How City Bridge Foundation and DiNN Supported Black-Led Organisations Through the Missing Middle

The following is a testimonial written by Matthew Robinson and Gerard Darby. 

At City Bridge Foundation, we’re acutely aware of the historical and ongoing barriers faced by the Black voluntary sector in accessing funding and support. As London’s largest independent charity funder, we are committed to increasing the reach and impact of our grant‑making. One way we can do this is through collaboration with trusted partners, such as Do it Now Now (DiNN), creating partnerships to tackle the systemic challenges facing communities across the capital.

We chose to work with DiNN because, as a well‑networked, Black‑led organisation with experience spanning grantmaking and frontline delivery, it is uniquely placed to meet unaddressed needs in culturally informed and appropriate ways. The deciding factor in our partnership was DiNN’s ability to combine deep sector knowledge with practical, high‑quality support that strengthens the sustainability and long‑term impact of Black‑led charities and social enterprises.

DiNN’s programmes are organised into five levels, enabling a group to move from the first stage, how to bring an idea to life, to the fifth stage, where a group fortifies its organisational success by learning to secure assets, develop a succession plan, and grow. There are also multiple entry points between these levels.

Between 2023 and 2025, City Bridge Foundation supported 64 Black-led charities and social enterprises across 18 London boroughs to engage with the Level 3 programme, Innovate Now, which aimed to help them transition from grant dependency to more sustainable models. Innovate Now fills an important gap, sometimes referred to as the missing middle, supporting groups that are too established for start-up grants yet too small, or perceived as too risky, for mainstream social investment or large-scale contracts.

The programme provided tailored support while enabling participants to learn together as a cohort. It also recognised and aimed to address the structural and intersectional challenges the groups face.

Its outcomes showed that the participating group leaders increased their confidence in navigating complex processes, built more and deeper partnerships and collaborations, and improved their HR, administrative, and financial management. The organisations supported are now more resilient, more strategic, better connected, and delivering greater impact in their communities.

Importantly, the programme’s impact extended beyond organisational capacity to address the personal well-being and long-term sustainability of the leaders, for example, by building their self-efficacy and expanding their professional influence. This was just one of the aspects that make it distinct.

DiNN designed and delivered a very effective programme. DiNN adds value through the lived experiences of its staff and the thought leadership of founder and CEO Bayo. Insights and learning from programmes such as this enrich both DiNNs and City Bridge Foundation’s efforts to influence systemic change.

Looking ahead, we would like to see the sector invest more intentionally in long-term, capacity-building support for underrepresented social impact leaders,  particularly approaches that recognise structural barriers, centre lived experience, and move beyond short-term project funding. DiNN offers a strong example of how this can be done well.

Learn more about the programme through the Innovate Now with City Bridge Foundation Learning report here.