Inclusive Grantmaking

IPS Executive Director Jahna Cedar

​​Earlier this year, IPS Executive Director Jahna Cedar spoke at the Our Community Grantmaking Intelligence Conference​. Jahna was part of a three-person panel which sought to cast a spotlight on some of the biggest issues facing Australia and the world today, and what grantmakers can do to help.

Below, Jahna shares her responses to some of the questions asked at the conference. Her responses highlight the key ways in which grantmakers can increase accessibility of funding for First Nations people, and why it is becoming increasingly important to do so.

How can funders and grantmakers be more inclusive of First Nations people?
The opportunity to secure grants is integral to the establishment of many businesses seeking the initial capital to leverage for further investment. It allows for some quick wins, which in turn builds reputation and rapport in the market. It also allows business to demonstrate competitive advantage. The issue for many First Nations People is the competitiveness of non-Aboriginal people impeding and crowding in this space through black cladding.¹
 
Indigenous businesses need to start collaborating in order to reclaim their space. It comes back to self­-determination and building economic sustainability. We are experts in our own right, with lived experience that we can utilise to support real and tangible change in community.
 
Every funder should take the following into consideration when developing programs to dispense funds to Aboriginal people:

• Review the process. There is a common view among funding participants that the application and procurement process could do much more to promote the development of Aboriginal businesses. The ‘structure’ of the process is perceived to be controlled and managed by people who are somewhat closed to new ideas and options regarding Aboriginal procurement and its importance for cultural and economic development. This may be due to a general lack of awareness within management around the need to actively promote Aboriginal procurement.
• Weighting and consideration of targets. Analysis and consideration of proposal assessment weighting that respects and acknowledges Aboriginal business should be considered. Aligning procurement policy specifics with targets set in the State Aboriginal Procurement Policies or National Indigenous Participation Policies will also enable success for smaller projects. Suggestions of making programs exclusive for Aboriginal businesses and providing quality feedback to submission for continual learning and improvement is also critical.
• Communication and genuine engagement. There is an identified need to create genuine, meaningful, inclusive and participatory engagement between the local Aboriginal business sector and funders, and for culturally supportive practices to be embedded in the process. ​A key component of this is the need for communication, feedback, knowledge sharing and capacity building. It is crucial for funders to offer two-way communication channels and allow for the sharing of constructive feedback regarding how best to develop responses. The Aboriginal business sector will be prevented from moving forward if they are not provided with honest feedback regarding key areas of improvement and strength in responses. A key factor for future success is to ensure that businesses can learn and grow in a supportive environment.  This relates to the need to use simplified language in all documents to promote user-friendly access to all important information, and for submissions to be either written; verbal or video. 
• Mentorship. Offering mentors or coaches to Aboriginal businesses is another key component identified for future success. Mentors can guide the entire process, from concept formation to planning and implementation. This mentorship needs to provide businesses with resources to build capabilities, strength, and confidence. It would be beneficial if an Aboriginal liaison officer was embedded in the process to support engagement and coordination between funders and businesses. This will likely increase transparent communication between high level decision makers and businesses, and ensure that no critical information is lost in translation on either end.
• Removing stereotypes and unconscious bias. One key barrier for success is the negative perceptions of decision makers (whether implicit or explicit) that viewed Aboriginal business as incapable of delivering quality outcomes. A discriminatory organisational mindset made up of negative stereotypes needs to change if Aboriginal businesses are to have an equal opportunity at participating in the market. A supportive environment for equal Aboriginal participation requires addressing unconscious bias and any harmful assumptions that may be entering into the decision-making process. A working environment free from bias is likely to increase equitable conditions during the selection process. Addressing bias will also likely increase trust between funders and businesses, as a positive feedback loop needs to be initiated for businesses to prove their worth.

  
What are three practical take-aways you would like to give grantmakers in addressing inclusivity of First Nations people?

1. Engage all assessment staff in unconscious bias training.
2. Align grants with the Aboriginal procurement policies, and make funding exclusive to aboriginal businesses (like the mandatory set aside).
3. Conduct due diligence to ensure applicants are majority Aboriginal owned, particularly if applying to work in the social service space.

Supply Nation’s ‘The Sleeping Giant’ report highlighted the social return on investment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Key findings of the report found that for every dollar of revenue raised, Certified Suppliers create $4.41 of economic and social value within their community. This was found to be even higher in small Indigenous businesses. Indigenous businesses were also found to employ more than 30 times the proportion of Indigenous people than other people, provide training to their staff and owners, employees and communities were found to be very proud of Indigenous businesses. Business owners were found to reinvest revenue directly into their community and provide generational security for their family.
 
What role do you see for “consumer voices” in grantmaking decision-making? Can a grantmaker give grants to the types of causes you support without a representative of those causes on the decision-making body?
A key to inclusion is in facilitating an Indigenous-led, designed and built solution.
 
Co-design is about working together differently, with those affected by decisions involved in its design. The co-design approach is about power sharing, creating different norms, building on strengths, mutual learning and sharing knowledge. It brings together new perspectives and reframes thinking, respecting Indigenous methodologies and terms of reference. It is crucial that these voices are at the decision-making table.

¹. Black Cladding: the practice of a non-Indigenous business entity or individual taking unfair advantage of an Indigenous business entity or individual for the purpose of gaining access to otherwise inaccessible Indigenous procurement policies or contracts. - Supply Nation).

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IPS is a Supply Nation Certified business. We specialise in Indigenous capacity building and engagement services. To find out more, head to our Indigenous Advisory page.