The radically reimagined funding of social issues
Impact on Urban Health have partnered with The Ubele Initiative to co-design a grant-making system that enables grantees to have a voice on how grants are invested to address social issues; such as the health equity and safety of Black and racially minoritised communities in Lambeth and Southwark.
The IOUH Safety social Lab started in summer 2022, with leaders of 18 Black and racially minoritised community organisations that deliver “safety net” services in the two boroughs, forming a learning coalition. The purpose of the social experiment was to co-design a grant making system that enables community organisations to have voice in how grants are invested to tackle social issues in Black and racially minoritised communities.
After 15 months of learning activities, which included participation in interactive workshops, learning journeys, and deep analysis, the learning coalition identified three leverage areas for formulating solutions, the first of which is the ‘Radically re-imagining funding of social issues’.
About
Background
Impact on Urban Health have partnered with The Ubele Initiative to co-design a grant-making system that enables grantees to have a voice on how grants are invested to address social issues; such as the health equity and safety of Black and racially minoritised communities in Lambeth and Southwark.
Benefits
The Grant Funding Draft System (GFDS) is designed to shift from a competitive, hierarchical model of funding to a cooperative, ecosystem-driven approach. This system fosters collaboration between funders and frontline organisations, ensuring that funding decisions are driven by the needs of the communities and not solely by market competition.
Why GFDS?
By moving from a hierarchical “them” and “us” 'ego-system' model, to one of common intention, transformation and 'eco-system' based funding, the GFDS offers us the opportunity to address structural weaknesses of the existing and arguably broken funding system.
Join us in prototyping GFDS
Funders & Grant Partners
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The places that we grow up, live and work impact how healthy we are. Urban areas, like inner-city London, have some of the most extreme health outcomes. Alongside their vibrancy and diversity sit stark health inequalities.
At Impact on Urban Health, we want to change this. We believe that we can remove obstacles to good health, by making urban areas healthier places for everyone to live.
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The London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark are our home. They are some of the most diverse areas in the world. It is here that we invest, test, and build our understanding of how cities can be shaped to support better health. We’re focused on a few complex health issues that disproportionately impact people living in cities, and we work with local, national and international organisations, groups and individuals to tackle these.
Our place is like so many others. So we share our insight, evidence and practical learning to improve health in cities around the world. Impact on Urban Health is a part of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation.
Project Steering Group
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Adrian Jones
Adrian founded YourStory in 2003 to holistically help young people across all aspects of their development and growth.
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Margaret Pierre
Margaret brings over 25 years of experience in the third sector and is a consultant specializing in community engagement, leadership coaching, and organisational change.
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Chris Dusu FCCA
A Principal Associate of Impact Accountants, he acts as the Reporting Accountant of the Damilola Taylor Trust, one of the firm’s charity clients.
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Damilola Taylor Trust
The Damilola Taylor Trust (DTT) is committed to providing inner-city youths with opportunities to play, learn and their lives free of fear and violence, and with optimism for a future where opportunities flourish.
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Respeito
We are Respeito, a charity that works to end domestic abuse in the Portuguese speaking community in the UK.
Get in Touch
For more information about GFDS or how to become a project partner.