Funder Collaborati on – Is it worth it?The Child Sexual Exploitati on Funders’ Alliance

January 2016

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Funder Collaboration – Is it worth it?

The Child Sexual Exploitation Funders’ Alliance (CSEFA) is a group of 12 charitable fundersi who came together in 2012 to bring about a step change in the way child sexual exploitation is dealt with in the UK. Specifically, they wanted to see responses to child sexual exploitation positioned as an integral part of mainstream safeguarding.

CSEFA members believe that by bringing together funders’ knowledge, reach, resources and time, more has been achieved than would have been the case had the funders worked individually. As such, in this context, funder collaboration is definitely worth it. In the spirit of learning, and for the benefit of others interested in funder collaboration, this short paper sets out CSEFA’s key features, benefits and challenges.

1. The collaboration

• Expert strategy and evaluation:FundersareworkingtowardsasharedstrategydevelopedbyexpertresearchersattheUniversityofBedfordshire,ledbyProfessorJennyPearce.iiAllofthefundedprojectsarecontributingtothisevaluation.

• Decision-making:PotentialprojectsarecollectivelyidentifiedbyCSEFA,inlinewiththeagreedstrategy.Theprojectsaretheninvitedtoapplytospecificfundersindividually,withfunderscontinuingtousetheirownapplication,decision-makingandmonitoringprocesses.Fundersarealignedinpurposebuttheyareindependentintermsofprocess.

• Open membership:CSEFAoperatesanopenpolicy,enablingnewmemberstojoininlinewiththeirowncharitableobjectsandgrantspolicies.MemberssignaMemorandumofUnderstanding,outliningthecollaborationparameters.Otherfundersarewelcometojoinmeetingsandpapersarecirculatedviaanonlineplatform.iii

• Lean administration:AcoregroupoffundershasledCSEFA,andthewidermembershipmeetseverytwomonthstoreviewprogressandplanahead.Paperworkiskepttoaminimumandthereisnopaidsecretariat;responsibilityforchairing,minutingandorganisingmeetingshasbeensharedbythecoregroupandhasrotatedaccordingtocapacity.Whilethishasnotbeenwithoutitschallenges,ithasnothinderedCSEFA’soperations.

• Policy:AsCSEFA’sworkhasprogressed,sotoohasrecognitionoftheskillsandtimeneededtodeveloprelevantandvitalpolicyandadvocacywork.CSEFAhasthereforealsofundedapolicypositionwithintheUniversityofBedfordshire,toenablekeyanalysisandmessagestobesynthesisedandsharedwithdifferentaudiences.

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2. Benefits

• Amount and reach of grants awarded:38grantstotallingc.£6.4millionhavebeenmadetosupport16voluntarysectorprojectsacrossEnglandworkinginthefieldofchildsexualexploitation.ThisincludesexpansionintoareasthatpreviouslyhadlimitedornoservicesavailablesuchasSussexandNorthYorkshire.Inthemajorityofcases,fundingtermsareforthreeyears;afeaturewelcomedbygrantees.

• Speed of response:Asfundingwasalignedratherthanpooled,CSEFAwasabletomovequickly,whichwasimportantintermsofseizingthemomentonatopicalissue.Fundersbeingabletoretaintheirowngrant-makingprocessesmayalsohavesupportedfasterdecision-making.

• In-depth evaluation:Workingseparately,funderswouldnothavebeenabletofundsuchanexpertandextensiveevaluation.Theevaluationfieldworkisprovidingvaluableinsightintohowtheprojectsareoperatingontheground;theevaluationitselfwillproviderobustevidencefortheprojectstousewhenmakingacaseforfunding,aswellasinformationforpolicymakers.Fundershavealsohadstrongerconfidenceinthedecisionstheymakeinthiscomplex(and,forsome,unfamiliar)fieldbecausethesedecisionsareunderpinnedbyanexpert-ledstrategyandevaluation.

• Shared learning (for funders):KnowledgeofhowtofundworkrelatedtochildsexualexploitationhasbeensharedacrossthreetimestheoriginalnumberoffundersthatinitiatedCSEFA.WorkingwiththeUniversityofBedfordshirehasensuredthat:fundingdecisionshavebeenbasedonevidenceabouttheneedsofchildrenandyoungpeopleandthatfundersarewell-informedaboutvoluntarysectorworkaroundchildsexualexploitation.

• Shared learning (for grantees):TheUniversityofBedfordshirehasfacilitatedanannuallearningeventbetweenalloftheprojectsfundedaspartofthecollaboration;somethingthatisunlikelytohappenwithindividualgrants.Granteeshavebenefitedfromintroductionstootherfunderswhohavealreadymadethedecisiontomakealignedgrantsaroundthisissueaswellasintroductionstootherpractitioners.

• Diversity of funders:CSEFAhasattractedalargeanddiversegroupoffunders(size,type,geography,focus);bothscaleanddiversityoffundingprioritiesarethoughttobecriticaltoimplementingthestrategy.ivTheloosestructurehasenabledCSEFAtorespondtothedifferingconstraints/needsofitsmembers,andtheamountoftimecommitmentrequiredofmembershasbeensmall.

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3. Challenges

• Grantee experience – ‘Living with a faulty system’:Granteesdescribedthefamiliarexperienceofhavingmultiplefunderswithdifferentapplication,reportingprocessesandtimelines.WhiletheydidnotnecessarilywantCSEFAtodivertresourcesintoaddressingthisproblem,theydidsuggestthatsmallorganisationsneededextrasupportandflexibility.Therehavebeensomeexamplesoffundersagreeingtoshareprocesses,butsuchprogresshasbeenlimited:‘It takes time to trust each other’s systems’.

• Diverse experience and expectations:Arrivingatasharedunderstandingofwhatisanappropriatepolicy,advocacyandcommunicationsroleforindependentfundersinafastmovingcontext,wasunlikelytobestraightforward,particularlyforthosewithapublicfacingroleandaccountability.Inresponsetothischallenge,thefunderswhohadpolicyandadvocacyexperiencetookthelead,and,asdescribedabove,apolicypositionwascreated.

• Establishing structures:Inmanyways,havingaloosestructurehasbenefitedCSEFA’sworkthoughithasreliedonacoregroupdrivingtheworkforward.Establishingwheretighterstructuresaregoingtobenecessaryhasbeenachallenge,andwillcontinuetobeunderreviewasCSEFAmovesintoanewphase.

• Context and flexibility:InthethreeyearssinceCSEFA’sinception,thecontextofthisworkhaschangeddramatically,drivenlargelybythehighprofilemediacasesofchildsexualexploitation.Manystatutoryauthoritiesareinvestingmoreinthisarea.ForCSEFA,whilethisismostwelcome,italsohighlightstheneedtocontinuallyreflectuponandreviewtheoriginalstrategy,relevanceoftheworkandwaysforward.

4. Conditions for successful collaboration

• Respect:ThecultureofCSEFAisrespectful,trustingandcalmwithamarkedabsenceofegotism.Everyoneiswelcomeandcanfindaplaceatthetableandarolewithinthegroup.Aspiritofmutualaccountability,sharedresponsibilityandarespectfulattitudetotheirinstitutionaldifferencesmeanthatmembersareabletoquestiononeanother.A‘habit of positive communication’makesiteasytodiscussdifficultissueswhentheyarise.

• Focus:CSEFAhas,fromtheoutset,hadasharedplan–intheformofastrategy–whichhasenabledthemtoaligntheirfunding,specifyboundariesandsetpriorities.MembersunderlinethatCSEFAisonlyasgoodasitsstrategyandacknowledgethatmaintainingfocusonthatstrategyiscriticaltoitssuccess.iv

• Leadership:AllthoseinvolvedinCSEFAwereconsciousthatevenasuccessfulcollaborationneedsconstantattention(‘collaboration management’)aswellaschampionswiththevisiontodriveitforward.CSEFAhasbeenchairedskilfullyinwaysthatweredescribedasflexible,accommodatingandpragmatic.Meetingsarepurposefulandwellattended.

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5. Where next?

• TheUniversityofBedfordshireisevaluatingtheworkfundedbyCSEFAandhasrecentlyreportedontheCSEFA’ssecondyear;afinalreportwillbepublishedin2017.TheUniversityofBedfordshirewillalsoproducepolicyandpracticalresourcesbuildingontheexperience.

• Overthenextcoupleofyearstherewillbeknowledgesharingandevaluationdisseminationevents.

About this paper

ThispaperisbasedonaseriesofstudiesconductedbytheInstituteforVoluntaryActionResearch(IVAR)tosupportthedevelopmentofCSEFA.Weinterviewedrepresentativesofthe12independenttrustsandfoundationsthatmakeupCSEFA,firstin2014andagainin2015.Alsoin2015,weinterviewedthefirsteightorganisationstohavereceivedgrantfundingthroughCSEFA.TheseinterviewswerecomplementedbyareviewofCSEFA’sgovernancedocumentsandinterviewswiththeChairoftheExpertReferenceGroupandwiththePrincipalInvestigatorattheUniversityofBedfordshire.TheresearcherswereLeilaBaker,CharlotteHennessyandCharlottePace.

If you are interested in hearing more about the collaboration first hand or are interested in becoming involved then please contact:

Cullagh Warnock cullaghwarnock@blueyonder.co.uk

Debbie Walmsley d.walmsley@comicrelief.com

Katherine Brown kbrown@henrysmithcharity.org.uk

For more information about the evaluation please contact:

Julie Harris julie.harris@beds.ac.uk

iTheBarrowCadburyTrust,BBCChildreninNeed,TheBigLotteryFund,TheBlagraveTrust,TheBromleyTrust,ComicRelief,TheEsméeFairbairnFoundation,TheHenrySmithCharity,LankellyChaseFoundation,NorthernRockFoundation,SamworthFoundationandTrustforLondon

iiThestrategy‘Child Sexual Exploitation: Funding for the Future, University of Bedfordshire’supportedbytheCSEFAwasdevelopedbyProfessorJennyPearceattheUniversityofBedfordshire.SheandhercolleaguescontinuetoadviseCSEFA.TheimplementationofCSEFA’sstrategystartedinSeptember2013.ItisoverseenbyanExpertReferenceGroup,chairedbytheDeputyChildren’sCommissioner,SueBerelowitz.

iiiCSEFAusesanonlineplatformprovidedbyAriadne,whichisaEuropeanpeer-to-peernetworkofmorethan400fundersandphilanthropistswhosupportsocialchangeandhumanrights.

ivThisechoesoneofthefindingsofthereviewoftheCorstonIndependentFunders’Coalitionwhichidentifiedtheimportanceofhaving‘a diverse group of funders and a critical mass with sufficient funds to make things happen’, Kaufmann, J. (2011) Funders in Collaboration: A review of the Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition (CIFC),London:CASSBusinessSchool.

vMaintainingvisionisacommonchallengeforcollaborativeworking.See,forexample,IVAR(2011) Thinking about collaboration,London:IVAR