Call to tender: Designing and managing BLMUK’s funding process
Timeframe This is a 6-9 month consultancy, depending on how you intend to manage the work. Start date as soon as consultants are available.
Budget: £20k (negotiable based on circumstances). There is also a separate budget for resources in supporting you to carry out the work.
Location: Flexible
We welcome sole and joint applications from collectives, organisations and partnerships.
Context
Black Lives Matter UK formed in 2016. We are a member-led, campaigning organisation, working towards collective liberation. We fight for all our Black working class family, here and across the world. We fight against racism, but also against capitalism and patriarchy because ALL Black lives matter. We are proudly led by Black people.
BLMUK raised £1.22 million via a crowdfunding campaign in 2020. In February 2021, we announced that we would distribute 50% of the funds raised and gave out £170k to 14 organisations in 2021.
This means we now have around £400k to distribute in this next stage of funding. As a group we have set out 7 prioritised areas of Black liberation:
1. Black Arts and Culture
2. Health & response to COVID-19
3. Funding Black Futures – (Housing and Employment)
4. Education
5. Police and Prison Abolition
6. Immigration & Border Abolition
7. International Solidarity (including Climate Justice)
The task now is how we redistribute these funds to the grassroots and those who would not normally be funded through traditional philanthropy and grant giving. We are not a funder, but we do have a responsibility to resource our communities.
Main purpose and scope of the consultancy:
To design, develop and manage a process for the redistribution of BLMUK funds.
Key activities:
• Design and deliver a process for distributing BLMUK’s second round of funding including a criteria, outreach plan, communications, assessments of applications, support for applicants and decision makers and all other grants administration
• Establish a decision-making process for grant applications that aims to distribute funds with participation from a wide range of people
• Develop an easy and accessible application process and field all enquiries, providing support to applicants where needed
• Manage all aspects of the launch of the fund e.g liaising with the media and comms team to develop a communications plan
• Grants administration support to sign off all the legal and financial agreements with groups who will be funded and ensure they receive their payments.
Other activities:
• Be able to work within the values and vision of BLMUK
• Contribute and feedback to Coordinating Group meetings
• Develop, foster and maintain effective relationships with groups and collectives who work in solidarity with us
• Work within BLMUK’s administration and organisational systems
• Provide reflections to inform the ongoing strategy and vision of BLMUK
You are:
• Aligned with anti-racism practices and black radical organising
• Experienced in working with grassroots groups
• Experienced in grant giving and/or redistributing funds
• Practised in grants administration and best practice
• Able to project manage, handle budgets and stay on top of administration
How to apply: Send us your CV and a short cover letter (maximum 2 sides A4) to coordinator@ukblm.org by 6th March outlining these key points:
Your values and experience of working on issues relating to anti-racism and black led grassroots organising
Your experience of working on grant-giving or redistributing funds in a community, institutional or philanthropic context
Your hopes for this consultancy and how you would approach the work
A very rough timeline for how you would carry out the consultancy e.g when you would start, how many days a week you would be working
Anything you would need from BLMUK to support you to carry out the consultancy e.g accessibility, care responsibilities, equipment
We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, class, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, HIV/Status or disability and other factors.
The nature of our work as a registered Community Benefit Society means we encourage applications that are black led, and from working class, disabled, LGBTQI and other marginalised identities.
If you have any questions or comments please reach out. We are committed to supporting people to make an application so drop us an email:
coordinator@ukblm.org
Where to find BLM UK
• www.ukblm.org
• Instagram: @blmuk
• Twitter: @ukblm
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BLMUK
Work with us
