Investing in Resilience: 2-Year funding support for sustainable impact

The Leeds Fund is Leeds Community Foundation’s flagship grants programme. Established in 2016, the fund was created in response to the increase in demand for funding from grassroots Community Organisations delivering vital services. The fund has addressed issues including mental health, loneliness and inclusion and enterprise and employability. Since 2021 the fund has focused on resilience, providing vital financial investment and strategic support to ensure the long-term sustainability and survival of Community Organisations, so they are in the best shape possible to do what they do best – help local people. 

 

Why resilience? 

Thousands of people in our city rely on local Community Organisations for necessities and opportunities, including skills, education, health, culture and employment. In recent years, the pandemic and the rising cost of living have tested the resilience of Community Organisations, with demand increasing alongside bills, and donations falling. It’s vital that these organisations have strong foundations, so they can be there for our communities for years to come. Without them, our city wouldn’t be as inclusive, and inequalities would be even wider. 

 

What is resilience? 

The Charities Aid Foundation has developed six characteristics of organisational resilience. These are: 

• • • • understanding what your purpose is, and just as importantly, what it isn’t 

• • • • being financially and operationally fit with sufficient income from a diverse range of sources 
      • being able to identify and communicate the need that you meet and the impact that you have 
      • having effective leadership with trustees and executives who take time to talk about the bigger picture rather than focus solely on day-to-day matters 
      • being well networked and able to get support from and work in partnership with others 
      • having an awareness of the political, economic, local and national context in which you work, regularly horizon scanning for challenges, threats and opportunities 

 

What did the fund provide? 

In 2021, The Leeds Fund invested £540,000 in 18 Community Organisations. Alongside grants of £30,000 over 2 years, the fund also provided a range of additional support, including 1:1 action-planning sessions, leadership and culture workshops, impact practice surgeries and finance sessions. 

A further two rounds of the programme have been awarded since, with 18 organisations receiving funding in 2022, and 14 in 2023. 

 

What did the first round of programme achieve? 

The programme gave busy leaders and teams the support and resources to:  

• • • • reflect on their successes and understand what makes them resilient 
      • unpick challenges to understand root causes that may be holding them back 

• • • • identify priority development objectives to support long term resilience 
      • plan and work towards achieving these objectives 
      • learn and adapt throughout the programme 

 

Reported outcomes from the 18 Community Organisations funded in 2021 include: 

• • • • a clearer sense of identity, purpose and direction 
      • improved and strengthened governance 
      • stronger teams, better equipped staff and volunteers 
      • improved efficiency through new and better systems and the use of technology 
      • better networked organisations more engaged in meaningful partnerships 

• • • • financially stronger organisations 
      • improved understanding and evidencing of impact 
      • enabling impact for people and communities 

 

One organisation, Flourishing Families, said “The outstanding difference for us as a result of this programme is that we are a transformed organisation! We have a far stronger sense of direction and moving forward together, with greater alignment and capacity. We are growing and have the internal infrastructure to not only cope with this growth but also to encourage it… We are absolutely thrilled with the impact that the programme has had on Flourishing Families and even more delighted by the ever-increasing number of families in Leeds whose lives are being changed for good.” 

 

What’s next? 

We’ll be checking in with some of the organisations funded by the first round of resilience-focused grants to see what impact the funding has had on their organisation in the longer term. In the meantime, the second round of organisations are a year into their grants and are beginning to see some real change, while the third round are identifying their priority areas and forming action plans. 

 

 

As our flagship programme, The Leeds Fund provides vital funding to support the long-term sustainability and survival of Community Organisations, so they are in the best shape possible to do what they do best – help local people. 

By supporting The Leeds Fund, you will enable us to give out more grants to Community Organisations in our city, making sure people get the help they need when they need it the most. Together, we can be a lifeline for communities in Leeds. 

Find out how you can play your part at leedscf.org.uk/the-leeds-fund