Non-financial support full report

Alongside grant funding, many charitable foundations and philanthropic actors now provide a wide range of non-financial support to civil society organisations. This support includes organisational development, coaching, technical assistance, pro bono expertise, peer learning and access to networks. It is often framed as “grants plus”, “funder plus”, “development support” or “non-financial support”. Funders argue that money alone is rarely sufficient to address complex social problems and that charities need support to strengthen their governance, strategy, leadership and resilience over time (Baring Foundation, 2004; Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015).  

In the United Kingdom and internationally, non-financial support has become a central element of venture philanthropy, impact investment and more relational models of grant making. These approaches emphasise long-term accompaniment, capacity building and mutual learning rather than purely transactional funding relationships (Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015; Impact Europe, 2018).  

This literature review examines how non-financial support is defined, the theoretical frameworks that underpin it, the main forms it takes in practice and the reported benefits and challenges. 

Early work by the Baring Foundation on organisational development in the voluntary sector distinguishes between financial support (grants, loans, equity) and non-financial support, which includes consultancy, training, facilitation, mentoring and help with systems and strategy (Baring Foundation, 2004).  

The European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA, now Impact Europe) defines non-financial support as the range of services and assistance that venture philanthropy and social investment organisations provide to increase the organisational resilience, financial sustainability and social impact of their investees (Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015). This may include strategic planning support, governance advice, help with impact measurement, HR processes and access to networks. 

Giving Evidence and related work on effective philanthropy similarly treat non-financial support as everything a donor does beyond writing a cheque, such as board participation, introductions to partners, office space, training and advice (Brest and Harvey, 2008; Giving Evidence, 2016).  

Non-financial support is therefore best understood as a broad family of capacity-building and relational practices that complement financial grants. It is usually discretionary, tailored to organisational needs and delivered either by funder staff, external consultants or corporate and professional volunteers. 

The literature situates non-financial support within wider debates on organisational capacity, resilience and power in philanthropy. Organisational development approaches stress that civil society organisations require internal capacities such as clear strategies, strong governance, financial management, digital skills and reflective leadership to sustain impact (Baring Foundation, 2004).  

Venture philanthropy theory frames non-financial support as a core element of an “engaged” investment model, in which funders work closely with organisations over several years to strengthen their business models and systems, similar to how private equity investors support portfolio companies (Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015; Balbo et al., 2010).  

At the same time, critical literature on power and philanthropy warns that non-financial support can reinforce funder dominance if it is imposed rather than co-created. Some studies observe that advisory or capacity-building offers can be experienced as intrusive, paternalistic or burdensome, particularly when linked implicitly to funding decisions (Corporate Citizenship, 2007; Effective Philanthropy, 2016). Trust-based philanthropy advocates therefore emphasise relational practices, mutual accountability and support that responds to priorities defined by grantees themselves. 

Intersectional feminist funds highlight that non-financial support is often inaccessible to the groups that need it most. Research on funding for lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) movements, for example, shows that donors report offering networking and capacity-building opportunities, but only a small fraction of LBQ groups actually receive these forms of support (Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and Mama Cash, 2020).  

• Funder Plus and Grants Plus Models 

A significant strand of practice involves “funder plus” or “grants plus” models that formally combine financial and non-financial support. The Robertson Trust describes its Funder Plus offer as additional support for grant holders to strengthen capacity, skills and capabilities, alongside wider sector support for third sector organisations more broadly. This includes one to one support, training, learning events and help with monitoring and evaluation (The Robertson Trust, 2023).  

Lloyds Bank Foundation’s Enhance programme in England and Wales is a widely cited case. Enhance provides tailored organisational development for small charities that receive grants. Support may cover strategy, governance, evaluation, communications or fundraising and is delivered by external consultants and volunteers. The foundation reports investing substantial resources in development support and reaching hundreds of charities per year (Lloyds Bank Foundation, 2021; 2025).  

City Bridge Foundation in London offers a Funder Plus package to all funded organisations. This includes free access to specialist consultancy on governance, business planning and fundraising, supported by the foundation’s own asset base and networks (City Bridge Foundation, 2023; 2025).  

These models treat organisational development and learning as an integral part of the grant relationship rather than a separate project. 

• Skills-based Volunteering and Mentoring 

Another important strand is skills-based volunteering and mentoring. Corporate Citizenship’s study for Abbey Charitable Trust and Nationwide Foundation identified structured programmes that match company staff with charities to offer expertise in areas such as strategy, HR and financial management (Corporate Citizenship, 2007).  

More recent examples include Lloyds Bank Foundation’s charity mentoring scheme, which connects staff from Lloyds Banking Group with small charities for strategic support and leadership guidance. This is presented as both a development opportunity for staff and a way to increase the resilience of partner organisations (Lloyds Bank Foundation, 2025).  

Internationally, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s Mentoring Women in Business programme mobilises corporate volunteers to provide year long online mentoring to women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries, often accompanied by training sessions and peer learning (Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, 2020).  

• Peer Learning, Networks and Convening 

Non-financial support is also delivered through peer learning spaces and networks. Local Trust’s Big Local programme in England offers a structured support centre that provides learning events, thematic networks and worker development programmes for community partnerships. This is designed to help local groups share experience, troubleshoot challenges and build confidence in governance and participatory decision making (Local Trust, 2023).  

The Foundation of Greater Montreal and other community foundations describe their non-financial role as “beyond the cheque”, including convening actors around shared priorities, supporting collaborative funds and facilitating cross sector learning (Foundation of Greater Montreal, 2021).  

Studies of feminist and movement funds note that convening and networking are especially important for under resourced groups, for example LBQ and trans led organisations, yet these forms of support are unevenly distributed (Astraea and Mama Cash, 2020).  

• Technical, Digital and Impact Support 

A further cluster of practices concerns technical assistance, digital skills and impact measurement. Nesta’s work on innovation and digital transformation has often combined grants with non-financial support such as advisory services, workshops and help to design and test digital tools (Nesta, 2016).  

EVPA and Impact Europe’s guidance stresses the importance of support in impact management and measurement, helping organisations to articulate theories of change, define indicators and use data in strategic decision making (Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015; Impact Europe, 2018).  

While non-financial support is widely promoted, several challenges recur across the literature. 

Resource intensity and cost. Effective non-financial support requires time, staff capacity and often external expertise. EVPA’s guide attempts to quantify the full cost of providing such support and warns that many funders underestimate the financial and opportunity costs involved (Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015).  

Alignment with grantee priorities. Studies report tensions where funders define the type of support on offer without sufficient consultation. This can lead to poor take up, duplication of existing provision or a sense that support is imposed rather than requested (Corporate Citizenship, 2007; Effective Philanthropy, 2016).  

Power dynamics and dependency. Non-financial support can deepen funder influence over organisational strategy and governance. Some authors caution that intensive advisory relationships may blur boundaries, limit critical challenge or increase dependency on a single funder (Brest and Harvey, 2008; Baring Foundation, 2004).  

Inequity in access. The Astraea and Mama Cash research on LBQ groups shows that while donors frequently report providing capacity-building and networking support, only a small minority of grantees actually receive these offers. Organisations in the global South or those led by marginalised communities face particular barriers to accessing non-financial support and often lack the time or staff capacity to participate (Astraea and Mama Cash, 2020).  

Measurement gaps. There is still limited evidence on the long term impact of non-financial support on organisational resilience or social outcomes. Many evaluations focus on satisfaction and participation rather than changes in governance quality, financial health or community impact (Baring Foundation, 2004; Giving Evidence, 2016). 

Despite the challenges, the literature identifies several positive effects when non-financial support is well designed and genuinely responsive. 

Evaluations of Lloyds Bank Foundation’s Enhance programme indicate that charities report improved governance, clearer strategies and stronger confidence among leaders, which in turn supports their ability to secure further funding and manage growth (Lloyds Bank Foundation, 2021).  

The Robertson Trust’s grantholder survey found strong demand for training, learning and networking opportunities and suggested that Funder Plus support helps organisations navigate complex systemic issues, for example poverty and inequality, by providing space for reflection and joint problem solving (The Robertson Trust, 2023).  

EVPA’s work with venture philanthropy organisations concludes that non-financial support is often the primary driver of value creation. Through strategic advice, impact management support and access to networks, funders help organisations to improve their models, build partnerships and scale impact in ways that grants alone would not achieve (Hehenberger and Boiardi, 2015; Impact Europe, 2018).  

At the field level, convening and peer learning can strengthen ecosystems by fostering collaboration, sharing practice and building solidarity, particularly among movements that have historically been underfunded. Feminist funds highlight that safe convening spaces are themselves a vital form of non-financial support (Astraea and Mama Cash, 2020).  

The literature suggests that non-financial support is an increasingly important feature of contemporary philanthropy and charitable funding. Defined broadly as any support that goes beyond the grant itself, it encompasses organisational development, mentoring, technical assistance, convening and peer learning. Theoretical frameworks from organisational development and venture philanthropy present non-financial support as a way to build capacity, resilience and impact. 

However, there are also clear warnings about cost, power and inequity. Non-financial support can reproduce paternalistic dynamics if it is not rooted in grantee priorities and if access is uneven across different types of organisations and movements. Critical work from feminist and global South perspectives is especially important in highlighting these risks. 

Overall, the evidence indicates that non-financial support has significant potential to improve organisational health and social impact when it is co-designed, adequately resourced and grounded in trust. Future research would benefit from more systematic evaluation of long term outcomes, comparative studies of different models and closer attention to how race, gender, class and geography shape access to and experiences of non-financial support. 

• Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and Mama Cash. (2020). Vibrant Yet Under Resourced: LBQ-Identifying Women and Trans People. 

• Balbo, L., Hehenberger, L., Mortell, D., and Oostlander, P. (2010). Establishing a Venture Philanthropy Organisation in Europe: A Practical Guide. European Venture Philanthropy Association.  

• Baring Foundation. (2004). Foundations for Organisational Development: Practice in the UK and USA. Baring Foundation.  

• Brest, P., and Harvey, H. (2008). Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart Philanthropy. Bloomberg Press. (Discussion of non-financial support summarised in Effective Philanthropy literature.)  

• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. (2020). Mentoring Women in Business Programme: Impact Report.  

• City Bridge Foundation. (2023). Annual Report and Financial Statements. City Bridge Foundation.  

• Corporate Citizenship. (2007). Developing Understanding Around Non-financial Support. Corporate Citizenship.  

• Effective Philanthropy. (2016). Effective Philanthropy: The Role of Evidence and Non-financial Support. Giving Evidence research agenda.  

• Foundation of Greater Montreal. (2021). Beyond the Cheque: Impact Report. Fondation du Grand Montréal.  

• Hehenberger, L., and Boiardi, P. (2015). A Practical Guide to Adding Value Through Non-financial Support. European Venture Philanthropy Association.  

• Impact Europe (formerly EVPA). (2018). A Short Guide to Non-financial Support: Building Blocks for Value Creation. Impact Europe.  

• Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales. (2021). Impact Report 2021. Lloyds Bank Foundation.  

• Lloyds Bank Foundation and Lloyds Banking Group. (2025). Financial Resilience and the Role of Small Charities. Lloyds Banking Group.  

• Local Trust. (2023). Organisational Resilience and the Big Local Support Offer. Local Trust.  

• Nesta. (2016). Innovation in Giving Fund: Learning Report. Nesta.  

• The Robertson Trust. (2023). Grantholder Survey 2023: Social Change and Future Support Needs. The Robertson Trust.