WHAT DO GRASSROOTS GROUPS NEED TO THRIVE?

Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with over 500 social change groups and movements. A few weeks ago I spoke about my experience alongside the Greater London Authority at the London Funders Festival of Learning.

What I’ve seen over the last two years is that grassroots groups are extremely resilient. In circumstances where groups face difficulties – such as insufficient funding, lack of volunteers, or bureaucratic constraints – they respond with care and innovation.

However, there are times when these barriers mean that groups have no choice but to disband and put a stop to their vital work. The Social Change Nest, along with our sister organisation, The Social Change Agency, are working on figuring out what support groups need to continue to thrive. 

Pressures on grassroots groups

We live in what many call ‘unprecedented times’. Concurrent crises – from the pandemic, to climate change, to severe inflation – led the World Economic Forum to describe our current climate as a ‘polycrisis’. Grassroots groups are a vital part of the effort to tackle these crises. We know that communities on the ground are often well-placed to make real, long-lasting change, and often go further with their funds than large institutions and organisations.

In my time working with grassroots groups, I’ve seen over and over the impact that they have. From testing alternative economic models of redistribution by providing support to trans, intersex and nonbinary people in Wales, to holistic approaches to the climate crisis.

But too often groups run up against challenges that make it hard for them to exist…

• There are fewer grant opportunities which means less money is available for groups and there is increased competition.
  
  
• Funding is becoming more thematic meaning grassroots organisations that respond to community needs, rather than adhere to a particular type of work are often left out.
  
  

• Grant periods are reflective of the size of the grant rather than the size of the organisation. The proportional impact of grant spending and administrative requirements is greater for small organisations – grassroots groups tend to need longer and more flexible funding periods. 
  
  
• Groups don’t have the structures most funders want to see which limits the number of funding opportunities they can apply for.
  
  
• There is a heavy administrative burden placed on groups in terms of applying for grants, and then once successful, reporting on their spending and impact.
  
  
• There is a lack of support for organisations once the funding period has ended, which threatens their long term sustainability.

These constraints are putting a stop to grassroots efforts before they’ve even had a chance to grow and flourish. In a social, economic and environmental climate that needs social groups and movements more than ever, it’s up to funders and other civil society organisations to tend to their roots so they are able to survive. 

How can funders protect the grassroots? 

From our combined experience of running the Mutual Aid Fund and the Community Leaders in Motion programmes, we’ve seen what supportive and flexible funding can do to protect and strengthen these roots. Some of the things we’ve found to be most successful are: 

• Investing in on-the-ground community organisers and representatives to make opportunities more accessible and help reach underrepresented groups.
  
  
• Focusing on dedicated, long-term wraparound support and relationship building, so that after the granting period, groups have the capacity and networks to be sustainable.
  
  
• Having minimal reporting and application requirements to alleviate the administrative burden placed on groups that are already stretched.
  
  
• Being flexible with grant timelines and understanding that things change, which gives groups the breathing room to re-strategise and deliver.
  
  
• Create spaces for groups to network and share learnings.

Beyond Funding: Tilling the Soil 

Funding is essential, but it’s not the only thing that grassroots groups need to thrive. At The Social Change Nest, we’re focused on creating the fertile ground for the grassroots, where even one person with a seed of an idea can be supported to make it happen.

One of the key ways we do this is through our fiscal hosting service. This is where we hold money on behalf of groups and support them to manage it, so they can get on with doing the important stuff. By doing this, groups can grow at a pace that suits them, rather than feeling like they need to rush into becoming a registered charity in order to access funds or a bank account, and create strong foundations. 

We also do this through providing admin support such as process hosting, payroll, capacity-building and consultancy support, to help groups develop organisational strategies and navigate campaigning or communications challenges.

Living in the polycrisis can often feel overwhelming. With so many concurrent issues to tackle, it can be hard to know where to start and sometimes feel a bit hopeless, especially when you’re guilty of ‘doom scrolling’ (like me!). However, working with so many amazing groups has made me feel hopeful for the future and for our ability to collectively combat the challenges we face through care, innovation, and a healthy amount of rule breaking. We just need to make sure we’re creating the right conditions for the grassroots to thrive. 

We’re launching a Funders Working Group for actors right across the sector that want to hear more about our work and how best to support grassroots groups. Click here to sign up.