Do it Now Now launches new Fund: Innovate Now with City Bridge Foundation

Do it Now Now is collaborating with City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent funder, in the delivery of Innovate Now with City Bridge Foundation. The programme will provide much needed financial support and expert guidance to 64 London-based, Black-led charities and social enterprises.

Innovate Now with City Bridge Foundation endeavours to invigorate successful organisations with £12,000 each in grant funding as well as bespoke support and £3,000 in compensated capacity building. Successful applicants can move into their next stage of operations with improved investment readiness and organisational traction, creating the best possible future for their organisation and their service users.

The first round of funding opened 8 November and will close 10 January 2024 and calls for enterprise projects that need support solving a problem experienced within Black or Global-Majority communities in London. The fund will provide 1-2-1 support, information sessions, guidance, and health checks to ensure that applicants will receive all the support needed to increase their chances of being successful.

Do it Now Now has developed Innovate Now to provide direct, intentional support to Black-led charities and social enterprises, empowering them to position their organisations for growth. DiNN understands the nuanced needs of these organisations and the communities they serve and is best placed to deliver programmes and support through co-design, co-produced cohorts that meet the needs of those being funded. 

Founder and CEO of Do it Now Now, Bayo Adelaja, shares “we are delighted to be working again with City Bridge Foundation. We understand the communities that we work with, and our entire organisation is built to create supportive, intentional resources and funding so that smaller organisations can continue to do the amazing things they do. We understand the fight for financial sustainability and the constrictions placed on delivering impact under limited resources, and we want to provide some freedom to these organisations, some help and some breathing room to become more fruitful and enduring.”

City Bridge Foundation supplies grant funding to organisations that work to help London thrive. With a focus on under-represented communities, their funding support aims to build a resilient London that is equitable and inclusive. The support they are providing for Innovate Now is a direct realisation of this. 

City Bridge Foundation Funding Manager, Nat Jordan, said: “We are really pleased to be able to support this bold new programme with Do It Now Now, who are excellently placed to connect directly to Black and Global Majority organisations while dedicating time to support the lived experience leadership in the sector to flourish through a rounded offer of grant and capacity support.”

There will be three rounds of funding available, please see our Innovate Now with City Bridge Foundation page to learn more about the fund, read our guidance document, and apply. 

We are also dedicated to sharing our learnings, so that together we can all provide an inclusive and nurturing funding environment. Sign up to our newsletters to follow the programme and to learn about future opportunities.