Open Philanthropy Network
“Open Philanthropy was an NPC innovation programme seeking to demonstrate how philanthropy in the UK can be more transparent and inclusive. As part of this programme, NPC launched a pop-up funding cycle where all decisions were made by panellists with lived or professional experience relating to financial hardship.
Rachael joined our Open Philanthropy programme as a panellist, making decisions on how to award £250,000 of funding to the financial hardship sector in the most transparent and inclusive ways possible. She brought great clarity to the decision-making process, bringing particular insight into how to avoid the barriers that Disabled-led organisations face in accessing funding, and working collaboratively with other panellists to maximise the value of their own lived and professional experience.
After the project concluded, NPC wrote up our learning into an Open Philanthropy toolkit, to encourage other funders in the sector to move towards openness. Having seen the value of her insight during the panel process, we commissioned Rachael to review the toolkit through an accessibility lens, ensuring this resource could be used by as wide an audience as possible.”
Naomi Chapman
Senior Consultant
Project: Open Philanthropy Network Toolkit
Client: New Philanthropy Capital (NPC)
Role: Lived Experience & Expert Panel Member and Accessibility Consultant
Skills: Accessibility Audit, Responsible Grant Giving, Accessibility Best Practices in Grant Giving
Scope: Joining NPC’s innovative panel, my role focused on redefining the grant-giving process to be more inclusive and accessible, addressing systemic barriers in traditional philanthropy together with a team of other lived experience experts.
Achievements:
Participated in in-person and online workshops, co-developing a new grant-giving model.
Contributed to the management of a £250,000 fund, demonstrating the new model’s effectiveness.
Performed a detailed audit, ensuring universal accessibility of the final toolkit setting a new standard for inclusive philanthropy.
Challenges:
Tight Deadline for Accessibility Audit: The project demanded a swift turnaround for the accessibility audit, requiring efficient and effective evaluation under time constraints.
Focus Group Dynamics: contributing to discussions among a passionate focus group presented a unique challenge. Balancing diverse viewpoints and needs, particularly from community representatives deeply invested in their causes, required careful navigation and empathetic communication.
Impact: This project marked a pivotal step in making philanthropy more inclusive, proving the importance of integrating diverse experiences and expertise in shaping equitable grant-giving frameworks.