A guide to Open and Trusting Grant-making for public agencies

We worked in partnership with London Funders, Yorkshire Funders and the Scotland Funders’ Forum to explore Open and Trusting Grant-making in public agencies, through a series of workshops attended by 30 public agencies including Councils and local NHS organisations.

Voluntary organisations need flexible funding to deliver better outcomes for residents and communities. So, we make and manage grants in a way that enables them to respond to changing needs. In a context of limited resources and increasing need, we believe that working together towards shared goals will lead to greater impact.

We want to work with people from public agencies with responsibility for grant-making, to introduce or go further with an Open and Trusting approach which makes the best use of shared resources on all sides.

If you’re interested in the vision and how it could be applied to your funding practice, you’re welcome to join us. You can sign up as an individual looking for support to navigate the system you work in, as a grants team, as a funding programme, as a whole organisation, or even as a partnership.

This guide contains more information about the Open and Trusting Grant-making vision including the eight commitments to enable organisations to make best use of their precious resources and respond to the needs of their communities, in addition to some Frequently Asked Questions about the process and how to join.

Find more resources for taking an open and trusting approach in public agencies by visiting www.ivar.org.uk/open-and-trusting-for-public-agencies