Across the UK, many funders are working in areas that overlap with government priorities - from neighbourhood health to children with special educational needs, and employment support. Many foundation strategies overlap with the government Missions which include “Opportunity” (children and young people) and “Safer Streets” (Violence against Women and Girls and knife crime).
New structures like the Civil Society Council and initiatives such as the Future Governance Forum's Social Insights Panel are creating fresh opportunities for civil society and philanthropy to connect with government decision-making. And an increase in place-based giving has led to more joint working between foundations and local authorities.
But the practical challenges remain significant. How easy is it for independent foundations to analyse the system they are trying to improve - including what is already being funded by government or raised through public fundraising - in order to make better decisions about where to fill gaps, boost funding or join forces? And how straightforward is it to share evidence and learning across funding systems that work in very different ways, at very different speeds?
This session explores those challenges directly. Drawing on the experience of funders working at the intersection of independent philanthropy and government policy, it will examine the barriers to channelling learning across silos and what it takes to build stronger local and national relationships between different parts of the funding ecosystem.
The session is in-person with facilitated breakout discussions, giving participants space to work through the practical challenges in contexts relevant to their own work.
This session will be particularly relevant if you are thinking about how to navigate the relationship between your funding strategy and government priorities, without compromising your independence or missing opportunities for genuine collaboration.