Agenda item

Report of the Chief Grants Officer

Members will also receive a short presentation from Katherine Duerden, Partnerships & Engagement Manager, 360Giving.

 The Sub Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer which provided information on the 360Giving initiative.  Members also received an external presentation from Katherine Duerden, Partnerships and Engagement Manager, 360Giving.

During the presentation and questions, the following points were noted:

• The system aligned with the minimum requirements of the Local Government Transparency Code which was not mandatory in respect of the funds being distributed through the Central Grants Unit and within the remit of the Sub Committee (being charitable or from City’s Cash only).  Therefore, there was no obligation on the City of London Corporation to join the scheme but it demonstrated good practice relating to transparency in the grant-making sector. Publication of relevant information was discretionary and the system allowed for the  redaction of any sensitive data; donations to womens’ refuges being given as an example by Ms Duerden.

• Ms Duerdin had met with some of the Livery Companies and the Chief Grants Officer agreed to contact all Members of the Livery Committee, which was due to meet before the end of the year. 

• Given that the first round of grants were due to be awarded early in the New Year, the Chairman suggested, and Members agreed, that the report be shared with the relevant Service Committees and to ensure the trustees of the charities that form part of the Central Grant Programme were consulted..

• The City Bridge Trust had joined the scheme in September this year and several local authorities have expressed an interest. 

• The system had been designed for easy use with spreadsheets, with simple searching tools and could be over-layed with other data sets, such as indices of deprivation.  There had been positive feedback from existing users. 

• That the Livery Committee be provided with information about the system with a view to  drawing this best practice tool to the attention of those Livery Companies which had not yet arranged to meet with 360Giving.

RESOLVED, that - As a matter of policy the Central Grant Programme grants data be published bi-annually on a discretionary basis using the 360Giving Standard subject to any decision not to publish on a case-by-case basis in respect of a grant.