Reimagining global giving through trust and partnership

The University of Manchester’s Research impact, shaped together campaign highlights how collaboration can lead to fairer and more effective ways of creating change. One featured story focuses on One World Together, an initiative using research, trust and shared decision-making to support community-led action in the UK and internationally. 

The work grew out of years of community-led research showing that traditional grant funding often falls short of its long-term aims. Short-term, tightly restricted funding can leave local organisations spending too much time meeting external requirements, rather than responding to what their communities actually need. In response, researchers and community partners worked together to design a different model based on long-term, flexible funding and local control. 

At the heart of One World Together is the idea that communities should have more say over how funding is used. Rather than relying on formal reporting alone, partners use regular check-ins, shared reflection and ongoing dialogue to review what is working, what needs to change and where support is most needed. That approach has helped create a funding model that is more responsive to real life, from crisis support to helping young people overcome barriers to progress. As Bernard Sudlow from Aquarius Community Savers describes it: “We weren’t being asked to fit into someone else’s system – we helped shape how funding worked and how learning was shared.” ) 

The initiative is now moving into its next phase by growing its Solidarity Fund through small, regular donations and expanding work with young people through Next Generation for Change. For the University, it also provides a strong example of how research can shape fairer, more community-led ways of sharing resources and creating lasting social impact. “This isn’t charity,” says Nicola, “It’s change. Trust‑based, unrestricted and long‑term.” 

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