Two Ridings Community Foundation

About the Client

Two Ridings Community Foundation is a regional charity that supports communities across York, North Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire. The Foundation manages a range of grant-making programs, including the York Community Fund, which was established in partnership with the City of York Council and others. The fund focuses on strengthening York's voluntary and community groups by providing grants that support purposeful community action and create a sense of belonging. The guidelines for this fund were created through a participatory decision-making process involving people with lived experience, ensuring decisions are made collectively and equitably. This approach shifts the power dynamics between funders and recipients, fostering stronger relationships and more informed local decision-making.

Project Outline

The project aimed to support Two Ridings in strengthening participatory decision-making and increasing awareness of funding opportunities for smaller groups. It focused on ways to broaden representation within the York Community Fund panel and explored alternative ways to engage community voices. At the same time, it reviewed funding processes and engagement to reduce barriers for smaller groups, creating actionable strategies for wider inclusion and access to funds.

Project Outcomes

This project focused on improving the accessibility and visibility of Two Riding’s funding opportunities available to established charities and grassroots organisations. YCC Consultants identified key areas of improvements for Two Ridings reach, specifically targeting regional charitable organisations outside the majorly populated Yorkshire areas. This collated in detailed and organised recommendations targeting these specific areas for improvement.

Client Feedback

"Working with the YCC team was a great experience. The team seemed genuinely interested in the questions we posed. We were as open as possible with information for the group, inviting them to a panel to observe and answering questions sent through.

The final presentation was well‑structured and insightful. The group had clearly done thorough research and thoughtful analysis. The team took time to understand Two Ridings’ current processes and challenges as well as they could given this is not their area of work. Many of the presented recommendations were both practical and strategically valuable.

We particularly found the following interesting and helpful:

• The blend of interviews, analysis, sector benchmarking, and data‑driven insights created a good evidence base that strengthened recommendation.

• Several of the recommendations felt realistic, relevant, and directly connected to the issues Two Ridings faces, from improving equity of information for panel members to enhancing outreach in rural blackspots.

• Initiatives like the Insight Panel, panel pack redesign, eligibility questionnaire, and rural outreach strategies showed creativity while remaining grounded in Two Ridings ethos and best practice.

Overall, working with the YCC team was engaging, thoughtful, and delivered with a high level of professionalism. The recommendations provide a clear pathway for Two Ridings to strengthen our decision-making, widen our reach, and improve fairness and accessibility across our funding processes."

• Two Ridings