Our 2018-2021 strategic priorities
Our three year strategy sets out three clear strategic priorities for our work, underpinned by a set of measurable objectives.
This page sets out our progress in each priority area, as we move into the final year of our current strategy.
Funding
We believe in the power of long-term funding. We support voluntary sector organisations through three main routes.
Our Strategic Partnerships are long term, high value partnerships which operate on multiple levels.
The Community Investment Fund provides targeted funding around particular social issues.
Every Berkeley office also partners with a local Designated Charity that they work directly with.
Progress against our strategy
| Target | Progress |
|---|
Find projects that would enable us to give at least £3.5 million a year by 2021 through grants, staff fundraising and GAYE. | We gave £3 million to communities in 2019/20 through grants, staff fundraising and GAYE. |
Work in partnership with other funders, businesses and local authorities to develop a more collaborative approach to funding, which leverages our giving and increases its impact. | This year we have established new co-funding relationships with PIMCO Foundation, the GLA and the ECB, supporting our key strategic partnerships. We have also worked with London Funders to share intelligence around the response to Covid-19. |
Launch a core cost commitment, which will ensure that every grant we make takes a full cost recovery approach. | Our core cost commitment have been published on our website. In 2019/20 95% of new grants, representing 99% of the total value of our commitments, were either unrestricted or included core costs. |
Adding value
As well as funding frontline services, we also use our skills, expertise, resources and networks to create development opportunities for our partners and their beneficiaries.
Our partnership with the Berkeley Group provides us with access to a wide range of assets and opportunities.
Progress against our strategy
| Target | Progress |
|---|
Develop a broader range of skilled volunteering opportunities for Berkeley staff, increasing the number of volunteer hours given across the Berkeley Group and measuring the impact of this for both charities and staff. | We have set up a staff committee to review volunteering opportunities across Berkeley Group and identify better ways to share these with staff. |
Create more opportunities for our partners to meet, network and collaborate with each other and our wider networks. | In February we held a business networking dinner, in partnership with Crisis, raising awareness of the issue of homelessness among Berkeley Group’s corporate networks. |
Develop stronger pathways for young people taking part in Berkeley Foundation programmes to access work experience and employment opportunities with the Berkeley Group and its supply chain. | We have developed a number of new employment pathways, including work to support Crisis members into jobs at St George’s Grand Union development in Brent. |
Learning & sharing
We use what we’ve learned to inform and improve our own strategy and funding decisions, share insights and influence wider policy and practice.
We do this by publishing evaluations and reports, convening events and communicating about what didn’t work as well as what did.
Progress against our strategy
| Target | Progress |
|---|
Undertake a long-term evaluation of the Foundation’s impact, to be published in 2021. As part of this, we will develop opportunities for partner charities and their beneficiaries to give feedback on our work. | We have commissioned IVAR to carry out our 10 year evaluation, and are aiming to deliver this in May 2021. |
Create a learning programme which provides space for our partners to share, reflect and develop their work. | We piloted our new learning programme in 2019/20. We delivered three learning events in the year, with plans for another five events in 2020/21. |
Raise the Foundation’s profile and ability to influence key stakeholders by developing and implementing a new communications strategy. | Our new communications strategy has been produced, and will be implemented over the next 12 months. |
