Learning Partnership: Violence Against Women and Girls Fund
What did we do:
Driven by the need to support black and minoritised victims of violence, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) set up the VAWG Grassroots Fund. Delivered in partnership with The London Community Foundation, this £3m fund was designed to reach grassroot service providers - many of whom are survivors themselves - to respond to increasing and complex needs, particularly amongst minoritised communities.
As the appointed learning partner for the fund, TSIP aimed to understand the barriers and opportunities of increasing the capacity, sustainability and accessibility of funding to specialist grassroots organisations for women and girls affected by VAWG issues in London.
How did we do it:
TSIP supported through facilitating the initial co-design and identifying how the fund could maximise impact through its learning programme. We co-produced a Theory of Change, mapping organisational resilience for London-based VAWG organisations, and took a narrative-based approach to reporting outcomes, insights and journeys across the two years of the fund.
What were our findings:
The evaluation found that the fund supported grantees to:
Improve the visibility of grassroots VAWG organisations across the sector.
Improve organisational capacity and ultimately organisational resilience.
Improve the effectiveness of responding to need.
Improve organisational expansion to new boroughs and clients.
Improve grantee networks and partnerships.
Improve and reinforce sustainability through staff, financial or funding stability.
What did we learn:
Although a Theory of Change was useful in clarifying expected outcomes and goals, it proved to be a restrictive tool when articulating impact as it lacked the ability to demonstrate the interlinked nature of outcomes. Adopting a narrative-based approach, mapping impact against various elements of the theory of change in a fluid manner, we were able to bring the journey of the programme to life, prioritising impact over sole outcomes.
Testimonial:
“We have been working with survivors … as part of the Covid-19 response through the Emergency Accommodation [these beneficiaries joined during Covid-19]. Thanks to the VAWG Grassroots Fund we were able to continue to provide domestic abuse specific support … a service we would not have been able to offer without this funding. We have been able to use the intense lens that COVID-19 has provided to gain a greater understanding of how domestic abuse occurs in the LGBTIQ+ community.”