Earlier this year, we paused to new applications as part of our commitment to embed cycles of learning and continuous improvement across all our work. The purpose of this pause was to look at where we can have the biggest impact within our themes and ensure we are clear externally about what’s in and out of scope for funding.
We have also seen a large increase in the number of applications we receive through Our Funds, as well as an improving success rate. This means that demand for Our Funds is significantly higher than the budget we have, and we have had to make increasingly difficult decisions on what we can fund.
Our Funds review has largely focused on our Emotional Wellbeing and Relationships (EWR) theme, which has accounted for the vast majority of spend since the launch of our 2020-30 strategy.
Through analysing where our funding is going and the impact, we have refocused our Emotional Wellbeing and Relationships theme on relationships, renaming this theme ‘Nurturing Relationships’ to reflect this focus. We are pleased to introduce this theme and share further details on our new focus.
Why are we making this change?
We want to contribute to solutions which break the cycle between persistent poverty and intergenerational trauma. Specifically, this means addressing the impacts of trauma within families where a significant aggravating factor is the experience of poverty.
In refocusing, we have been keen to make the connection between poverty and trauma clearer and shift towards more preventative action to maximise impact.
Not everyone in poverty will experience trauma but, where the experience of poverty is persistent and chronic, people's abilities to cope can be worn down; people can be overwhelmed and not feel in control of circumstances. In these circumstances, persistent poverty can become a traumatic experience in itself. Additionally, because poverty is associated with increased insecurity (e.g., in relation to finances, work, education, housing, relationships, health), poverty can both increase the risks of experiencing trauma and decrease factors that can help protect people from traumatic impacts, increasing strain on individuals and on relationships.
Tackling poverty on its own is not enough to break cycles of intergenerational trauma. We know that nurturing relationships are crucial in reducing the risks of experiencing trauma and supporting recovery from traumatic experiences. We believe that to break cycles of poverty and trauma we need to address the material and emotional impacts of poverty and trauma together. Our themes and connections between them recognise that alongside Financial Security, Education Pathways and Work Pathways, we need nurturing relationships to create lasting change.
The graphic below illustrates our focus on funding work that seeks to prevent or reduce poverty and trauma together, where the experiences are interlinked.
Our new focus means that some work we previously supported through our EWR theme will no longer be in scope for funding. We are confident, however, that by sharpening the focus of our Nurturing Relationships theme and taking this approach, we will be able to go further in supporting solutions which break the cycle between persistent poverty and intergenerational trauma.
What’s next?
As part of the phased reopening of Our Funds, we are preparing to launch a time-limited open call for Small and Large Grant applications under the theme Nurturing Relationships. We will open for applications on Wednesday 27th November 2024 and close on Friday, 24th January 2025. There will also be further opportunities to apply for funding under the theme of Nurturing Relationships in the new financial year.
This open call will operate within a fixed budget, and we anticipate awarding a small number of higher-value grants. These will be for work that most clearly and directly aligns with at least one of our funding priorities.
Full details about the Nurturing Relationships theme, including the specific funding priorities and what will or will not be eligible for funding, will be available soon on our website. We will also provide detailed information about the open call process at that time.
In the meantime, you can join our mailing list to stay informed about updates relating to our Nurturing Relationships theme.
