Quick view: learnings from our pilot grant fund | Common Call

Through our work with British, Black-led impact organisations, we’re continually learning more about how they’re growing and benefitting their communities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. As organisations aim to meet the growing demand for their services, we’ve partnered with them to provide funding and resources to grow and succeed in their endeavours. Here are a few of the significant lessons we’ve learned from surveying and speaking with grant applicants.

How to effectively engage potential grantees
Through the Common Call fund, we engaged with almost 500 grant applicants, 80% of which were new to our organisation. The high number of new applicants suggests that our engagement through social media and email is vital in stimulating a relevant flow of applicants. Our commitment to a joined-up communications strategy helped broaden awareness of the fund and continue to be an essential asset as we build relationships with new and existing Black-led organisations in the UK.

Due to our targeted communications, applicants were able to build more awareness of who we are and how we could partner with them thanks to the Common Call fund.

How to measure impact
Given that Common Call is our pilot fund for this initiative, pre-existing equivalent data does not exist to benchmark the results against other programmes. Our fund was borne out of the need to redress the lack of resources and resource allocation for Black-led organisations in the UK, so it is essential we find a way to measure its impact. To make this possible, we’ve developed a model that compares the funding across different areas so we can establish a foundational approach to understanding the unique context of Black-led impact organisations. Due to the rapid turnaround of the fund, we are not in a position to fully determine the impact of the funding just yet. However, our long-term aims include following if and how this funding has helped organisations grow by using income as a proxy to determine the impact.

As we spotlight the need for ringfenced funding aimed at Black-led impact organisations, it’s equally important we have the data and information to support our approach. Not only does it guide our principles and how we evolve as a fund, it also shapes the outlook of civil society towards Black-led organisations - which is needed to bring systemic change to the sector.

Why Common Call is vital
Overall, we learned that the need for a fund like Common Call is valid and instrumental in providing organisations with additional support, especially at the onset of the global pandemic. If anything, Covid-19 highlighted the already present inequalities and barriers Black-led organisations face on a daily basis. We aim to support organisations through the pandemic and look ahead to restructuring the systemic inequalities that affect Black-led charities and social enterprises, so it’s important that we work together with grantees. Our vision for Common Call is about working with Black-led organisations so they can do what they know best and make a positive change in their community. Our learning will inform how our work continues, and we hope it will shape the future of Black-led organisations for the better.

In our report, This is what we know now, we share our learnings from the inaugural Common Call fund to review what has worked and what we can improve. These findings will inform our future approach as we continue to work with Black-led organisations and help them succeed as they stabilise and seek to scale to meet the growing demand for their services.

Please see the report below: