Blog
We feature the voices of charities, foundations and public agencies we work with, and share our take on both opportunities and challenges for the voluntary sector.
Recent blog posts
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BlogHas AI killed the grant application form? (And can we build it back better?)
Read more: Has AI killed the grant application form? (And can we build it back better?)AI is reshaping grant-making, putting unprecedented pressure on traditional application processes. In a design…
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BlogCommunity buildings: strong foundations for renewal
Read more: Community buildings: strong foundations for renewalCommunity buildings are where a neighbourhood comes together: to meet, to organise, to reach…
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BlogTrust and AI: How Open and Trusting funders are communicating about AI
Read more: Trust and AI: How Open and Trusting funders are communicating about AICharities applying for funding have always had to second-guess what funders want. Now, with…
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BlogBetter spent? Lessons from the Foundations Spending Down
Read more: Better spent? Lessons from the Foundations Spending Downby Lara Bautista The decision to distribute all of your resources and close, or…
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BlogFunding for systems change: what Propel taught us
Read more: Funding for systems change: what Propel taught usBy Jo Brown, Deputy Director of Research, IVAR There is considerable interest right now…
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BlogLife Rafts and Gold Dust: what we can learn from 1,200 funding experiences
Read more: Life Rafts and Gold Dust: what we can learn from 1,200 funding experiencesAs we publish our 2026 Funding Experience Survey, Ben Cairns reflects on a survey…
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BlogChanging the odds: How Postcode Lottery embraced flexible funding
Read more: Changing the odds: How Postcode Lottery embraced flexible fundingPostcode Lottery’s Katherine Sellar shares how they shifted from rigid project grants to multi-year,…
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BlogOpen, Trusting – and Equitable? What Funding Practice Still Needs to Change
Read more: Open, Trusting – and Equitable? What Funding Practice Still Needs to ChangeHow much can funders’ best intentions achieve if the structural inequalities underlying their practices remain untouched? This…
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BlogAI and the future of funding applications: Risks, realities and responses for grantmakers
Read more: AI and the future of funding applications: Risks, realities and responses for grantmakersAI is dramatically changing the funding landscape. Many funders are experiencing greater volumes of…
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BlogThe 2% That Stops Us? How Funders are Navigating Risk
Read more: The 2% That Stops Us? How Funders are Navigating RiskBy Alexandra Parker Of all the Open and Trusting commitments, it’s ‘accept risk’ that…
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BlogFrom automation to empathy: AI in Open and Trusting grant-making
Read more: From automation to empathy: AI in Open and Trusting grant-makingOpen and Trusting grant-making is grounded in patience, empathy and kindness. At its heart…
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Blog25 for 25: Team choose charities to celebrate
Read more: 25 for 25: Team choose charities to celebrateOn 2 October, IVAR turned 25. The sector – and the world – are…