Organising for change within the Solidarity Fund: what we mean and why it matters

The Solidarity Fund prioritises funding organisations that are committed to supporting communities in England to tackle the root causes of poverty, discrimination, and disadvantage. Building power within communities is central to our mission. But what exactly do we mean by building power, and why is it so crucial?

Building power is about giving communities the tools, confidence, sustained support, and networks they need to organise themselves and challenge the systems that create inequality. Unlike short-term mobilisation or advocacy led by external organisations, building power ensures communities themselves can take the lead, develop lasting solutions, and make systems fairer.

Understanding different ways change happens

In the Solidarity Fund, we use a framework inspired by the work of Jane McAlevey, the author of No Shortcuts: Organising for Power, to clearly explain our approach:

• Advocacy involves professionals (e.g. lawyers, policy experts) advocating for communities. This approach has value but can leave communities reliant on external support, limiting sustained leadership within communities.
• Mobilisation engages existing supporters through activities like petitions or protests. While effective in the short term, mobilisation doesn't usually expand participation or foster long-term leadership.
• Organising is our priority. This approach builds grassroots leadership, engages new participants, and develops structures capable of long-term systemic change. Although more time-consuming, organising is the most sustainable way to achieve lasting, equitable change.

Why organising matters for lasting community power

We prioritise organising because genuine, lasting change occurs when communities have the skills, structures, and confidence to lead themselves. For example, an advocacy organisation might offer legal assistance to migrants, providing valuable support, but without enabling those migrants to build leadership and influence beyond individual cases.

A mobilisation project may gather thousands of signatures on petitions for migrant rights but often only engages those already involved, without expanding the leadership base. In contrast, organising involves training migrants to lead their own campaigns, build community networks, and develop leadership structures that endure, ensuring that power stays within communities and can drive sustained change.

The difference between community power and individual empowerment

Drawing on insights from Marshall Ganz, a Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organising, and Civil Society at Harvard University, we emphasise collective action over individual empowerment alone. While programmes that focus on building individual skills, such as leadership training or confidence-building workshops, can be valuable, they often do not address the underlying structures that create inequality. Community power, on the other hand, is about people coming together to organise, challenge, and change the systems that cause poverty, discrimination, and disadvantage.

For example, a project that offers young people confidence-building workshops may have an impact on individuals but is unlikely to create wider change on its own. By contrast, community power comes to life when young people are supported to organise, build collective voice, and influence the decisions and practices that shape their lives and communities.

How we support organisations building power in communities

The Solidarity Fund prioritises funding organisations that build community power by developing grassroots leaders and reaching beyond established activist circles. We look for work that strengthens accountability through democratic or participatory decision-making, where solutions are shaped directly by the communities most affected. Our funding supports organisations that focus on making systems fairer, not just delivering direct services, and that are committed to long-term structural change through sustained leadership and collaboration.

In practical terms, this means funding work that helps communities influence the decisions that shape their lives. We are here to resource communities working for structural change, supporting them to build the power, solidarity, and knowledge they need to tackle the root causes of inequality.