Putting solidarity into practice: how can foundations respond to the racist and violent riots? 

16 August 2024

By Jim Cooke, head of practice


The sickening violence and hatred we have witnessed in recent weeks have shone a spotlight on the persistent and systemic issues of racism and Islamophobia that we must all confront together.

Civil society organisations are on the front line of these attacks on our communities. Foundations – driven by their charitable missions and powered by their considerable resources and unique independence – are already making a vital contribution to the response. This blog highlights some of the actions that ACF members have taken so far. 

But these riots were not an isolated event. Funders will be called on to do much more in the months and years ahead to counter their root causes and pursue a more just and equitable society. Many foundations have already begun this work. Others may be considering their first steps. Either way, there are lots of existing resources and initiatives that can help. The follow-up to this blog explores in more detail how foundations can respond in the longer term. 

People with lived experience of migration, people of colour, and others working with grassroots and social justice organisations have been clear about what they want to see from funders now. For ACF’s part, we stand ready to support our members in their work to rise to this challenge with both urgency and sustained commitment. 
 

Foundations’ immediate responses to the riots 

1. Taking an active stance 

Words matter. Social entrepreneur Bonnie Chiu has called for funders to ‘recognise the root causes of the violent riots and terrorist acts are racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, and that anti-racism requires taking an active stance going beyond neutrality’.

Foundations have significant power, and ACF’s Stronger Foundations report on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) encourages them to use this power to advocate for and advance DEI. This pillar of stronger foundation practice has been evident in the many statements of solidarity and commitments to anti-racism that we have seen from our members in recent weeks. These from Henry Smith Charity, UnLtd and Barnwood Trust are just a few examples. 

Some foundations who have a high profile and reach have also used their platform in highly practical ways. For example, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has been sharing advice and resources and amplifying messages from funded organisations on social media. 

2. Checking in with grantees/partners 

A foundation’s funding practices are often the most tangible expression of its values and form the lens through which foundations are seen by those they seek to serve and support. Interactions with the organisations they fund have formed a key part of most foundations’ response to the riots. 

Migration Exchange (a collaboration of funders and organisations in the UK migration and refugee field, hosted by Global Dialogue) has advised independent funders to "communicate with your grant partners, particularly those led by people targeted by the far right and in areas affected, to understand their current needs".

This can be done in various ways, reflecting the different make-up of foundations’ funding portfolios and relationships with their grant-holders. Some have checked in with individual contacts via proactive, targeted outreach. Others have sent blanket communications inviting partners to talk to them if needed.

Respecting people’s time is important, as recognised by The Legal Education Foundation, who note that "this is a rapidly changing situation and we do not expect grant partners to keep us regularly informed of developments, but are keen to hear from partners if there are ways we can help". 

3. Meeting urgent funding needs 

When Fozia Irfan, BBC Children in Need’s director of impact and influence, convened a group of 50 trusts and foundations this week to discuss their response to the riots, she asked on LinkedIn what charities and communities affected by recent events would want to ask of funders. One of the many responses stated: "As with Covid, funders should recognise this for the emergency that it was and cover community organisations' costs for keeping people safe, closing or moving events, and any care and wellbeing support that's needed."

At ACF, we have heard numerous examples of our members making rapid additional funding available, for needs ranging from security costs to communication campaigns like this video by the Runnymede Trust. 

Funding for wellbeing support has been a particular focus. The importance of this has been highlighted in an open letter signed by many individuals with lived experience of the UK migration system and professionals within the sector. This is reiterated by the Funders for Race Equality Alliance, whose joint letter with Civic Power Fund, Justice Together Initiative and Migration Exchange identifies several specific initiatives that can provide this support. 

Collaboration between funders can help get money to grassroots organisations quickly and efficiently by drawing on established networks and distribution mechanisms. The Civic Power Fund has set up an Emergency Action Fund, which is responding to urgent needs of the existing grantees and partner referrals within 24 to 48 hours. Several ACF members have contributed top-up funding to extend this support to more groups. 

4. Trust and flexibility  

Migration Exchange’s advice to funders emphasises the importance of being flexible: "For example, delay or call off reporting requirements to reduce the burden on organisations who are already stretched in capacity, and give them back time to focus on responding to this threat." 

This approach is evident in many of the communications foundations have shared in recent weeks. These have emphasised that the mental and physical wellbeing of staff, volunteers, service users and local communities must come first, and made it clear that original plans and timelines for delivery of funded work or grant reporting are not expected to be met. 

For a growing number of foundations, flexible and trust-based approaches to funding have become standard practice. However, even where this is the case, some have felt it important to reiterate this, to provide further reassurance to their grant-holders in the current circumstances.  

5. Reaffirming existing commitments to long-term racial justice funding

Those working in the fields of racial and migrant justice have been clear that a short-term ‘emergency’ response alone will not be sufficient to address the challenges faced by the communities most impacted by the recent violence.  

More here about how foundations can respond in the longer term. However, it is important to note that for those who are already providing flexible, patient funding to migrant and racially minoritised groups, reaffirming and continuing this support can also play a significant role in the emergency response.  

For example, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales has said: "We will continue to partner with organisations supporting people experiencing inequity because of their race or ethnicity and those supporting refugees and asylum seekers." 

6. Supporting foundations’ own staff 

Foundations will only be equipped to respond effectively to the needs of others if they recognise that their own people, too, are likely to be affected by recent events and the wider issues they embody. As the saying goes, "put your own life jacket on first" – making sure that their staff (and especially racially minoritised staff) have access to appropriate support if they need it has been a priority for many. 

Examples of this that we have heard about from ACF members include:

•  Increasing flexible working for staff who may have felt unsafe travelling, or emphasising existing flexibility for staff work from home
•  Checking in with staff and offering opportunities to talk about recent events and how they are feeling
•  Providing safe spaces for staff members from minoritised groups share experiences
•  Sharing information on external sources of support, as well as internal employee assistance programmes
• Working with specialist consultants to provide additional support to staff.  
  

Foundations’ longer-term response 

The actions that we have seen from foundations so far are helping to mitigate some of the most immediate impacts of the racist riots. We hope that their example will encourage other foundations to consider how they might contribute to this response (or build on what they are already doing). 

But this moment also serves as a sharp reminder of the deep-rooted issues that stand in the way of achieving a fair and inclusive society. Foundations also have a vital role to play in tackling these systemic challenges. Helping them to navigate is the focus of the second part of this blog. 


Acknowledgements 

Special thanks to Fozia Irfan of BBC Children in Need for convening trusts and foundations to share their responses to the riots and hear from key civil society leaders. I am also grateful to many other people who have generously given their time and expertise to help ACF understand what is needed from foundations. These include:

•  Tracey Agyeman of Funders for Race Equality Alliance
•  Bonnie Chiu
•  Ngozi Lyn Cole
•  Martha McKenzie of Civic Power Fund
•  Li-En Yapp of Migration Exchange

Finally, thanks to all the ACF members mentioned in this blog, and many others who there is not space to include but whose actions and insights have informed it.