Association of Charitable Foundations conference
‘Orientation for foundations in a time of change’ was the title of the opening plenary of the ACF’s 2010 conference, held in London on 22 September. This could have been the title of the entire conference. For foundations in the UK, ‘a time of change’ comprises ongoing recession, expected massive cuts in public spending, and the amorphous ‘Big Society’ that is the watchword of the new coalition government.
Geoff Mulgan of the Young Foundation, one of the panellists, succinctly outlined four different ways foundations could respond. They could help to keep charities afloat as the state withdraws. They could be more ‘strategic’, for example reporting on unmet needs and shifting priorities. They could support research on how to reshape financial systems. Finally, he suggested making better use of the media, with the aim of ensuring the voices of different groups are heard.
The breakout sessions during the morning and afternoon covered the usual wide range of topics, but the closing plenary, entitled ‘Navigating uncertainty: challenges and opportunities’, returned to the morning’s theme. The keynote speaker, Marilyn Taylor of the University of the West of England, focused on the ‘risks and opportunities offered by the Big Society’ and what it means for trusts and foundations.
While Taylor likes the idea of government getting out of the way and giving people more control over their lives, she sees difficulties: will the spending cuts remove funding from the organizations that can deliver the Big Society? How realistic is the idea of communities running services on any scale?
What does all this mean for trusts and foundations? In preparing for her speech, Taylor took a straw poll of researchers she knew who have worked closely with foundations. Their advice: carry on doing what you do well, but take the opportunity to review what you do and to develop new ways of doing things beyond just making grants.
Her final message was about ‘the added value that an association of charitable foundations can bring’. The voices of individual trusts can be dismissed, she warned, but ‘can trusts and foundations as a group be a force to be reckoned with’? A sold-out conference with 300 delegates suggests that foundations do recognize the value of working more closely together.
Event ACF conference
Date 22 September 2010
Location London, UK
Organizer Association of Charitable Foundations
For more information
www.acf.org.uk
