Foreword The study does not attempt to measure everything that the Fund has done. Rather, it provides a flavour of how the Fund went about trying to achieve social change. The name of the report, A Funder Conundrum, highlights some of the choices and dilemmas faced by funders and philanthropists. We hope it is useful for others who are seeking to achieve social change, and that our experiences enable readers to reflect on what they are aiming for, as well as considering the range of strategies that they might adopt to tackle persistent social problems.
‘A Funder Conundrum’ has provided The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund with a unique opportunity to reflect on our work and draw out learning to share with others. The Fund decided to commission this research study shortly after publishing our 2007 Strategic Plan, in which the Board members affirmed their intention to ‘spend-out’ and close after five years. Being a spend-out organisation has been a learning experience for both the Board members and the Fund’s staff, although many of the issues we have faced are also relevant for those existing in perpetuity. Through adopting a small number of social change objectives, the Board sent a clear message to staff that the focus in this period should be on what we wanted to achieve, with a level of tolerance towards risk and a commitment to being flexible and agile as the policy context evolved. This enabled the Fund to aim for ambitious social change, whilst adopting a proportionate approach to governance, which delegated most of the grant-making decisions to senior staff.
Dr. Astrid Bonfield Chief Executive The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
This report provides an independent, external view of how the Fund has worked since its inception in 1997, with an in-depth focus on the past five years. We wanted to find a way to explore the choices that we have made, provide examples of our successes and failures, and compare our approach with that of other funders and philanthropists.
Sir Roger Singleton Chair of Board of Directors The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
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