The Voice: Black charities starved of funding – report
Black charities starved of funding – report
Call for grant-givers to adopt a new plan to address racial injustice and support community organisations.
FUNDERS OF charities are being challenged to tackle racial inequality and create long-term funding commitments for black-led third sector organisations.
The report, by social justice organisation Ten Years’ Time, says that despite black, Asian other minority ethnic groups making up around 14% of the UK population, independent funders – such as trusts and foundations – still fail to give a fair share of grants to these groups.
Research found that up to 87% of micro and small voluntary sector organisations led by black and other minority people were found not to have enough sufficient funds to last more than three months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and were also the least likely group to receive financial support.
Funding for the BAME voluntary and community sector (VCS) was “unsustainable” and left them “at risk of financial insecurity.”
There had been little change since a 2015 report by Voice4Change England, found that BAME VCS groups had suffered a 25% reduction in funding in the previous five years when government austerity was introduced.
Professor Patrick Vernon, a philanthropist and social commentator, told The Voice that implementing active anti-racism work in the funding sector was vital to see long-standing change to structural inequalities.
“Off the back of the Black Lives Matter movement, I think I the reason why the report is here it’s about challenging funders and philanthropists who give money for good causes and how they should now focus on racial justice and giving grants funding to black-led organisations, support them and acknowledging the contribution of these organisations,” he said.