Working with funders

Both national and local infrastructure organisations have a vital role to play to help funders better support those they fund to achieve more. Nationally, organisations like NCVO lobby government and work with funder bodies to help create a healthier funding environment for the sector.

The role of local infrastructure agencies

Local infrastructure organisations can have a crucial role in working across the funding relationship. Giving a voice to local groups, and representing the needs of local voluntary and community organisations to statutory funders and purchasers is part of what effective local infrastructure organisations do.

Improvements in performance is both achievable and realistic. By raising the subject with funders and your network, you will be helping the whole voluntary and community sector in your area to achieve more.

Local infrastructure organisations help both funders and funded organisations by:

• Putting performance improvement on the local agenda
• Building the capacity of the local sector to improve their performance
• Promoting strategic planning
• Improving monitoring and reporting arrangements between funders and fundees, especially by ensuring they are proportionate
• Encouraging the sharing of learning between voluntary and community organisations, between funders, and between funders and those they fund
• Supporting quality assurance.

A number of funders already see the value of focusing on performance. They engage those they fund in improving funding programmes as well as offering them support to improve their own performance. Both quick and longer-term wins with funders are possible. 

Read our guide

Performance Matters is a short, practical guide explaining the important role local infrastructure organisations can play to improve the funding relationship between their network members and funders. The guide contains insightful case studies and a range of practical suggestions on how you can put performance on the agenda of local funders. Download Performance Matters (PDF 260KB).