Redistribution roundtable: What have we learned?
What do you think of when you hear the word redistribution? Most of us may think about wealth and money, but as we explored during our roundtable event last Wednesday, it’s about so much more than that. During our third and final roundtable in a series of events to celebrate TSIP's new strategy on reimagining a fair society, we explored the topic with partners, community members and funders alike, each sharing their own experiences with the topic. Together, we discussed why redistribution is integral to creating a fairer society - and how we can make it happen.
It was a pleasure to see so many of you during the event, and all your contributions and questions were extremely valuable. We're very grateful that together, we were able to create a safe space together to explore this topic with the nuance and attention to detail it demands.
“Funders need to trust that community members know what’s best for them.”
- Sylvia Raven, Southwark Community Representative
From our Southwark Community Representative Sylvia Raven, who inspired us all to truly connect with our communities - our homes, to the Key Fund's Matt Smith, who shared his story on driving participation and devolving decision-making in a growing community-oriented organisation. Camden Giving's Natasha Friend reminded us of the importance of practicing love and care when working with communities, and Amy Gutcher at Sumerian Partners rightfully pointed out that trust is something that funders and investors need to go out and earn, rather than expect to be given. Reinforced by Robin Chu's story from his work with School for Social Entrepreneurs, one of the key takeaways of the event was that honouring and centering lived experience is crucial to redistributing society's assets in a fair and just way.
“You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, there’s lots of organisations out there doing the work. Connect with them, and form more partnerships.”
- Amy Gutcher, Impact-first Investor at Sumerian Partners
Many of us are fed up with the status quo and the same conversation that keeps going round in circles. 'Have we missed the opportunity for systems change?' was a question that came up. 'Why should we continue to have faith?' And while a lot of us can relate to feelings of frustration, hopelessness, and exhaustion - the fact that we were able to talk about this in a safe space with all of you in the room, is extremely valuable. It takes bravery to speak up, and it takes courage to keep on taking a chance and trust those who've not proven they're deserving of it. Power dynamics need to be challenged, and the only way we can start doing that, is when we bring compassion to the table and start listening - actively.
“It is the right of people to make decisions about the money that impacts them.”
- Natasha Friend, Director at Camden Giving
Sylvia Raven taught us all a great lesson on keeping faith: "I started focusing on measuring impact in my home and my community. I can see the changes I affect and that keeps me hopeful. If we only look at the big picture, we'd all lose hope. If my actions affect three people, that might seem nothing in the grand scheme of things. But then I remind myself that if those three people each affect another three people, a movement starts to grow - and we do have a chance."
5 Key Takeaways on how to make redistribution happen fairly and justly:
1. When it comes to funders reconnecting with communities, don’t let the fear that you won’t be well-received stop you. Yes, there is frustration and anger, but that shouldn’t stop you from making these changes happen.
2. Annualised spend was identified as a dysfunctional driver. What would things look like if we were focussing on longevity: What would happen if you were able to invest in someone for 30 years?
3. Invest in relationships. A lot of work needs to be done to restore faith and trust between communities and funders, and it all starts with taking the time to genuinely listen to the community. Developing a relationship means you can invest in each other, sharing the networks and knowledge that you both have on how to make things better.
4. Serious investment needs to be made in a redistribution sector. There are worryingly few actors in the UK that have the skills and structures to support community funding in a way that is nourishing for communities – yet the opportunity is huge.
5. We need to fund the things communities say they need. The community will show you what the solutions are if you engage with them in the right way. If you don’t have the character and integrity to do that, you should not be making funding decisions in the first place.
Missed the event? You can find a recording of the roundtable below. Do you have any further questions or comments that you'd like to share, either with us or with (one of) our speakers? Please get in touch via email to contact@tsip.co.uk - we're happy to continue the conversation, and so are our speakers.
Speakers:
Amy Gutcher, Impact-first Investor at Sumerian Partners, and Matt Smith, CEO at the Key Fund, who will speak to their experience redistributing wealth.
Southwark Community Representative Sylvia Raven, who will speak to their experience redistributing assets.
Natasha Friend, Director at Camden Giving and Robin Chu, Director of Strategic Projects at The School for Social Entrepreneurs, who will both speak to their experience redistributing resources.