Welcome to IVAR. We are an independent charity that works closely with people and organisations striving for social change. From the very small that directly support the most vulnerable in their local communities, to those that work nationally – across the voluntary, public and funding sectors.
We use research to develop practical responses to the challenges faced and create opportunities for people to learn from our findings. This site is home to our bank of research and resources, providing insights that can help organisations adapt to change and make informed and confident decisions.
Find useful and usable insights in 90 seconds
Latest publications
New principles for grant reporting
A group of funders and charities have developed a set of principles to make grant reporting a shared, more meaningful and mutually beneficial experience. Over the next six months, nine funders are testing these principles.
read more
The value of small
What is distinctive and valuable about small charities relative to their larger counterparts and public sector bodies? We found three features that set them apart, and explored current funding challenges.
read more
The Future for Communities
How can people in our most disadvantaged communities feel and be more powerful in the future? This report concludes an 18 month research project that heard from over 800 people.
read more
Blogs
18 December 2018
Core funding is the answer - whatever the research question
Ben Cairns
Ben reflects that in recent years whatever our research question, the answers often included something about the need for core funding.
read more
17 December 2018
3 things to notice from 'Slice and Dice' - a tool to explore GrantNav data visually
Suraj Vadgama | Product Lead at CAST
Suraj Vadgama, Product Lead at the Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology (CAST), shares three things that stand out from his data visualisation to explore themes in grant funding.
read more
Learn more about IVAR