Strengthening solidarity: what we mean and why it matters
The Solidarity Fund prioritises funding organisations that help communities work together across different issues, recognising that poverty, discrimination, and exclusion are all connected. Practising solidarity means supporting each other, building trust, and creating spaces where those most affected by inequality can lead the way in shaping solutions.
Solidarity is more than partnership or cooperation. It’s about recognising that inequalities do not happen in isolation. Communities facing economic injustice, racism, ableism, or migration barriers often face overlapping challenges. Lasting change happens when these issues are linked, and people come together to learn, organise, and act.
What solidarity looks like in action
Solidarity can take many forms. It might mean supporting community organisers who are helping tenants, working parents, and migrants work together on shared challenges. It can look like organisations that bring different communities together to campaign for stronger protections in housing, employment, and public services. It also includes organisations that help people tell their own stories, changing public conversations about poverty and inequality.
In some cases, solidarity is about creating platforms where people with lived experience of injustice can take the lead, rather than simply being consulted. In others, it’s about linking local action to wider national conversations, showing how issues like housing, workers’ rights, and migration justice are connected. In all cases, solidarity is built through collaboration, shared learning, and a commitment to long-term change.
Why building connections across communities matters
The Solidarity Fund supports organisations that bring different communities together to tackle inequality. We look for work that is led by, or deeply accountable to, the communities it supports. We are especially interested in organisations that build bridges between different issues, whether that’s between disability and climate justice, or between housing campaigns and migrant rights organising.
We value organisations that help communities build leadership and confidence to shape decisions and influence change. We support work that looks beyond short-term fixes, focusing instead on long-term solutions and stronger networks of community-led action.
How we support organisations rooted in solidarity
We fund organisations that help communities connect their issues and work together towards fairer systems. We prioritise work that shows how inequalities overlap and that brings people together around shared goals. We support organisations that give communities the tools and support to lead their own campaigns and influence the decisions that affect their lives.
By funding this work, the Solidarity Fund aims to help communities build the relationships, confidence, and leadership they need to tackle inequalities together.