IVAR

In late June we hosted an informal discussion about leadership and how things have changed since Covid-19. We asked Segun,

All the italicised quotes here are taken from members of the Evaluation Roundtable Community of Practice – staff with lead

Since April, we have facilitated a series of peer support sessions for Volunteer Coordinators from NHS Trusts. Through these sessions,

How accountable are you to the individuals and groups that you are set up to support? Not very, according to

We recently hosted a conversation for small charities with those who fund and support them, to explore their social change

So, you’re feeling ill, it’s the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown, you don’t speak English and your mobile phone is

Since April, over 70 leaders from healthcare, VCSE and local authorities have joined IVAR and SEUK-run peer support groups, sharing

15 weeks ago, we proposed five principles to guide funders in rising to the challenge of the unfolding Covid-19 crisis:

Covid-19 has been like a viral version of globalisation. It’s the import and export of a deadly virus that pays

Over the past 11 weeks, we’ve hosted peer support sessions for over 180 VCSE leaders across the UK. We’re publishing

The welfare of their workforce How can they protect staff morale and wellbeing? How can they prevent staff burnout during

Recognising the tremendous pressure that health, VCSE and local authority leaders are under as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak,

A group of Cumbria Funders supporting community-led emergency response work share their deliberations over what a sustained response to Covid-19

Coronavirus or Covid-19 has brought both challenges and amazing new opportunities for our volunteers here at East Sussex Healthcare NHS

Poppy Osman, a volunteer at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust: ‘My name is Poppy and I’m currently volunteering in the

Fizz McNally, a volunteer at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust: ‘I’m Fizz, I’m 19 and I’m a young volunteer in

Joanna Holmes is Co-Director of Wellspring Settlement which was formed out of a merger in February 2020 between Barton Hill Settlement and Wellspring

Leah Swain is CEO of Community First Yorkshire, which was formed out of a merger in 2017 between North Yorkshire &

Laurie Rackind is CEO of JAMI (Jewish Association for Mental Illness), which merged with Jewish Care in 2012: Isolation and

Ben Hughes was CEO of bassac which, in 2011, merged with Development Trusts Association to form Locality: I remember being asked

This blog is complemented by a series of practitioner perspectives. IVAR has learned much over the last two decades about

This blog shares four perspectives of practitioners who have led merger processes. We asked them to share their reflections for

Over the past 15 months, we’ve been supporting grassroots, community-based grant-making in each of the four home nations through Comic

POP+ has just run a survey of how charities, social enterprises and grassroots groups have been affected by Covid-19. I

The Sir George Martin Trust is based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and was established in 1956 by my father-in-law’s uncle

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, we have been scouring our collective histories (of research as well as lived

Since the beginning of this crisis, we have been drawing on conversations with VCSE organisations and with individual foundations across

Funders across the UK are busy adapting their processes to better support their grantees and the wider sector in the

The outbreak of the coronavirus in the UK presents a shock that is without precedent for most of us. It

I blogged on Wednesday about the simple, immediate actions that funders can take – and many are already taking –

Last week, IVAR and London Funders issued a joint blog on what was learned from the funding response to the Grenfell

In 2018, IVAR and London Funders published a report looking at the key features of funders’ grant-making responses to the

Is the charity landscape increasingly blighted by silos and run by egos? Silos mean lots of people are working in

Stainsacre is a Yorkshire village 2 miles from Whitby where transport via bus has stopped due to cutbacks. This has

Our recent studies The possible, not the perfect and Duty to Care? observed that ‘too much caution can narrow the

In June 2019, a team of Tudor Trust staff and trustees visited Hartlepool to test out a way of paring

The Center for Evaluation, based in Washington DC, have pioneered a “learning habits” approach to becoming a learning organisation. In

From the outset, the Trust was designed as a spend-out organisation. From day one, we have been planning for closure.

In order to change the culture within a health and care system, health, voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors (VCSE)

Vita Terry (IVAR Senior Researcher) reflects on using film to document the process and progress of an intergenerational dance project

Reporting on grants is an important but often difficult part of the relationship between the funder and funded organisation. However,

At Coast and Vale Community Action, through our Totally Socially project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, we have

Streetlife took part in our Duty to Care? research project. We asked them about their recent experience of working with

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit took part in our Duty to Care? research project. We asked them about their recent

Culpeper Community Garden took part in our Duty to Care? research project. We asked them about their recent experience of

Rotherfield St Martin took part in our Duty to Care? research project. We asked them about their recent experience of

Katherine Low Settlement (KLS) is a multi-purpose charity in Battersea, South West London, which provides services to build stronger communities

What is it like to hear how others perceive your approach to learning? Pears Foundation and Corra Foundation have kindly

Totally Socially is an excellent example of how local infrastructure organisations are supporting voluntary and community groups to thrive. The

We approached our study into whether ‘tech’ is imaginable and usable for small voluntary organisations in three phases, where each

Our recent research Start somewhere highlighted four things for funders of small voluntary organisations to think about:     If

In our recent study looking at helping to make technology imaginable and usable for small voluntary organisations, we created a

As part of our recent review of the Wellcome Trust’s Public Engagement Fund, we have been thinking about what it

The NHS Long Term plan this year made a commitment to supporting young people to volunteer in health settings –

Two months into my first role in the Trusts and Foundations sector I found myself standing in Two Temple Place,

The concept is simple; give people the opportunity to have a Health MOT in a friendly, safe environment and provide

Anne Dannerolle, CEO of Hull Community Church, was part of a group of funded organisations and funders who developed the

On Tuesday, Dan Paskins shared why he believes all funders should be thinking about continuation funding. Ben Cairns, IVAR Director,

Charities or community organisations receiving a grant will almost inevitably confront a dilemma.  At the point of receiving their grant,

Yesterday, Suraj Vadgama (Product Lead at CAST) shared three things that stand out from his data visualisation to explore themes

At the beginning of summer I produced a data visualisation to explore different themes in grant funding. Something that felt

The challenges of embedding volunteering are well-documented – from the shifting sands of voluntary services to staff perceptions and the

It’s one thing to decide that you want to work with young volunteers, but where do you start and how

When we spoke to small charities across the UK about the work that they do, as part of The value

At Refugee Action, we value the opportunity to report on the impact of our work to our funders. We want

Just try saying the word ‘accountability’ in your community organisation. Even the sound of it can make us think of

Community services in County Durham and Darlington are changing, with a renewed focus on integration. To support this, the three

Law and human rights based approaches can be important tools for civil society. They can provide the means to tackle

At the Blagrave Trust, we are passionate about ensuring that we do everything we can to increase the effectiveness of

Grant reporting is broken. Can we fix it? May 2018 Blogs ‘Funder-led. Bureaucratic. Time-consuming. Misunderstood.’ These are words used to

Senior Researcher May 2018 News We have an exciting opportunity for a creative, analytical and driven individual to join our

New resource for voluntary and community organisations January 2018 Jane Hatfield Blogs Today, we launch a new area of our

How will I know if it’s the right thing to do? January 2018 Blogs We asked the leaders of three

Forget about the strategy, business plan and theory of change: start with what you want to do and why January

‘My hope is that once and for all, progress is made’ October 2017 Maggie Sanderson Blogs Maggie Sanderson is a

What it’s like to be under the microscope October 2017 Gina Crane | Communications and Learning Manager at Esmée Fairbairn

The secret to collaborative funding in practice? Relationships, trust, time and reflection. October 2017 Blogs To celebrate the publication of

Council and Funder Collaboration: Islington’s story October 2017 Helen Kersley | Programme Director at the Cripplegate Foundation Blogs In 2012,

Moving into research August 2017 Katie Turner Blogs Katie, one of our Senior Researchers, recently contributed to the Social Research

Dear Social Investor, June 2017 Leila Baker, Niamh Goggin Blogs It’s been six months since we first published our research

The power of small actions in grassroots regeneration April 2017 Blogs What brings communities together and enables them to take

Katherine Low Settlement – ‘Supporting the people of Wandsworth for over 90 years’ March 2017 Blogs In conversation with Aaron

Pembrokeshire People First – ‘Our aim is to one day become redundant’ March 2017 Blogs Through our work we get

Refugee and Migrant Centre – ‘We deliver services in over 40 languages’ Wolverhampton, Black Country and Birmingham March 2017 Blogs

The Floating Classroom – ‘Shamefully these experiences are becoming a luxury’ The last 12 months have not been easy but

Learning in responsive grant making – Thinking out loud February 2017 Houda Davis Blogs ‘Good learning’ – useful, thorough and

Volunteering and early childhood outcomes: an evidence review Read the story behind the research January 2017 Leila Baker Blogs Hats

Taking a strategic learning approach to evaluation January 2017 Blogs Nick Wilsdon, Learning & Evaluation Manager at the National Foundation