The Funding Commission
What are your views?
Join in a discussion on the Funding Commission's work (Third Sector Foresight Website)
Keep up to date with the work of the Funding Commission
Introduction
In February 2009, NCVO launched a Funding Commission to respond to the Sector's concerns and uncertainty about funding over the next ten years and to take responsibility for setting a new funding agenda.
The Commission will look ten years into the future and ask, what are the opportunities and challenges for VCOs in relation to their funding (what new sources could be developed, how can the sector make better use of existing resources, what new skills, models or tools are needed?). It will examine alternative forms of funding to conventional public sector forms.
On this page
- What's new - August 2009
- Objectives of the Funding Commission
- Members of the Commission
- Activities of the Commission
- Think Piece - Funding our Future
- Events
- Contact
- Keep up-to-date with our work
Objectives of the Funding Commission
Its objectives are:
- To set a new agenda for the funding of VCOs in the next decade by publishing a report outlining the key issues and making a set of practical recommendations;
- To raise awareness and understanding of the future funding issues facing civil society among VCOs;
- To engage with funders and policy-makers to ensure they understand and are supportive of its findings.
Members of the Commission
The Commission is chaired by Rachel Lomax. Rachel served as Deputy Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 until June 2008 and her previous roles include Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport and Department for Work and Pensions and Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President of the World Bank.
She is joined in her role by ten Commissioners.
| Rachel Lomax (Chair) | Former Deputy Governor of Bank of England |
|---|---|
| Paul Amadi | Chair, Institute of Fundraising and Group Director of Fundraising at RNIB |
| Dawn Austwick | Chief Executive, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation |
| Michael Brophy | Former CEO, Charities Aid Foundation |
| Dinah Cox | Executive Director, ROSA |
| Claire Dove | CEO of Blackburn House and Social Enterprise Ambassador |
| Stephen Dunmore | Former Chief Executive Big Lottery Fund, Adviser to OTS |
| Toby Eccles | Director, Social Finance |
| Fiona Ellis | Director, Northern Rock Foundation |
| Brian Horner | Chief Executive, Voluntary Norfolk |
| John Low | Chief Executive, Charities Aid Foundation |
Activities of the Commission
In the coming year the Commission will digest research, hold five full meetings, consult, and engage in discussions with experts. The Commission wants to ensure that there are opportunities for people to feed in their ideas and views at every step of the process. There will be two phases of consultation to allow for this. An initial stage (Feb-May) to identify themes that the Commission should consider, and a later stage, in the summer, to test out draft proposals. There will also be opportunities to join in on-line discussions and attend events across the country.
The Commission will report back a year from its commencement.
What's new: August 2009
What's new: May 2009
What's new: March 2009
What's new: February 2009
- First phase of consultation
- Session at NCVO's Annual Conference
- First meeting of the Commission
- First think piece launched
Third Commisison Meeting
The third meeting of the Commission took place on 29 July. At the meeting the Commissioners considered a suite of proposals under three themes (boosting local effectiveness, capitalising the sector, and modernising giving).
- Paper for third Commission meeting (PDF 102KB)
You can get a head-start on the Commission’s work by reading the proposals that made it past the Commissioners in the note of the meeting. There is, however, still work to do on the proposals before they go out to formal consultation in the autumn.
- Full note of third Commission meeting (PDF 59KB)
Have your say about the Commission’s decisions over on the Third Sector Foresight Funding Commission page where we are informally kick-starting the debate around the proposals before the formal consultation.
Second Commission Meeting
The Commission's second meeting took place on 18 May. At the meeting the Commissioners decided on three themes to focus their work:
- Modernising giving
- Capitalising the VCS
- Local action
In considering each of these themes, the Commission will consider:
- What changes to funding practice are required?
- What instruments or structures are needed?
- What capacity building is required?
- Is it relevant to the diversity of organisations that make up the VCS?
- Full note of the meeting (PDF 35KB)
If you would like to discuss any of our work in relation to this, please email Dr Toby Ganley or telephone 020 7520 2433.
The papers of the meeting included:
- Agenda for the meeting (PDF 4KB)
- Paper proposing themes the Commission should focus on (PDF 85KB)
- A summary of the consultation responses (Annex B) (PDF 49KB)
- A summary of financial products (Annex C) (PDF 168 KB)
- The desk research (Annex D) (PDF 186KB)
- Proposed work plan (PDF 7KB)
- A report from the Social Investment sub group (PDF 18 KB)
- Funding Commission piece for Charity Finance (PDF 12KB)
Futures Meeting
In March, the Funding Commission convened a roundtable to help Commissioners start to think about what the world will look like in ten years time and what the implications would be for the funding of the VCS.
- Notes from the Futures Meeting (PDF 25KB)
First Phase of Consultation
The first phase of consultation closed on 13 May and the results will be published later in May.
If you would like to talk to anyone about our work in this area please email Dr Toby Ganley or telephone: 020 7520 2433.
Session at NCVO's Annual Conference
The Funding Commission kick-started its initial phase of consultation at NCVO's annual conference on 18 February. Rachel Lomax gave details of the Commission and it's work. This was followed by presentations from Toby Eccles and Brian Horner on opportunities and challenges over the next decade from their perspectives. Delegates took part in an exercise to identify key questions the Commission could consider to unlock some new ways of thinking.
- download notes from the session (Word 46KB)
- download presentation from Toby Eccles (PowerPoint 370KB)
First meeting of the Commission
The Commission held its first informal meeting in February. The papers of the meeting are available below:
- Agenda (PDF 5KB)
- Background paper (PDF 94KB)
- Note of the meeting (PDF 17KB)
First Think Piece launched
A think piece on the funding opportunities and challenges in the next decade (PDF, 508 KB) is now available.
This has been written by David Carrington on invitation by the Funding Commission.
Events
There are no events planned.
Contact about the Funding Commission
To contact NCVO about the Funding Commission, you can:
- email the Policy Team
- write to: Funding Commission, c/o Dr Toby Ganley, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Regent's Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL
- telephone Dr Toby Ganley, NCVO Policy Officer on 020 7520 2433.
Keep up-to-date with the work of the Funding Commission
If you would like to be kept up to date with the work of the Funding Commission please email the Policy Team with your name, organisation and contact details. We will send you news and information related to the Funding Commission.











