Working in Emergence: Reflection on the Role of Funders
In Part 3 of our Working in Emergence guest blog series, we return to an interview with Theo Field-Pellew, Co-Founder of TRUE Research, to look at the role of funders in supporting grassroots and community-led organisations meet their objectives and aims more equitably.
The Working in Emergence series is based on our Emergent Strategy, and looks at different perspectives on systemic change, power and knowledge.
Author: Theo Field-Pellew
“When it came to the role of funders in the work with Partisan, honestly, it started out being quite traditional. Their involvement was mainly through an interview – just one conversation – but a lot came out of it, and it was really interesting to witness. There were lots of catch-22s, though. On the one hand, funders were clearly excited by the approach we were taking, but on the other, they were also a bit scared by it probably because it was different from what they were used to.
What was important, and a bit surprising, was how aligned the funders we spoke to were in terms of what they wanted to see change. You don’t usually hear funders saying things like “we want a long-term relationship” or “we trust you to deliver.” Even if they believe that, they don’t say it. But in this case, they did, and took a leap of faith.
And I think a big part of that came down to the relationship they had with Jay Perkins from Partisan.
That level of trust and alignment, even if it’s not about sharing identical values, is about believing in each other’s intentions and capability.
That’s what funders being aligned to community, voluntary and grassroots organisations really means to me.
Partisan’s four Rs – redistribution, repair, relationship, and regeneration – were central to how the organisation was trying to improve mental health in Lewisham, Lambeth and Brixton. What I recognised with Partisan, was that power was shared based on who has the most relevant voice that needs to be heard in each space, to influence what needs to be done. And while the organisation was able to embed that way of working, it was less clear where funders fit into that.
That was one of the things we were trying to explore: how can funders meaningfully be part of that framework?
What does power-sharing look like in that context? In the end, it came down to trust.
The funders trusted Jay and trusted Partisan to take the work forward in a different way.
Then there’s the bigger question: why does it matter that funders are aligned with any organisation’s vision? Why should they be in sync with the organisations they’re funding? For me, it’s because funders hold the power. We'd love to say that young people hold the power, or that Partisan holds the power because they’re delivering the work, but realistically, none of it happens without funding.
And if you’re funding something with the aim of real change, then you need to be genuinely invested in it. Too often, organisations deliver work that looks good on paper but doesn’t shift anything. It’s easy to tick off a KPI, but that doesn’t always mean impact. I’ve worked in enough places to know that. And if you keep doing the same things with the same structures, you’ll get the same outcomes – so no wonder change takes longer.
It’s also about how the money flows and the systems around that.
If you haven’t learnt from how funding worked ten years ago, you’re just going to make the same mistakes again. For example, even the application and interview processes – funders are often selecting organisations based on how well they interview, not on how well they actually work in practice. So you're rewarding presentation over substance.
I remember seeing a grant from Maudsley Charity that really stood out. They required that their team be directly involved in the project, either on the ground or in an advisory role. That’s the kind of involvement that builds understanding – they get to see the reflective practice, the real work, the challenges. That’s what we need more of.
When we talk about making funding more equitable for Black, Asian and grassroots organisations, it’s not about splitting power equally all the time – it’s about identifying who has the most relevant voice in each moment. Sometimes it’s young people. Sometimes it’s partners. Sometimes it’s the delivery team. And funders need to be in the room for the right conversations.
And that means changing the people in the room too. Who sits on panels? Who makes decisions? If you’ve got frontline staff who are Black and Asian but no one in leadership from those communities, then you haven’t shifted power – you’ve just ticked a diversity box. Real power means influence.
So yeah, funders need to be more open, more reflective, more involved, and more willing to change. And I get that’s not easy – it means shifting roles and rethinking what “good” funding practice looks like. But that’s the only way we’re going to do things differently and better.
Author: Theo Field-Pellew, Founder of TRUE Research
