£3 Million Later: How Do it Now Now Is Backing Black Led Change

In March 2026, The Voice newspaper profiled our CEO and founder, Bayo Adelaja, and the story is a powerful reminder of what can happen when community care meets action.

Before Do it Now Now (DiNN) existed, Bayo was already finding ways to give back. She was on benefits, had recently been made redundant, and was living through financial hardship. Still, she saved what she could each month because supporting her community mattered. At one point, she had £600 in her pocket and chose to use it to help someone else move their dream forward.

That first act of funding was simple and direct. An aspiring singer needed £400 to produce an album and did not know where to start with funding. Bayo gave her the £400. The musician later decided not to pursue a career in music, but for Bayo the point was never just the outcome. It was proof that support can unlock possibility, and that people deserve to have their ideas taken seriously.

That belief is at the heart of DiNN today. We write, work, and show up with the same values: inclusive language, empathy, empowerment, community focus, and transparency. Tone Guidelines for DiNN Blogs

When the system is not built for you, support should be

As Bayo shared in the feature, we live in a society shaped by systems that many of us had no say in creating. Too often, those same systems create barriers, especially for Black communities and other marginalised groups, and they make it harder to access the funding, networks, and practical guidance that help ideas grow.

Bayo’s experience highlighted a truth that too many grassroots organisations already know. Great work is happening everywhere, but resources are not distributed fairly. Many community leaders are expected to solve urgent problems without the tools to sustain their work long term.

DiNN was built to change that.

The turning point that shaped DiNN

In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd in the United States, Bayo reached a turning point. She secured a £15,000 grant to create a new route for community organisations to access funding. With that money, she launched an approach rooted in care and rigour.

She shared that DiNN received just over 700 applications, and she read every single one. From that process, DiNN funded 16 organisations.

That detail matters because it reflects how we work. We do not treat applications like admin. We treat them like people’s stories, needs, and visions for their communities. We know what it means to try to build something while navigating systemic barriers. We also know how much it means when someone takes your work seriously.

From a “grant pot” to a movement of support

Since those early days, DiNN has grown from a modest pot of money into a multi-million-pound initiative.

As highlighted in The Voice, DiNN has now distributed over £3 million to Black-led charities and community organisations. That funding has reached groups across the UK, with a strong focus on backing grassroots leaders who are already doing the work and have the trust of their communities.

But the article also makes clear that our support goes beyond funding.

Through DiNN, organisations can access practical help that supports long-term growth. That includes business growth programmes and learning opportunities delivered through retreats, conferences, and online learning. The aim is to ensure that funding does not just help organisations launch, but helps them stay, adapt, and thrive.

A vision for Black communities to thrive

One part of the feature that stands out is the emphasis on DiNN’s wide reach.

The article describes programmes tailored to the Black community and to those building charities or social enterprises, from idea stage through to organisations earning up to £1 million a year. It also shares that over 2,500 business owners a year benefit from these initiatives, offered free of charge.

That scale matters, but the intention matters even more.

DiNN exists because Black communities deserve more than survival. We deserve the space, support, and investment to build lasting impact. We deserve to create, to lead, to rest, and to grow without having to prove our humanity first.

The personal journey behind the mission

The feature also reflects on Bayo’s personal journey, from Nigeria to the UK, and how lived experience can shape leadership.

Bayo speaks openly about facing severe financial insecurity after her father’s company went bankrupt and her family relocated. She describes a period where life became as low as it can be, and how therapy helped her process the upheaval and deepened her commitment to supporting others.

That honesty is important. At DiNN, we do not pretend the work is easy. We do not pretend that the system is fair. We tell the truth, we learn, and we keep moving because our communities deserve consistency, not performative support.

“Do it now now” is more than a name

In the feature, Bayo shares that she spent many years trying to ignore what she wanted to do because it felt like it would be too hard. The name “Do it now now” is a reminder not to wait any longer.

That is the invitation we want to extend, too.

If you are a founder, a community organiser, or a leader building something with care and purpose, you are not alone. If you have been told, directly or indirectly, that your work is too ambitious or not “fundable,” we want you to know there is another way. Together, we can build the support systems our communities have always deserved.

Thank you to everyone who makes this possible

This moment in The Voice is a celebration, but it is also a collective achievement.

To every organisation that has trusted us with their story, applied for funding, joined a programme, spoken honestly about what you need, and kept going through the hardest moments, thank you. To our partners and funders who are committed to backing Black-led change with seriousness and care, thank you. To our team and community who show up every day to make this work real, thank you.

Bayo’s journey started with £600 and a decision to help someone else. Today, that decision has become over £3 million invested, thousands of founders supported, and a growing movement rooted in belief, practicality, and community power.

And we are only getting started.