What is systems change in practice? Thriving in a new funding environment

"What the heck is systems change?" These are the words of one grassroots organisation we work with, in one of several conversations that have inspired this event.

Funders are increasingly asking that organisations are contributing to systems change. Join us for an informative conversation to gain some clarity on the renewed funding landscape, as well as hear from grassroots organisations that are successfully driving systems change. You might already be doing more systems change work than you perhaps think!

We are Civil Society Consulting (CSC), a community interest company that supports a wide range of UK charities, social impact organisations and public services by providing affordable services. We also provide free support to grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities - via a programme called Nurturing Grassroots.

Through our work, we are keenly aware that funders, including the National Lottery, are shifting their focus to systems change. Systems change is about addressing root causes of societal issues rather than merely alleviating their symptoms. Organisations that support vulnerable people are being asked to contribute towards changing the system that has created the problems those people are experiencing. But many are not yet clear as to what funders are expecting to see.

Over the years, our work has shown us just how much the system needs changing, which is why we launched a grassroots movement called Steps to Togetherness (aiming to create the conditions for systems change, by fostering connection within and between communities). At the same time, our work also brings us in direct contact with diverse community organisations working tirelessly to lessen the impact of the broken system on the most vulnerable, who have limited capacity and power. We think alignment between high-level thinking and practical realities on the ground is absolutely key. This event aims to help create this alignment, and to directly help organisations participating in Nurturing Grassroots to navigate and thrive in the new funding landscape.

In this online discussion, we are inviting representatives from major funding bodies to share the Foundation's new strategic thinking, as well as grassroots organisations, who will share some live examples that demonstrate how you, as a grassroots organisation, can realise systems change. You might already be doing more systems change work than you perhaps think!

Our valued and esteemed panellists include representatives from the Henry Smith Foundation, Burnside Centre and Free2B:

• Tom Bell is a Senior Grants Manager at the Henry Smith Foundation, which backs grassroots and community organisations committed to social change. Tom will share the foundation's thinking behind its new strategy and systems change in practice. You can find his full bio here.
• Lucie Brooke is the Co-founder and Director of Free2B, a community organisation in London supporting LGBTQ+ young people. She will share her experience implementing systems change at a community level. You can find her full bio here.
• Kerry Edwards is a Manager at the Burnside Centre in Middleton, Manchester which provides community led services for grassroots needs. She will share her experience implementing systems change at a community level. You can find more about Kerry and the Burnside Center here.

About Civil Society Consulting

Civil Society Consulting CIC (CSC) is a non-profit working across the UK, with strong connections in the North East, North West and East of England, as well as in London where we are based. In a nutshell: we want health, equality and cohesion. We believe that the voluntary community sector (VCS) is key! We aim to strengthen the VCS sector by being a reliable source of excellent support for VCS organisations, which is either affordable (to medium-sized and larger organisations) or free (to small, grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities).