Covid Response
We launched two emergency response funds to meet the immediate needs of specialist women’s organisations in the UK during Covid-19.
Covid-19 Emergency Response fund (small grants) impact report
Covid-19 Emergency Response fund for BME Women’s Organisations impact report
“One week, we had 37 referrals for two-bed spaces and were forced to turn women away. There’s always been this level of need for BME-led refuges, and the worry is now finding long-term sustainable funding.”
of BME-led organisations are worried about surviving the crisis
of non BME-led organisations are worried about surviving the crisis
of organisations said funding is their most urgent need
of organisations lack the capacity to find suitable funds
* Findings from Rosa’s joint survey with Women’s Resource Centre and Women’s Fund Scotland
Our Response
Covid 19 had an immediate and profound impact on specialist women’s organisations. Demand for services and advocacy surged, putting huge demand on already stretched resources. Women endured most of its impact – particularly women of colour, disabled women, women on low income and women with insecure immigration status.
We asked these organisations what they needed. They told us that flexible funding was critical to give them the best chance of surviving. As a feminist funder, our aim is always to respond quickly and effectively to meet these needs. We launched two emergency funds – a general response fund and one specifically for black and minoritised women and girls working on the frontline, delivering services that address violence against women and girls.
Total raised:
£1,023,000
Applications Received:
327
Grants Awarded:
72
Total Invested:
£593,176
Nearly half of the organisations surveyed in our joint report with Women’s Resource Centre and Women’s Fund Scotland told us they feared for their survival.
As demand grew and many lost their usual revenue, their main challenges were supporting service users, adapting their services, looking after staff, and ensuring they stayed afloat.
We responded by launching our Covid-19 Response Fund (Small Grants) to distribute unrestricted grants of up to £10,000 to specialist women’s organisations across the UK.
Applications Received:
53
Grants Awarded:
27
Refuge providers:
11
Non-refugee providers:
16
Total Invested:
£633,108
Imkaan coined the term ‘dual pandemics’ to describe the relationship between Covid-19 and violence against women and girls (VAWG).
As the virus spreads and its impact deepens, so too does abuse of women in the home. Together, the two pandemics disproportionately affect women of colour in different and interlocking ways. Services led ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised women are experts in addressing the complex nature of this discrimination. They provide safe spaces and culturally appropriate support that’s rooted in the lived experiences of women of colour.
These organisations came into the crisis with less funding than their counterparts and Covid-19 has further decimated their resources.
In partnership with Imkaan, our Emergency Response Fund for BME Women’s Organisations gave grants of up to £30,000 to refuges and up to £25,000 to ending-VAWG services led ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised women.
Our Impact
We caught up with the women’s organisations we funded to find out how the money is helping and what they’re experiencing right now.
“One older woman was feeling isolated and fearful while shielding during lockdown. Our support worker would deliver meals and care packages, and the woman said these weekly visits became her lifeline.”
– Giving Life Opportunities to Women
“One week, we had 37 referrals for just two bed spaces and were forced to turn women away. There’s always been this level of need for BME-led refuges, and the worry is now finding long-term sustainable funding.”
– Kiran Support Services
“Specialist services for BAME women are so vital. Mainstream organisations can’t always offer the culturally appropriate support these women need, so their needs often go unmet.”
– Hull Sisters
“Domestic violence doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. It’s the result of interlocking factors such as economic difficulty, mental wellbeing, alcohol abuse – the pandemic has compounded all of these factors.”
– Phoebe
“It takes a long time to support a woman on her journey because our support is so specialised. You can’t just leave a woman at a specific date and say ‘sorry, funding has ended.’”
– Refugee Women’s Association
Organisation name:
Anah Project
Location:
Bradford, England
Fund:
Response Fund for BME Women’s Organisations
Service:
Refuge provider
Amount awarded:
£34,922
Women supported:
400
Organisation name:
Granby Somali Women’s Group
Location:
Liverpool, England
Fund:
Response Fund for BME Women’s Organisations
Service:
Ending VAWG
Amount awarded:
£20,000
Women supported:
120
Organisation name:
Migrant Family Support
Location:
Coventry, England
Fund:
Covid-19 Response Fund (Small Grants)
Amount awarded:
£7,382
Women supported:
20
Organisation name:
African Women Care
Location:
London, England
Fund:
Emergency Response Fund for BME Women’s Organisations
Amount awarded:
£16,062
Women supported:
300
Black and minoritised women said they would struggle to make ends meet over the next 3 months
of Black and minoritised women are struggling to cope with the different demands of their time
of disabled or retired Black and minoritised women were unsure where to turn for help
of Black and minoritised women believe they will be in more debt after the crisis
*Coronavirus: Impact on BAME Women, Fawcett Society
What we funded
We focused on giving grants to small, specialist women’s organisations that often fall under the radar of larger national funds. Our priorities were organisations led ‘by and for’ black and minoritised women and girls, and those with an income of less than £100,000.
Our preliminary report picked up key themes and issues raised by funded organisations as part of a series of interviews and feedback.
Organisations with an income of less than £100,000
Turnover > £100k
Turnover < £100k
Organisations led ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised women
Not BME-led
BME-led
who the organisations are reaching
Black and minoritised women
Women of South Asian descent
Women of African descent
Women of Latin American descent
North African and Middle Eastern women
Kurdish, Turkish & Middle Eastern Women
Our donors and partners
Our impact on women and girls in the UK is driven by our donors and partners, our supporters who believe in the power of grassroots women’s organisations to lead and transform their own communities. No matter how you give your time to us or support us financially, you are helping us to invest in the women’s sector, and in turn change the lives of women and girls across the country.
Looking forwards
The impact Covid-19 will require sustainable funding to specialist women’s organisations, particularly those led ‘by and for’ black and minoritised women and girls.
Our focus is now on raising money to give long-term support to ‘by and for’ organisations. We’re widening our reach beyond ending-VAWG services to include organisations supporting women and girls in all aspects of life.
How you can help
Donate
Your gift will contribute to the vital work of specialist women’s organisations across the country, giving them the stability to support those who need it.
Partner
Working in partnership with Rosa helps us to provide long-term, sustainable support to the women’s sector.
Raise awareness
Whether you have us talk at your (Zoom) event or support us in your comms, spotlighting Rosa’s work builds solidarity with the women’s sector.