The Covid Fund Thesis

Common Call is poised to redress the deprivation of resources, skills and tools that inequality of resource allocation metes upon the Black community in the UK and in other parts of the world. Through the provision of training in leadership, activism and entrepreneurship, we empower Black people to engage actively and beneficially in the communities in which they live.

​To understand the impact of COVID-19 on our community, we carried out a few in-depth interviews with founders. Based on those interviews, we understand that the key challenges they are currently facing in the COVID-19 crisis are:

1. Transitioning to new models of delivery: much of the social impact work done to support the Black community is built on face to face interaction. As a culture that is built primarily on communal gatherings and frequent lively conversation, founders have found it difficult to engage in their work to the same level of impact. There are also the related costs. From laptops and webcams to needed software subscriptions and more that add up each month.
2. Reduced fundraising ability and loss of core/unrestricted income: founders in the social impact space must be very cautious in terms of resource allocation and strategic planning. With so few funds providing unrestricted funding and even fewer funds supporting any Black-led social enterprises, it is incumbent upon the leadership of these impact-driven organisations to plan effectively and far in advance. The inability to carry out revenue-based work with corporations, the inability to continue with fee-paying events that are a large percentage of revenue, has greatly affected the cash flow of many organisations.
3. Reduced staff capacity: Many have had to scale back their operations and activities significantly during the crisis but need to ready themselves for an intense period of delivery as restrictions are being eased. For example one of the organisations we spoke with provides tutoring for disadvantaged GCSE students, they have seen an increased level of need after a prolonged period of home schooling and they need to recruit and train more tutors to meet that demand.
4. Lack of access to government support: None of the founders we spoke with were able to claim any governmental support as an organisation and are yet to gain access to any funding for their work from the COVID-19 grant schemes that have since been released.

With an unstable team, a lack of awareness about what the future holds and very little track record with funders existing, it is difficult for Black-led social enterprises to access the support that is potentially available to them. That is why this is such an important opportunity and we are the right gatekeepers to facilitate and deploy this funding. We already have a keen understanding of the challenges and needs of Black social entrepreneurs because we work intimately with them throughout the year. We have the expertise to support their growth and development as well as to engage them in effective fund management and impact measurement.

Black-led organisations are often unable to access the amount of funding that is needed to carry out great pieces of work that will create a transformative impact on underserved communities around the country because they have limited track record of finance or fund management. We have the opportunity with this Fund, to provide a package of funding and support into highly promising yet underserved organisations. Through this fund, we can support them and give them a better chance to continue their services and navigate this crisis.

We expect our beneficiaries will be primarily working in:

• Arts and Culture
• Employment, Education and Training
• Mental Health and Wellbeing, or
• Citizenship and Community

The majority of the organisations we support rely on grant funding, personal savings and in some cases pay-day loans to help them bridge the financial gap to deliver on their charitable objectives and social aims. They typically describe their beneficiaries as “people of ethnic minority background”, “young people”, “living in poverty”. On average, more than 200 people a year with in-person and online initiatives. 

We know the unique challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs in the UK, and we have a history of providing access to tools, resources, and training to ensure the future sustainability of their enterprises.