In recent years, as inequality and specific forms of injustice have accelerated, the concept of ‘by and for’ organisations has gained significant traction within the UK voluntary sector. This interest grew exponentially during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which community based organisations played a crucial role in responding to challenges.
Lloyds Bank Foundation and Legal Education Foundation commissioned New Economics Forum (NEF) in summer 2024 to conduct research to bring together different strands of interest in these organisations. Shortly after this, riots took place across England, with far-right groups targeting asylum seekers and refugees and racially minoritised communities, as well as some of the organisations supporting them.
We again saw the vitality of these small community-led organisations who were able to respond quickly and effectively. These organisations, characterised by their commitment to being led by and serving specific communities, represent a unique and vital part of the civil society landscape.
The research project
With the aims of improving funders’ and policymakers’ awareness and understanding about the role and value of by and for organisations, increasing sector-wide understanding of the small and local nature of user and equity led organisations and producing a set of recommendations about practice and policy changes that can better support them, NEF conducted in-depth research across nine months (August 2024-April 2025).
The research team engaged 98 individuals from 86 by and for organisations across England and Wales via interviews and focus groups using creative methods to elicit deep understanding of the issues they face. The research was led by Frances Northrop and Dr. Abi O’Connor from NEF alongside four peer researchers: Alya Harding, David Zilkha, Dr Steph Ejegi-Memeh and Zara Manoehoetoe, with support from a committed and knowledgeable
advisory group made up of individuals with a broad range of lived and professional experience.
The research was developed in accordance with three key principles: a participatory approach, a focus on capacity building and network strengthening, and centering the specificities and needs of by-and-for organisations.
The findings from this research are significant in their breadth and their depth. This blog will not be an exhaustive list of all key findings, let alone an adequate analysis of each. However, it is intended to introduce communities, funders and wider stakeholders to what has emerged from this research.
Broadly speaking, our findings unite around three themes: the vitality and distinct qualities of by and for organisations, the multifaceted barriers and challenges they face in regards to funding and funder relationships, and intersectional power imbalances. We have chosen one key finding from within each of these three broad themes to discuss here.
Vitality of by and for organisations and the centrality of lived experience
All participants agreed that the most common signifier of a by and for organisation, which sets them apart from others fighting against inequality, is the fact that those involved have lived experience of the issues they are seeking to address. Participants explained that retaining a focus on lived experience ensures that organisations remain bonded to their founding principles and values.
From volunteers to board members, an emphasis on lived experience helps build a culture of care and solidarity within by and for organisations. It helps build trust amongst peers, it helps develop a greater understanding of their circumstances and helps fuel the kind of passion that makes the work of by and for organisations vital in their communities. For example, participants often spoke about needing to do the work, because history has shown them that no-one else will, and many shared that they believed this was because commitment to a cause is often strongest when it derives from lived experience.
“By and for [organisations] reduce[s] stigma and perceptions of why someone has ended up in a situation…because we’ve been there.” – Participant 85, VAWG organisation
“We have a more comprehensive analysis of the problem and it means something more.” – Participant 4, Racial Justice organisation
Barriers and challenges in the funding landscape: lack of sustainability
Almost all of the participants were involved in organisations facing a perpetual challenge of sustainability. While this is a challenge for many organisations across the VSCE sector, large and small, the nature of their mission often means that by and for organisations emerge in broader social, political and economic contexts which forces them to confront a challenging paradox: their work is vital to those socially forgotten or excluded yet they frequently lack the financial resources or expertise necessary to adequately remedy the situation.
The most prominent discussion amongst participants was the issues of funding getting harder to find, with some of the organisations facing serious difficulties. Several contrasted this with a period during the coronavirus pandemic where funding was more readily available. Within this landscape, the distinct lack of ‘core’ and continuation funding was cited as a key source of precarity for organisations.
“We’re having to build the rail track whilst also having to drive the train.” – Participant 1, racial equality charity
“There’s a lack of continuity when funding ends - continuation funding is rare so we can’t build on the projects we have put resource into.” – Participant 33, Deaf and Disabled people’s organisation
“The stories we hear are really worrying. We have to fight the corners of buy and for women's organisations. I mean, there were 35 refuges and I think there are only 15 or 16 left now. Most of them have. We are struggling to survive and nobody's fighting our corner.” – Participant 48, VAWG organisation
Intersectional power imbalances and invisible issues
There are tensions between larger organisations (eg larger funders, local authorities) that might not see or understand the value of small, local and specialist by and for organisations. Frequently, they fail to take into account the limited capacity of smaller by-and-for organisations, expecting significant outcomes whilst providing inadequate resources and engage in extractive practices in which expertise or knowledge flows one way. This issue is compounded for organisations representing the voices of those experiencing intersecting issues of marginalisation, with many small by-and-for organisations finding themselves crowded out by louder voices in terms of securing funding despite the larger organisation not being led by those with lived experience or representing the interests of their communities.
“There’s a systemic power imbalance, which large organisations maintain. Larger organisations keep the money, keep in their ivory towers, are nervous about disruption.” – Participant 96, educational equality charity
“I won't use names of others, but there have been other charities, similar who have a lot mainly led by white people, white women, who have a lot more access, who have essentially tried to extract the work that [Organisations name]... and even at one point, asked if they could, like, merge, which meant that [Organisations name] would become a part of their work...” – Participant 5, health equalities organisation
Our research showed that the above issues are in many cases compounded by funders’ tendency to draw distinct lines between themselves – their operations, their purpose – and the grassroots organisations that they fund. For many participants, funders operate at a distance – perhaps reflected in the bureaucratic nature of application and monitoring processes – which makes the building of long-lasting relationships, premised upon long-term goals, a challenge.
Transformational impact
The short-term nature and immediate necessity of many of the services that by and for organisations provide suggests that their focus is on the pressing matters in front of them. And in many ways that is true. But, while many organisations engage in service delivery in an environment of urgent social need, they also offer much in the way of transformative impact. They create spaces where their members often feel empowered and supported. People's agency is amplified and nurtured in a communal environment which prioritises belonging and understanding.
“We can help because we have a place to be, because we have an organisation that facilitates that [community work]. If we didn’t have that, that lady would have still been in the world completely hopeless and full of fear and she left this space full of hope.” – Participant, focus group
“It’s uncomfortable to be around other people thinking I need to be careful what I say…spaces where you can be yourself are liberating.” – Participant, focus group
Join the discussion
The full findings from this report, including a working typology (set of principles) aiming to guide a definition of by and for organisations, will launch later this summer.
Before then, NEF are hosting a roundtable for funders (statutory and philanthropic) that are interested in hearing about the findings and shaping the recommendations on
18 June 2025 at the Foundry. We’ve had lots of interest and spaces are limited but please get in touch with
sperry@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk if you’d like to join and keep an eye out on socials for updates on the work.
