OUR RISK APPROACH IN PRACTICE

Introduction

In the first blog of our series on risk, we explored the concept of risk and how traditional risk management approaches often fall short in the context of social change. We shared our approach to risk at The Social Change Nest, highlighting our commitment to a living, trauma-informed, and human-centred approach.

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at how these principles are put into practice, with a case study that illustrates our approach, demonstrating how we support changemakers working in areas traditionally seen as ‘high-risk’ and ensure their vital work continues safely and effectively. 

Our Principles in Practice

Our principles and risk appetite are not just things we have written down and stored away.  They shape all our actions and decisions. This includes actively supporting areas and work traditionally seen as “high-risk” as we believe that not doing so poses a greater risk to civil society and social justice than supporting the work itself.Our commitment to these areas reflects our belief that effective risk management must include addressing the root causes of societal issues. 

Case Study: Supporting RAWA

One area where we’ve put our trauma-informed approach into practice is supporting RAWA to distribute grants in Palestine. Our standard due diligence process for international grant distribution uses some traditional methods of verifying identity and activity of grant recipients. After speaking with RAWA, we realised that we needed to adapt this given the context of the work and geographical area. Working together, we co-designed a due diligence process that respects the local environment, using community verification and flexible documentation methods to ensure thorough but context-sensitive checks. We prioritised a trauma-informed and human-centred approach, allowing us to support RAWA’s vital work without compromising the safety and trust of the communities involved.

By staying true to our risk management principles, we have not only supported RAWA in distributing grants effectively, but also avoided compromising the safety and trust of communities involved. This approach has enabled us to navigate complex environments more effectively, maintain high standards of accountability and transparency, and continue to support positive change and social justice. 

Conclusion

Understanding and managing risk is an evolving journey. We have created a risk management approach in fiscal hosting that focuses on the broader impact on civil society, underpinned by our belief that taking calculated risks can create space for much-needed social change and innovation. 

However, risk management can never be an end in itself. Our role as a fiscal host is to hold the risk alongside, and sometimes on behalf of, others. This can and does lead to all sorts of complications from the mundane challenge of finding the right insurance to the psychologically complex othering of self manifested in contract law and interpersonal arguments. It throws into question who really holds the liability, mitigation and responsibility within this work. Our next blog will explore where this usually sits and where and how we can challenge it to avoid perpetuating unhelpful power dynamics.