Conclusions

In conclusion…

Reflecting on all the data and survey responses that we analysed for this edition, these key findings and questions stand out for us:

• There are still insufficient resources going to grassroots community organising work in the UK. Although some funders have taken important steps in directing more money and support towards grassroots organising and social movements (as highlighted in the Foreword), the proportion of funding from leading grantmakers in the UK for this kind of work remains tiny, at c. 0.2% of their total giving. This is despite a strong and growing evidence base demonstrating the critical role organising plays in driving social change and the positive impact it is having in communities today, and the recognition of its importance by many of the funders responding to our survey.
• A significant proportion of social justice grants are still going to service delivery work, rather than to addressing the root causes of injustice. This is even more striking when you look at the funding of thematic issues that are at the forefront of discussions in philanthropy about social justice (e.g. ‘racial justice’, ‘gender justice’, ‘immigration/migration’, and ‘LGBTQIA+ rights’). To tackle injustice head on, funders must invest in the power of the communities directly affected by it, in addition to mitigating the harms they endure.
• A lack of shared, clear strategy amongst progressive funders and a scattershot distribution of grants risks fragmenting attempts to advance social justice. When looking across the 84 funders in this edition of the research, we are left with the impression that they are prioritising support for lots of different organisations, rather than developing and implementing political strategies to build power in the service of social change. This contrasts with the way that the founding fathers of UK philanthropy saw their work, and with how ‘radical right’ funders support their grantees today. Where ‘radical right’ funders have invested in key movement infrastructure for the long-term, we found that very few grantees have received support across all three years of our research. This risks leaving social justice funders picking up the pieces in a political and rhetorical environment that has been stacked against them and their grantees.

We would greatly welcome feedback from readers on how the Civic Power Fund might best help to address these challenges, and also on how this research could be most usefully developed. Please contact us at: contact@civicpower.org.uk