Despite not having any funding rounds this year (though just completing one at time of writing - July ‘22) there has been plenty of activity going on behind the scenes to make Edge run more smoothly and with more safeguards for staff and volunteers. Our hope is that these changes will help Edge Fund to be more sustainable in the longer-term.
In the year ended 31st January 2022 we continued our work strengthening our internal organisation after making the decision to work with an external facilitor to carry out an internal review in March 2021.
During the financial year the society worked with Pastel to overhaul and improve the website.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST JANUARY 2022
The committee members submit their annual report and the financial statements for the year ended 31st January 2022.
PRINCIPLE ACTIVITIES
Making grants to grassroots social change projects.
Developing and promoting new models of democratic grant making.
Bringing people of different backgrounds together to learn about each other's issues and support each other's work.
REVIEW FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST JANUARY 2022
Despite not having any funding rounds this year (though just completing one at time of writing - July ‘22) there has been plenty of activity going on behind the scenes to make Edge run more smoothly and with more safeguards for staff and volunteers. Our hope is that these changes will help Edge Fund to be more sustainable in the longer-term.
In the year ended 31st January 2022 we continued our work strengthening our internal organisation after making the decision to work with an external facilitor to carry out an internal review in March 2021.
During the financial year the society worked with Pastel to overhaul and improve the website.
GRANTS
There were no funding rounds in the year ending 31st January 2022.
INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT
This process began in late 2020 and covered many aspects of how Edge functions. There were a series of proposals, covering many of the above issues which were approved by last year’s AGM (in August 2021). At that AGM we also proposed as a means to improving accountability to members to present a budget to following AGMs. This budget will include expanded provision for upskilling of staff, core group and members. We would like to re-introduce more of the convening of members we did pre-pandemic through what we have called Radical Sharing Forums
Facilitating Group becomes Core Group: this simplification of name - partly to make joining a more accessible prospect - also coincided with a change of membership, with several long-term members to be replaced by people from more diverse backgrounds, with more lived experience of the struggles Edge seeks to address. New terms of reference have been established, and a basic monthly payment for CG members has been agreed.
Re-cap: What is the Core Group? The CG is made up of Edge Fund members who volunteer to support the running of the organisation. The group’s main responsibility is providing operational and financial oversight, working closely with Edge Fund’s two staff members, and we try to do this in a way that lives up to Edge Fund’s values. We aim to create the foundations for Edge Fund to do its best possible work on funding and uplifting grassroots activists who are organising for social, environmental and economic justice.
Within the CG the roles of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are also appointed - this is a legal requirement for Edge Fund as a registered society under the Co- operative and Community Benefit Societies Act. Other than the Treasurer, these roles are largely nominal and do not offer additional power or authority to the members who hold them. The role of Treasurer requires some additional responsibility as this person works alongside Edge Fund’s staff and accountant to maintain oversight and reporting on our financial situation.
The Core Group is not a traditional management or governance committee that can make major strategic changes to Edge Fund’s work without input from the wider membership.
In parallel with introducing support for staff (see below), we are hiring a Core Group Facilitator and Coach, who will help facilitate the twice-yearly face-to- face meetings of the CG and act as a point of contact for any support needs that individual CG members want to discuss. The Facilitator and Coach will also help the group to navigate any conflicts when they are beginning to emerge, although the development of a fuller conflict mediation approach (based on transformative justice principles) is planned to be taken forward next year.
Community Committees (CCs): Edge Fund members that choose to be part of CCs play an important role as the first people to review funding applications as well as to make structural changes to best support grassroots groups on the ground. CCs are organised based on members' lived experience around the areas of Race, Disability, Migrants, LGBTQI, Systemic Change and Environment, amongst others. Edge Fund held a CC meeting with members which indicated a need to fund more groups outside of London that continue to uphold values such as anti-liberalism and anti-racism.
The Welcome Group is set to be re-established, with new members to be allocated to a Community Committee when they join.
The Funding Working Group was set up, and met to discuss how Edge Fund’s funding rounds could change to become more accessible and beneficial to groups applying for funding. After a meeting with multiple CCs to discuss our funding rounds, the group made changes in the eligibility criteria, application forms and grant distribution. One of the most important changes was to make grants equal in size, and distribute £1000 to 40 groups in our next funding round (May-June 2022). It was decided to reduce competition between groups and remove the funding day as part of the funding decision-making process. Edge will continue to organise a forum event where grantees will be able to meet each other.
We intend to set up a Staffing Group as a sub-group of the Core Group. Its members will be responsible for recruiting staff and liaising with the Staff Support person. Edge Fund temporarily recruited Liam Barrington-Bush from Resist and Renew as the new staff support facilitator who will support internal development work, ensuring Edge Fund’s structures live up to the values that drive our grant-making and which centre collective care in practice.
INFLUENCING FUNDERS
The Influencing Funders Group has continued to publicise the benefits of participatory grantmaking to mainstream trusts and foundations. We have useful links with groups promoting radical funding such as Resource Justice , New Philanthropy Capital , EDGE Funders Alliance , the Participatory Grantmakers Community of Practice, and Ten Years' Time . Edge was mentioned in events, reports and articles including from Philea , the The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the Chronicle of Philanthropy .
WEBSITE
New illustrations by Tamara-Jade Kaz were added to the website to accompany the values laid out on the front page. We could still do with more photographs and illustrations for the site, and would welcome any suggestions members may have.
STAFF, MEMBERSHIP AND THE FACILITATING GROUP
Staff Changes
We were really happy in December 2021 to welcome Illary Valenzuela-Oblitas as our second staff member, joining Hannah Ross, who was working alone for longer than we would have liked. Illa is a grassroots organiser in social movements in the UK and Peru for the past decade. She has worked in policy development to advance the rights of migrant survivors of gender-based violence and has coordinated various youth-led campaigns. The Core Group is currently considering whether to employ a third staff member.
Facilitating Group changes
The only change during the year was that Kamna Muralidharan left. We thank her for her important contributions to the FG, which included supporting Edge to make adaptations during pandemic restrictions and playing a key role in internal development work. We are glad that Kamna continues to be an active member of Edge Fund.
GOVERNANCE AND THE COMMITTEE
Committee members are drawn from a wide background and are selected to ensure they bring relevant experience, skills, diversity and understanding to the discussions and decision making process of the committee. The committee meets formally on a regular basis to review the activities and the finances of the society and to ensure its effective management and governance.
In the financial year to 31st January 2022 Isis Amlak continued to act as chairperson throughout the financial year. Isis resigned as chairperson following the 31st January 2022. Patrick Boase continued to act as treasurer throughout the financial year and to the date of this report. Louise Foreman continued to act as secretary throughout the financial year and to the date of this report. Mark Brown and Rakesh Prashara continued to act as members of the committee of management. Kamna Muralidharan resigned from the committee of management during the year to 31st January 2022.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the society's rules adopted upon incorporation and in accordance with applicable law and regulations. The committee members are satisfied that the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the society and of its surplus or deficit at the period end.
In preparing the financial statements the members are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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state whether the policies adopted are in accordance with the appropriate SORP on Accounting Regulations and with applicable accounting standards, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and assume that the society will continue in business.
The members of the committee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the society and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. They are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the society and hence for taking responsible steps for the prevention and detection of fraud or other irregularities.
SHARE CAPITAL
The society is limited by share capital. The liability of each member (160 in total) in the event of winding-up is limited to £1.
RESERVES POLICY
The society's policy on reserves is to keep £80,000 to £100,000 as a reserve fund which is sufficient to cover one funding round and the society's management and administration expenses for a minimum period of six months.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The annual general meeting was held and the accounts approved on Saturday 6th August 2022.
A PDF of the annual accounts can be found here.