transparency about how decisions are made and accountability to the multiplicity of stakeholders that any effective Collaborative Infrastructure organisation needs to pay attention to. Independence is more subtle and nuanced; how is independent scrutiny of your Mission, Purpose, Values and Behaviour achieved? At Homeless Network this was done through a very strong independent governance element. For London Funders, it is also achieved through our governance arrangements, which successfully weave together the different perspectives from across our public, independent and corporate members, into a whole that is much more than simply the sum of the parts.

In London we know that Collaborative Funding Infrastructure is needed and that it works. So my final question is one for the whole funding community – across the rest of the country, are you (collectively) brave enough to invest in yourselves?

David Warner

(Until recently Director at London Funders)

Inspired. Humbled. Angry.

Initial personal reflections from the Grenfell Tower Funding Response

These are three emotions that have been a feature of every waking hour of the last 23 days, after London Funders was asked by the Grenfell Tower Response Team to help. Our role has been to lead on the coordination of the charitable funding response to the tragic events of the 14th June. ^[1]

Inspired – by the way that the funding community across the country has responded with thoughtfulness, energy, imagination and humility. Humbled – by the power of voluntary social action that has been present in the response from the start driven from within and for the community of North Kensington. Angry – that the system we are all part of, that we all have to take responsibility for, failed so catastrophically with such devastating consequences.

All of those involved are aware that the time ahead is going to be long and inevitably difficult. There is much to be done to support the community to rebuild – not just physically and practically.

It is essential that as part of the process we continue to harness those initial emotions and focus on the community at the centre of the event. It is their voices that must be heard at the heart of the process of healing, reflection, reconciliation and rebuilding that is required.

So, having had the opportunity to step back a half-pace, I thought I would share some (very) initial reflections.

I am very aware that during this immediate phase of crisis response a lot of the attention has focused on the unique role that independent trusts and foundations play within the London funding ecology: their ability to invest over decades and to move quickly (when needed); their freedom to operate in a way that many other parts of the ecology can’t (however much they may want to); and their ability to give voice to those needing to speak truth to power. All of these are precious assets that have been used to great effect.

This week also saw the launch of Building Bridges new research from NLGN commissioned by London Funders and supported by City Bridge Trust. Building Bridges calls for independent funders and local authorities to work in better collaboration, putting London’s communities and civil society at the heart of future conversations. It also reinforces the vital role that London Funders plays in bringing together independent funders, local authorities and investors from across London’s diverse funding ecology to think, share, learn and act together.

As we move ahead it is imperative that all the different assets within that ecology, from across the public, social investment, and corporate sectors work together on the ongoing local response, and across London in those places where, like North Kensington, the voice of the community has been lost in the system.

Somebody once said “Crisis moments create opportunity. Problems and crises ignite our greatest creativity and thought leadership as it forces us to focus on things outside the norm.”

^[2]Never has this been more appropriate, as we struggle to comprehend the apparent systemic failures that have led to this tragic injustice.

Systems thinking has been a growing part of the work of London Funders. Already discussions are underway, building on the work that many of us have been doing over the last few years. It is essential that we use this moment in history to redouble our efforts to bring about systemic change that puts people and their communities at the heart of the way we all work, and to amplify the voices of those across the country who, like some of the community of North Kensington, have not been heard for so many years.

That our members were able to mobilise so quickly and effectively was made possible because of the years of groundwork, networking and building collaborative approaches that had already been achieved. It is more important than ever to recognise and celebrate the value of London Funders in providing a safe place to think, share, learn and act together to meet the needs of Londoners. ^[3]

So, my final reflection, for now, is on the work that many of us have been involved in over the last few years. London initiatives like The Way Ahead , London’s Giving, London’s Funding Ecology, Vision for Young Londoners  and wider national initiatives like A Whole New World – Funding and Commissioning in Complexity and Civil Society Futures. These and many others have been helping build the foundations of a bridge towards a future that fuses together the best of the public, private and independent sectors to re-empower communities and to return voice to those who have lost it.

When I went to bed on 13th June I knew this work was important, when I woke up on the 14th June it had become essential.

 

David Warner

11th July 2017

^[1]http://londonfunders.org.uk/trust-and-foundation-funding-and-support-community-groups-affected-grenfell-fire

^[2] Sam Cawthorn – Sam is a thought leader and CEO of Empowering Enterprises and featured in USA Today and The NewYork Times. He is an expert in not only bouncing back but bouncing forward. He is obsessed with corporate and personal turnaround and is the 2009 Young Australian of the Year for Tasmania.

^[3] http://londonfunders.org.uk/

Striving Towards Excellence – a few thoughts on progress (?) towards people-centred services

Striving Towards Excellence (Quality Standards in London’s Single Homelessness Sector) was a report published about 20 years ago by Homeless Network. Penned by the lovely Heather Petch (@HeatherMPetch) and funded by London Boroughs Grants (now incorporated into London Councils) it set out to present the (then) state of play as to how voluntary homelessness agencies were grappling with quality standards and quality service delivery. But more of this in a moment…..

As regular readers will know (yes all 7 of you) Lesley and I are in the process of relocating to the lovely original English seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire. In between work and lawyers, we are decluttering our current home and sifting through 21 years worth of accumulated stuff!

This Bank Holiday weekend it was the turn of the roof space (attic in our case as there is no fixed staircase – in case you were wondering about the distinction between loft and attic) to have its moment in the spotlight. So after 90 minutes of going up and down the ladder, the contents of the attic were piled up in the back bedroom, and two very dusty humans started to de-clutter, assisted by two very amused dogs.  There was a pile for the charity shop, a pile for ‘Freecycle’, a pile of 7 cases of single malt whisky (42 bottles left to be accurate – but that’s worthy of a blog of its own) joining a few other things that are destined to be transported to the seaside, and a pile for the recycle bin/dump.

A copy of  Striving Towards Excellence was placed in the last pile (along with a variety of other annual reports and papers from that period of my career).

Nostalgia kicked in and I decided to have one last skim through, and after a few minutes it went from the dump/recycle pile to the keep and take to Scarborough box. The reason why is very simple: despite it describing a world 20 years in the past the report could be talking about the here and now, albeit the language has changed slightly. Gems like:

“…(the)..review recommended a more client-centered approach based on greater co-ordination amongst all relevant partners…..”

“…….there are some indications that the general public wishes to see more openness and accountability in the charitable sector……..”

“…..getting to the heart of an organisation’s mission and the activities and outcomes required….are critical to the process of ……….achieving quality”

“………….there is some concern…….(that quality) standards would be used to consolidate and rationalise the sector….”

And my personal favourite (something I hear week in and week out):

“Co-ordination of expectations and requirements amongst funders is as much a concern as co-ordination amongst providers in creating more efficient and effective standards of monitoring and evaluation.”

So that’s why it’s travelling to Scarborough, to remind me (in case I ever forget), that the challenge of putting people at the heart of the system, the importance of a relentless focus on mission and impact, and the need for effective collaboration, are as important today as they were 20 years ago, and (I suspect) will be 20 years in the future!

It’s a Whole New World?

Yesterday I attended a launch of a new report and left feeling excited and energised. These are not words that you normally associate with a report launch from a respected academic institution and a social consultancy!

A Whole New World: Funding and Commissioning in Complexity is an excellent piece of new research, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and undertaken by a team from Newcastle University & Collaborate, led by Annabel Knight & Toby Lowe.

It’s exciting because it is starting to scope out the framework of a “new paradigm” of how resources for doing good and affecting social change are allocated and managed. This involves enabling those working at the leading edge of this change to identify a new lens to look through and to shape a new language and narrative to articulate what this change means in practice.

Based on interviews and research involving independent foundations and public service commissioners, it will be of interest to anybody trying to understand the massive re-shaping of the funding ecology currently in-play. This movement in the funding ecology is happening in response to the even more fundamental shifts that are taking place in the relationship between the state, the citizen and the role of civil society.

Reflecting on the discussions and presentations at the launch, I was struck by how much of what was being said was achingly familiar to initiatives and collaborations that I was involved in over 20 years ago, when we were attempting to solve the (then) crisis of rough sleeping.

Collaborations like the Rough Sleepers Initiative, the Homeless Mentally Ill Initiative, and Under One Roof, funded by the Kings Fund to co-locate & co-produce solutions to the needs of homeless people with multiple needs. It seemed to be obvious then, as it still does today, that collaboration, and co-production, plus the leaving of institutional (and personal) egos outside the room and focusing on the needs of homeless people, were all needed to affect change. Or as one contributor put it “followship is as important (if not more so) than leadership”.

So why, 20 years on, does this feel so exciting?

Then it felt that these ideas were at the margins. That the problem of “those people” was so different and complex that they required a quirky, non-mainstream approach to service design and delivery. Now it feels like the rest of the mainstream is waking up to see that our systems, structures and resources need to be woven together differently. That rather than the problem being “those people” the truth is that wherever a person interacts with the system, the system is messy and complex. And that people’s lives are equally messy and complex.

I know that the mainstream has not (yet) fully embraced this way of working; that institutions and people take time to change and adjust, but it does (just) feel like we are reaching a critical mass of like-minded people who finally – are starting to get it!

If that is the case, then it really is a paradigm shift!

David Warner

So if London Funders is one of the best jobs in London, why am I leaving it?

 

 

Being Director of London Funders has been the most enjoyable, stimulating and fun role that I have had in my 32 years of working in the voluntary sector, and it is (in my opinion) one of the best jobs in London’s civil society. So why, if it’s such a great gig, am I leaving it now? The simple answer is that “sometimes in life the planets align, everything links up and your timing is perfect.” And so it is for me, 54 years after being born in Finchley, and having spent all of that time living and working within the M25, I’m bringing forward my preretirement plans and relocating 250 miles to the original English seaside resort of Scarborough. As some of you will know Lesley (my partner) & I discovered Scarborough almost by accident about 15 years ago and started to realise that this could be the place to settle at some point in the future. Two years ago we had an opportunity to test out if we could actually live there; we love it even more now. And then the fun started……… Just 4 weeks ago, on our most recent visit, the dream property came on the market, located just a few minutes’ walk from the cliffs, beach, station & town centre, yet totally hidden away and with amazing west facing views out to the North Yorkshire moors. We viewed it on the Friday, put an offer in on the Saturday, had it accepted on the Monday and by Thursday our own house in London was on the market. A week later that had been sold! So although we are leaving London, London will never leave us. I will be re-entering the consultant/advisor sector, staying actively involved with the work of Toynbee Hall where I am a trustee and Chair of the Finance Committee and, as I said to my Board, my networks radiate out from London so they (you) have not seen the last of me! As well as some portfolio working, and in between walks on the beach and moors with the dogs, I have a massive backlog of books I want to catch up with. I want to reflect on all that I’ve learned over the last 32 years and how I can use it in supporting the next generation of leaders so that perhaps they can learn from the many mistakes (and successes) that I have been part of! Whilst my Chair was understandably surprised (as both he & I had expected to work together for another year or two), both he and the whole Board have been very understanding of my decision. For the next few months, I will be focussing on supporting the Board to recruit my successor, working with the team on the ambitious plans that we have in place to support our members, and continue to be privileged to take part in great conversations and meetings. I don’t intend to say goodbye, as goodbyes are sad, much better to say hello to the next opportunity & adventure. Thanks for all the fish, it’s been a blast!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! 2017 is set to be a year of change, and who knows what major upsets, world events, or indeed personal highlights we will be looking back in 12 months time.

So I’ve decided to start a blog, to provide me with an opportunity to record my refelections on events (dear boy events) as the year unfolds. I have no idea how often I will post, what I will post about or indeed if it will go the way of most (no ok all) of my previous new year resolutions. Which have variously lasted minutes/days/weeks before being consigned to history……..

So as the first week of 2017 draws to a close, I will leave you reflecting on the fact that the sea is cold, the tide is currently high and Lesley is in our Scarborough kitchen making a Dorset apply tray bake (using apples that arrived in North Yorkshire from Brixworth in Northamptonshire) to share with the Sunday Scarborough South Bay sea swimmers on Sunday. Also, be aware, that in two weeks Donald J Trump becomes POTUS………….”such fun”