By Jo Brown, Deputy Director of Research, IVAR
There is considerable interest right now in funding that is more collaborative, more equitable and focused on ‘systems change’. What is less often discussed is how hard that can be to do – especially when different funders are trying to work together, each with their own priorities, constraints and ways of understanding change.
Propel is a long-term collaboration bringing together funders, equity partners and organisations led by and for London’s communities. A big part of Propel is trying to understand what it really means to fund differently; not just in theory, but in practice. So, as well as supporting work that aims to shift systems, Propel is also exploring what funders themselves might need to change: how they work in partnership, share power and support change over time. It does not provide a blueprint. But it does offer some useful and usable lessons.
Over the last three years, IVAR has been learning alongside Propel partners to understand what collaborative action at this scale really involves. The full report goes into more detail, but here we pick out three reflections for other funders grappling with similar questions.
Three things funders can learn from Propel
1. Alignment only goes so far
The issue was too big for one organisation.”
Some challenges are just too big, too deep-rooted and too connected for one organisation to tackle alone. However, working with others, rather than solo, is far from straightforward. And while shared ambition helps, it does not guarantee a joined-up experience, especially when reporting and accountability still sit with individual funders. One practical example of this came when the Greater London Authority, because of its political and financial cycles, could only offer two-year grants – rather than the longer-term commitments envisaged in the design stage of Propel. To avoid some organisations being left on shorter terms than others, City Bridge Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund stepped in with an extra one-year ‘Extend’ grant. This was a thoughtful and collaborative response – but it also showed the limits of alignment alone. Even within a joint programme, organised around a shared commitment to tackling structural inequalities across London, funded organisations’ experience was still shaped by the rules, timelines and accountability processes of individual funders. For form to truly follow function, consistent, standardised funder practices would be necessary.
2. Equity needs to be baked in
It’s not just being invited to the table last minute – they are at the table from the beginning with a blank sheet.”
Equity is not just about bringing different voices into an existing process. It is about shaping the process itself from the start – including how decisions are made, whose judgment counts and what kinds of knowledge are valued.
Most of Propel’s funding went to led by-and-for organisations. This required careful definition in terms of which organisations fell under this category. Early on, the programme leaned heavily on numerical thresholds around staff and board composition. However, those criteria quickly proved too blunt. Some organisations met the numbers without deep community accountability, while others were clearly rooted in their communities but did not fit the formula. Over time, equity partners became more deeply involved in the assessment process – first by challenging and deepening judgments, and later as assessors and co-designers of the criteria themselves.
What this shows is that equity cannot be bolted on at the edges. It takes time, trust and proper resourcing – and it asks funders to treat lived experience and contextual judgment as part of good decision-making.
3. Systems change does not look the same everywhere
Most by and for led organisations are trying to change power systems. They might not call it systems change.”
This quote is a useful reminder that systems change takes varied forms. Different organisations and communities are dealing with different forms of structural inequality, and they are often best placed to understand both the problem and the response that is needed. Funders can easily fall into recognising systems change only when it looks a certain way – for instance, through policy influence or more formal advocacy.
Propel points to the need for a broader understanding. For some organisations, systems change may mean influencing institutions directly. For others, it may be about building community power, creating stability, strengthening relationships or connecting front-line work to wider change. What matters is not whether the work fits a single model, but whether funding makes space for organisations to define and pursue the kinds of change that matter in their context.
The learning also shows that this kind of work requires time and stability. Multi-year, flexible funding gave organisations the headspace to move beyond short-term survival – to reflect, build partnerships and think more strategically. Without that stability, many were stuck firefighting, with little room to influence wider change. Longer funding horizons also recognise that planning, learning and relationship-building are part of the work – not distractions from it.
Wider learning
Although this learning is mainly aimed at funders, it also speaks to infrastructure bodies, equity partners and community-led organisations, Propel highlights the importance of resourcing collaboration properly, being explicit about power, and recognising governance, learning and accountability as part of how systems change happens – not just the backdrop to it.
What now?
For funders thinking about what this means in practice for their own systems change work, two questions stand out:
- What if our own processes and governance are part of what needs to change too?
- Are we investing enough in the infrastructure that makes collaboration, equity and learning possible?
If you want to explore these questions further, you can read the full report here or join our session on ‘Collaborative funding in practice: lessons on changing funding systems from within’ on 15 June at the London Funders Festival of Learning.