Since 2015, London Borough of Camden has operated a long term support scheme for the voluntary sector, including offering seven year grants through the Community Partner Fund. This approach aims to increase stability, enable strategic planning, and reduce the bureaucracy connected to frequent grant applications.

The council launched a seven year Community Partner Fund programme (2024 to 2031), providing core grants to local civil society organisations delivering significant social change. 38 organisations received grants ranging from £10,000 to £100,000 annually, part of a larger £4 million yearly investment. The multi-year funding has significantly strengthened relationships, fostering a collaborative environment focused on shared community goals. Funding flexibility enabled organisations to leverage other funding and adapt to evolving needs.

In designing this programme, the council was led by the Institute for Voluntary Action (IVAR) open and trusting grant-making principles, and became one of the first public agencies to sign up to this initiative encouraging best practice in grant funding. Drawing on learning from previous funding programmes and responding to changing external needs in communities and grassroots organisations, Camden continues to develop a diverse funding ecosystem to support more organisations at varying stages of development.

Key learnings

This approach has encouraged greater cooperation, mutual support, and collaborative working, shifting relationships from transactional to strategic, and empowering organisations to achieve lasting community impact.