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Other work we do

Image of Fund staff with a family we've helped.

The Family Fund has a unique role within the Voluntary Sector as the largest grant giving organisation supporting families of disabled children throughout the UK. Last year we helped over 56,700 families which means we have contact every day with families raising disabled children and often visiting them in their own homes. This gives the Family Fund a unique perspective into the lives, needs, challenges and joys facing families.

Our joint working

We work within the Voluntary Sector to share this expertise and work together with other organisations to ensure that the voices of families are heard, that the needs of families of disabled children are met and support can be offered when it is most needed. Here are some of our key partnerships within the voluntary sector:

Council for Disabled Children is a network of over 50 third sector organisations from across the UK whose work focuses on disabled children and young people and children who have Special Educational Needs and their families. The Family Fund is part of the Steering Group which helps to guide the Council.

Contact a Family - The Fund has had a long relationship with CaF, indeed CaF often refers to the Fund as its sister organisation as the two organisations complement each other’s work. All Family Fund Advisers give information about CaF at visits and refer families who need more in depth support to their helpline. The two organisations have also worked more broadly together on joint initiatives involving the information needs of families of disabled children.

Grandparents Plus - Earlier in the year the Family Fund published its report “I wish I could just be Grandma. Parenting again when you have a disabled grandchild” which was the culmination of some joint work with Grandparents Plus about the specific needs of Grandparents who were raising their grandchildren.

Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign - The Family Fund is currently working with EDCM on a joint project about the costs of childcare for disabled children. The Fund will be undertaking a survey with families and results will be published in summer 2011.

Image of the Family Fund office

Value for money, choice and service

There are few charities as efficient or responsive as the Family Fund. We strive to reduce costs, we work hard at getting good deals from our commercial partners and we don’t accept waste. This means we can pass on to families more than 91p in every pound we get from the government.

Our Advisers add value by visiting most families applying for the first time to ensure they get what they really need and to signpost other services that might help them.

We make three-quarters of our grants go further by providing a higher value product or service directly instead of cash, often using products, vouchers or pre-paid cards. Families get quality products and a real choice of brands and styles. Cash grants still cover items such as garden safety equipment or a specialist tricycle.

All this ensures the best outcomes for our families and funders alike. The Department of Work and Pensions said of us in March 2010: “The Family Fund’s approach is sympathetic to customer choice and service and offers value for money for both the individual and the scheme as a whole.”

Coming up with innovative ideas which help families while increasing our sources of funding has become a priority in recent years.

  • We help other charities cut costs by offering them payroll administration, financial accounting and grant-making services.
  • We are working with Social Finance on developing a funding facility for disabled children’s families, who often find it difficult to access traditional sources of finance.

Helping other charities means more for our families

“The Fund has helped us to reduce our management costs, providing a professional, efficient and effective service.” Director, CCNUK

Now more than ever, charities need to control their operating costs. The Family Fund helps charities to make the most of their funding and improve their efficiency by providing services such as payroll administration, financial accounting and grant-making. This gives us extra income to help more families.

“The Family Fund has been flexible, supportive and very professional. We have peace of mind knowing that qualified staff with years of experience in payroll administration are looking after this for us and helping us reduce our costs. I would recommend the Fund to other charities who may not have the in-house skills or infrastructure to manage this function as it is really can make a difference. It is also good to know that any income generated by the Family Fund is used to help severely disabled children and their families.” Manager, York Carers Centre

To find out more about the other work we do and how we can help your organisation please contact us.