CIH conference

CIH conference

Working through ... Working through ...

community planningcommunity planning

Alison SeabrookeChief Executive

The Community Development Foundation (CDF) is a charity and a social enterprise passionate about helping communities.

We are about people and place. We promote creative joined up thinking to influence change that can make a big difference for people and where they live.

We strengthen local voices, help shape communities and change lives.

40+ years’ experience

About CDF

Continuing endorsement of community involvement but ...

New context 5 years on ... engagement ... empowerment ... Big Society ..

Tensionsstate funded vs state independencemaking decisions on resourcesuse of volunteersbig business vs community roots (particularly housing)

Context

Practice work – getting realhttp://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/search?q=sELF%20HELPhttp://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/publication?id=343287

Grassroots groups active in communities, several policy areassome proxy measures for social capitalservice provision

History of engagement

For 39% the Grassroots grant was their first grant from any source

Three quarters (74%) of groups had originally formed to meet a need in the local community, and 55% had been set up to target a specific group within the community

89% of funded groups defined themselves as local not-for-profit organisations and/or community groups. Only 25% were registered charities

24 percent of groups had been established for over 35 years, while 23% had formed since 2005 (30,000 recipients over programme)

73% of funded groups had annual turnovers of less than £10,000

Grassroots Grants

Localism bill: rights to bid, buy, challenge …

Reform of planning: new spaces and opportunities

Targeted funding: Community Organisers stimulating actionCommunity First

matching local action in £philanthropy

Shift in funding mechanisms and expectations to collaborate; charge; measure

Policy framework

A raft of recent research and briefing papers undertaken andproduced by the Third Sector Research Centre.

http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/Research/ServiceDeliverySD/Housing/tabid/614/Default.aspx

‘Together for Communities’ a CLG funded project to develop partnerships between housing associations and community anchor organisations.http://hact.org.uk/opportunity-agenda-together-for-communities

A recent ResPublica report ‘Housing at the Crossroads’http://www.respublica.org.uk/articles/respublica-launches-new-report-%E2%80%9C-crossroads-progressive-future-housing-associations%E2%80%9D-0

Housing’s a hot policy topic

Making the case for investment

Grassroots Grants 2008 – 2009: 3384 volunteers, 1057 as a direct result of the Programme; hours contributed (2009 minimum wage) £3,679,792 (all volunteers) and £780,626 (GG volunteers)

Local decision-making Big LocalCommunity First

Harnessing action

Need for support ... even more somore with lessdifferent / difficult funding environment

New forms of investment funding opportunities – social investment

Competition – internal and external

Survival of the fittest ... but what about equalities?

Key challenges

For communities

Paid for delivery – look at your assets

Co-operation vs protectionism

Consider social investment loans as well as grantsCDF looking to broker and build confidencehelps scrutinise delivery model; recycles

funders’ money

Build in light-touch impact / outcome measurement CDF preparing suite of appropriate tools,

training, seminars

Solutions

SolutionsFor funders local authorities, trusts, foundations, housing

bodies

Consider social investment loans as well as grantsCDF’s experience to broker and build confidence; helps scrutinise delivery model; recycles funders’ money; encourages entrepreneurship; tackles unfair lending

CDF cost-effective management and/or administration of grants and loans (and endowment raising)

Gather strategic information identify priorities, existing action, gaps CDF preparing suite of appropriate tools

Community planning, local decision-making, new investment forms

Big Local Trust; Community First

Community planning has to be about a range of thingsStrategic and operationalVirtual and hands-onIdentifies broad or single issuesUnderstanding different perspectivesMoney, time, support – cost effective and

long-term

Increased involvement

national organisation, delivering locally – community outcome-focused, not sector specific

managing accessible grants;experience of working with local funders including development of endowments

training for frontline staff on community engagement and empowerment, including implications of Big Society, Localism Bill, social impact, social investment, new forms of local support and funding

strategic advice on addressing challenges of developing their roles as enabler, investors, funders, service providers and capacity builders.

How can CDF help?

[email protected]

Barry [email protected] 812 5427

Contacts