The purpose of this Best Practice Briefing is to support women’s organisations across the UK to influence commissioners and other decision makers in their local area in particular around the accessibility of funding for Black and minoritised women’s organisations. This briefing is based on WRC’s experience of influencing the design and implementation of the Domestic Abuse Act Tier 1 Duty in London in 2021.1 The Tier 1 Duty includes the production of a needs assessment and a domestic abuse strategy. It also includes a pot of funds for the provision of safe accommodation, for which organisations are invited to tender. WRC received funding from Lloyds Bank Foundation to influence the distribution of funds under the Tier 1 Duty, to ensure that Black and minoritised women’s organisations were successfully receiving the funding they needed.

This briefing considers a model of influencing that both engages with commissioners to ensure the voice of the sector, especially Black and minoritised organisations, is present during the design and consultation period, as well as during the commissioning period. It also considers a model of supporting small specialist organisations to overcome common barriers in accessing funding that particularly affect Black and minoritised women’s organisations.

Read the briefing