Funding: Arriving, Surviving and Thriving - Funding the Voluntary Sector

Learn more and find the presentations and materials from the day.

Paul Tucker, Chair of George, presented the George Award shield (sponsored by Charity Bank) to Hugh Pye, Chair of Trustees of South West Foundation.  The Award is made on the nomination of the region's Funding Advice Workers to the funder that, in their view, provides a standard of service to the sector that exceeds their expectations.

For more details, and for the individual nominated for providing an excellent service, read Paul Tucker's speech:

George award speech

Find details of the South West Foundation, go to:

http://www.southwestfoundation.org.uk/

Find the presentations and other materials from the day's proceedings below:

The Funders' Knowledge Review

Lesley Fraser of The Evaluation Trust outlined the results of this research for the South West Funders' Forum, and asked the conference to prioritise research based on the results of the Review.  The three top priorities were: needs mapping and identification of funding gaps; how to attract external resources into rural areas where poverty is masked by surrounding affluence; and research into the impact of the shift towards local authority public service procurement.  See the full text of the Knowledge Review below:

Funders Forum Knowledge Review

Local Network Fund in the South West: Impact Evaluation 2001 - 2006
 
The results of this research work on behalf of the region's Community Foundations by Hannah Reynolds Associates was outlined by Martin Davidson.  See his presentation below:

Evaluation of the LNF in the Southwest

The full research report, when published, will be available on the Devon Community Foundation website:

http://www.devoncf.com/

Is there a funding crisis? How should we respond?

South West Forum is finding evidence of a significant decrease in funding for VCOs.  Roger Haworth, Policy Officer, outlined the work:

Roger Haworth presentation

Read more detail in Forum focus at this link:

http://www.southwestforum.org.uk/docs/funding%20survey/ForumFocus5_final.pdf

Case Study: Westbank League of Friends

Mary Nisbett, Director of Westbank League of Friends, described how the organisation has grown from small beginnings in 1986 to become an income-generating social enterprise:

Westbank presentation

A National Network for Funding Advisers?

Rosemary Hopgood of Wiltshire CIB outlined work commissioned by the Finance Hub to explore a National Network and other services for Funding Advisers.

National Network presentation

Evaluation of DEFAN, Devon Funding Advisors Network
          
Mary Edwards, author of the newly published report ‘The Way Forward' spoke briefly about its findings. Read the full report below.

Devon Funding Advisors' network