The most significant topic scheduled for discussion in this meeting was the funding of a second round of applications to the City Bridge Foundation’s Anchor Programme¹. The Committee was also scheduled to receive an update on the activities of the Chief Funding Director, Sacha Rose-Smith, and to consider the Foundation’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year. The meeting was not open to the public for a significant portion of its duration.

Anchor Programme Round Two

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the second round of applications to its Anchor Programme. The report describes the programme as aiming to grow stronger, more resilient communities for a London that serves everyone. This is achieved by providing long-term, core funding of up to 10 years to organisations which provide infrastructure support² to London’s voluntary and community sector. The report provides a summary of the programme’s progress since the first round of grants were awarded in 2023.

The report describes how feedback from the first round of the programme has been incorporated into the second round, for example by revising the programme’s eligibility criteria to clarify that the fund does not target mainstream infrastructure organisations (such as CVSs)[^3], educational institutions, or charities focused on volunteering.

A key feature of the Anchor Programme is that the usual CBF policy that CBF funding should not exceed 50% of an organisation’s total income was not applied. The report explains that applying this policy would have prevented key organisations from applying, if they already held a Bridging Divides grant. However, the report also explains that the assessor has considered whether this represents a risk to the recipient organisations' ongoing sustainability and is satisfied that this does not represent a risk due to the charity’s extensive track record and fundraising plans.

The report includes a table showing that £30.0m has been allocated to the Anchor Programme, of which £0.1m was awarded in development grants in 2022/23, £15.0m was awarded to organisations in the first round, and £10.9m is recommended to be awarded in the second round. This would leave an underspend of £4.0m.

The following grants were included for consideration in the meeting, and would be made as long-term core grants, of between seven to ten years:

• Agenda Alliance CIO (Charity No. 1179417): £1,165,488 over ten years ... towards core costs ... to coordinate a joined-up response to changing the systemic cycles of trauma faced by women with multiple disadvantage in London. The report notes that These intersecting issues are compounded by structural inequalities which shape their lives, including but not exclusive to gender inequity and racism.
• Disability Rights UK (Charity No. 1138585): £1,403,300 over 10 years ... in core funding for DRUK’s London-specific second-tier and systems change work. This grant would include contributions to the salaries of staff fulfilling a range of roles including Head of Engagement, Head of Policy, DPO³ Development Manager, Data and Insight Officer and a new Engagement Officer.
• Inclusion London (Charity No. 1157376): £1,400,000 over ten years ... towards core funding for IL’s second tier and systems change work. This grant would include contributions to the salaries of the Training & Support Programme Manager, Media and Comms Manager, Digital Comms officer, Data and Insight Manager including impact and learning and the Engagement Co-ordinator, as well as a proportion of organisational overhead costs.
• The AVOCADO Foundation (Charity No. 1157549): £1,500,000 over 10 years ... towards core costs to enable TAF to equip BAMER[^5] led non-profits in London with the resources, knowledge and networks to dismantle economic inequality. This grant would include contributions to the salaries of the Centre Manager, IT Manager, Finance Officer, Marketing Officer and a proportion of organisational overhead costs.
• Race on the Agenda (Charity No. 1064975): £1,500,000 over 10 years ... towards core funding to enable ROTA to deliver vital second-tier services aimed at combatting racial injustice. This grant would be used to fund the salaries of the CEO, Office Manager, Finance Manager and associated costs.
• Disability Law Service (Charity No. 280805): £995,400 over nine years ... in core funding for DLS’ London-specific second tier and systems change work. This grant would be used to fund the salaries of a Partnerships and Systems Change Manager, Solicitor/Trainer and related costs. The report notes that this funding would allow DLS to provide dedicated core staff capacity to oversee its capacity building provision and coordinate cross-sector collaboration.
• Do It Now Now (Charity No. 11937494): £999,940 over seven years ... towards core funding to enable Do It Now Now to deliver capacity building support to Black-led organisations as part of its London strategy. The report states that the charity’s London strategy is aiming to reach 30,000 Black Londoners by 2030 through the delivery of a series of 12-month fellowship programmes over the course of the grant period, with local leaders from Black-led charities and social enterprises serving the Black community.
• Equally Ours (Charity No. 1135357): £924,900 over ten years ... of core funding towards one full time role, furthering Equally Ours’ strategic aims in supporting London-based members and its wider London networks to shape structural public policy changes. The report describes Equally Ours as the only national UK-wide pan-equality[^6] and human rights network.

The report notes that The following Anchor recommendation will come to CBF Board and Funding Committee in 2025 to allow more time for the assessment of the organisation:

• Voice4Change England (Charity No. 1140624): £1,000,000 over ten years ....

The report also recommends that the applications of the following organisations be rejected:

• All Ways Network (Charity No. 1180445)
• Octopus Community Network (Charity No. 1128394)
• The Health Forum (Charity No. 1151980)
• Women’s Resource Centre (Charity No. 1070606).

Chief Funding Director’s Update Report

The Committee was scheduled to receive a report providing an update on the work of the Chief Funding Director, Sacha Rose-Smith. The report provides an update on each of the Foundation’s current funding programmes, as well as on its equity, diversity and inclusion work.

The report notes that Implementation of E2ER[^7] recommendation 4, ‘to deliver pre-application calls’ is currently being progressed.

The report describes how the Foundation has responded to concerns raised following the closure of its responsive funding programmes:

Following the full closure of responsive funding programmes on 8 October 2024, the Foundation has received a few formal complaints and some general feedback from applicants and funded organisations. The key themes emerging from these responses include concerns about delays, transparency, and the impact of the closures.

The report provides a breakdown of the £200m in additional grants funding that was allocated to the Foundation in 2020, showing that £101.3m of this has now been committed to grants, and a further £3.5m has been spent on Admnistration costs.

The report describes how the Foundation has been working to develop a new ‘Funder Plus’ offer to complement its grant programmes:

Over the last three months, we have conducted an in-depth review of the finances and operating model of the Bridge Programme, now part of our Funder Plus offer. The Bridge Programme provides funded organisations with access to free support and services beyond their grant, aimed at enhancing their capacity, resilience, and long-term sustainability.

It states that A refined proposal will be brought to Committee once a preferred approach has been identified.

The report also notes that:

Officers are working with other key Propel partners to explore the option of transferring some or all remaining unallocated Propel funds within their respective organisations to a collaborative vehicle operated as a subsidiary of London Funders called Collaboration Circle. This will allow the funders to truly pool their funding, reducing the burden on applicants and grantees of having multiple funders, and reducing the barriers of aligned funding (such as being limited by each funder’s budget cycle/political cycle, barriers to integrating community voice in decision making processes, etc.).

The report describes the process of consulting with women and girls' organisations regarding the Foundation's proposed Trans Inclusion Policy:

Responses from 29 women and girls’ organisations have been received and reviewed.

Following the consultation, the policy wording will be reviewed by officers and legal experts a final time, and it is anticipated that some minor amendments will be incorporated. A paper summarising the results of the consultation and detailing subsequent changes made to the policy will be submitted to the February Funding Committee, with a recommendation that the policy be adopted.

The report also includes an update on the Foundation’s work on equity, diversity and inclusion:

brap ... have delivered EDI training to all staff and held sessions with the Board. brap also undertook specific training with the Funding Team on equitable funding practices and delivered training to the Leadership Group on the topic of ‘power’. Through discussion with brap, officers have agreed that further work with the Executive Leadership Team, Leadership Group and Funding Team would support an exploration of power to support CBF continue its work to create more equitable experiences across CBF and support it in becoming a leader in this area of work.

...

CBF have recently commissioned a recruitment agency, Saxton Bampfylde, to lead on the search for a new Director of EDI for the charity. ... The main objective of the Director of EDI will be to ensure that CBF has a clear EDI strategy and delivery plan in place, so that everyone who interacts with CBF’s services (employees, customers, workers, volunteers, suppliers, partners and funded organisations) has an inclusive experience that values and celebrates diversity and equity.

CBF Funding Grants Budget 2025/26

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the Foundation’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year.

The report proposes that the budget for grant commitments be set at £57.20m, which is a decrease of £36.47m compared to the forecast for 2024/25. The report explains that This is due to the winding down of the £200m additional uplift in grants and a reduction in responsive grant making.

The proposed grant budget includes:

• £30,000 for Responsive Grants making.
• £14,470 for Propel.
• £11,000 for Surge funding.
• £1,730 for Test and Discover.

The proposed budget also includes £3.72m for operational costs.

The report includes a table showing the expected cumulative balance in the CBF grant-making designated fund up to 2029/30, which shows that the proposed grant budget would bring the balance down to £31.70m by the end of 2025/26.

Grant Funding Activity: Period Ended 20 November 2024

The Committee was scheduled to receive a report detailing the grants that have been awarded and rejected under delegated authority since the last meeting, as well as any variations to existing grants that have been approved.

The report states that 330 grants totalling £42,374,000 have been awarded from the main grants programmes to date in 2024/25. It also states that 26 applications have been withdrawn since the last meeting, and that the remaining budget for 2024/25 at £39,326k.

The report includes a list of 7 applications recommended for rejection. These are all for grants of less than £500,000.

The report also notes that:

Variations to the grants outlined have been agreed by the Managing Director of CBF, the Chief Funding Director or a Funding Director, in line with the delegated procedure for the amendment of grants.

and that:

The details provided at Appendix 6 advise the Funding Committee of funds approved under delegated authority and urgency procedures from September 2024 to 20 November 2024.

The report does not provide further information about the variations or the grants approved under delegated authority.