Community at a Glance

A Nationwide Network, Rooted in Community

Geographically, our community is anchored in London (58%), with growing representation across the East of England (12%) and South East (11%), and emerging networks in the North West and the Midlands. We also have a small but growing presence in Scotland (0.3%), reflecting our ambition to become a truly national organisation. This distribution reflects both our London roots and our commitment to reaching members nationwide.

As of December 2025, DiNN’s membership stood at 2,450, with London (68%) and the South East (8%) remaining our largest regions. This growth reflects a sustained increase in programme activity: between 2023 and 2025, we ran 90 online and in‑person events, while our Mighty Networks continues to offer free courses and training that lower the barrier for new joiners. Newer initiatives have been particularly effective at attracting people outside our existing networks – for example, our Wellcome application alone drew over 200 applicants, most of whom had never heard of DiNN before.

Our real‑time membership has continued to rise, illustrating this ongoing momentum. Total membership in the first quarter of 2026 now stands at just over 3,100. This continued growth is driven by the same factors: an expanding portfolio of non‑grant programmes, consistent engagement through events, and the welcoming structure of the Mighty Networks. The Wellcome programme remains a strong example of how targeted opportunities bring new members into DiNN, sustaining our growth into 2026.

Grantee Profile

Fig 8: Legal Structure

The organisations we work with span a range of legal structures, reflecting the diverse nature of Black and Global Majority‑led enterprises. Community Interest Companies (CICs) make up the largest group,  50% in total. Within that, 48% are CICs limited by guarantee, while only 2% are CICs limited by shares. This distinction matters: CICs limited by guarantee include an asset lock, meaning any profits or assets must be reinvested into the community mission. This aligns directly with the eligibility requirements for much of our grant funding, which is why this structure is so strongly represented in our work.

A further 15% are sole traders or unincorporated businesses, typically early‑stage startups or idea‑stage ventures that join programmes such as Starting Up, Starting Out. Charities and charitable incorporated organisations together account for 20%, while companies limited by guarantee or shares account for 8% each. The remaining 5% fall into other categories (including limited partnerships and constituted non‑profit groups). This distribution reflects our commitment to supporting organisations at every stage of their journey,  from individual entrepreneurs taking their first steps to established community anchors with formal asset locks.

Fig 9: Annual Income

The chart shows a balanced spread across income bands, with notable clusters at the lower end (≤£10k at 24% and £10k–£30k at 23%) and the mid‑range (£50k–£150k also at 24%). This distribution is not accidental; it reflects the design of our programmes, each of which targets organisations at specific income levels. For example:

• Starting Up Starting Out: income £0–£10,000 (idea stage)

• Build, Hustle, Grow: income £10,000–£30,000 (early stage)

• Innovate Now: income £30,000–£150,000 (development stage)

• Make it Big: income £150,000–£400,000 (growth stage)

• Big Business: income £30,000–£1 million (social investment)

Fig 10: Years Incorporated

Across all our programmes, the organisations we work with span a wide age range. The largest groups are relatively young: 33% have been incorporated for less than 2 years, and 31% for 2–5 years, together accounting for nearly two‑thirds. A further 18% are 6–10 years old, 14% are 10+ years, and 4% are not incorporated (typically sole traders or unincorporated groups).

This distribution reflects the diversity of our portfolio. While we support many early‑stage ventures, we also work with established organisations that have been operating for a decade or more. This mix ensures that our programmes benefit organisations at different stages of maturity, from grassroots startups to long‑standing community anchors.

Fig 11: Impact Areas

Our grantee community is diverse in structure, scale, and focus. Community Interest Companies (CICs) form the largest group at 41% (39% limited by guarantee and 2% limited by shares), reflecting a strong commitment to social mission alongside enterprise. Sole traders (15%) and charities (14%) also represent significant portions of our network.

In terms of income, our grantees span the full spectrum. Nearly half (47%) earn £30,000 or less, while 20% earn above £150,000. This diversity reflects our commitment to supporting organisations at every stage of growth.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of our grantees have been incorporated for less than five years, reflecting our focus on nurturing early-stage and emerging organisations. At the same time, 32% have been operating for six years or more, demonstrating our reach to more established community anchors.

Our grantees are tackling a wide range of issues. The most common focus areas are employment, education, and training (24%); mental health and well-being (18%); and racial justice and equity (17%). Arts, culture, and sports (14%) also feature strongly, reflecting the changemakers’ roots in our community. This spread shows how our funding supports both economic opportunity and wellbeing, two pillars of thriving communities.

Measuring Our Impact: Pre‑ and Post‑Programme Survey Results

To understand how our programmes change organisations for the better, we collect data at two key points: pre‑programme (during onboarding, before support begins) and post‑programme (within six months of completion). For our flagship Innovate Now programme with City Bridge Foundation (2023–2025), we achieved a 70% response rate across both surveys, giving us confidence that the results are representative of the 64 organisations supported. The results demonstrate a profound alignment with our Theory of Change: moving Black-led organisations from "surviving" to "thriving."

Building Resilient Foundations

The core of our Level 3 support is capacity building. We saw leadership confidence in hiring and management jump from 53% to 81%, a shift that manifested in immediate physical growth. 62% of participants expanded their teams, proving that the funding and mentorship provided weren't just "gap-fillers" but catalysts for expansion. As one charity leader reflected, "Getting the structures and processes in place made our operations smoother and more efficient—a game changer for our long-term sustainability." This internal strengthening is reflected in our Health Check assessments, where average scores rose from 3.3 to 3.9 out of 4.

Scaling Impact through Strategic Equity

True to our Theory of Change, the impact of Innovate Now ripples far beyond the individual organisations. We saw a surge in strategic collaborations, with the proportion of organisations forming new diverse partnerships rising from 66% to 91%. Crucially, over half of these were explicitly focused on advancing racial equity. The scale of this reach is best seen in the success of one youth-focused organisation that, through new corporate ties, expanded its delivery from two to five London boroughs. By reaching an additional 1,600 young people, they proved that organisational health is the direct precursor to community transformation.

"We secured new corporate partnerships with UK Power Networks, Salesforce, and Airbus... 94% of our young people gained clarity on life goals, and one participant even launched their own podcast."

The Road Ahead: A Growing Pipeline of Innovation

While the City Bridge Foundation programme marks a major milestone, it is just the beginning of a broader movement. Our current data from over 79 organisations across our Starting Up, Starting Out, and Build, Hustle, Grow pipelines reveals an ecosystem brimming with untapped potential and fierce resilience.

The Next Generation of Impact

These emerging leaders are not just building businesses; they are tackling systemic inequalities. From a Black-led neurodivergent support project to initiatives partnering with the NHS and The Royal Ballet, the breadth of our Level 1 and 2 cohorts is staggering. Even before receiving full support, 42% of these leaders have identified "Systemic Policy Change" and "Economic Empowerment" as their primary long-term goals.

Nuggets of Resilience & Ambition:

• The "Fight" for Sustainability: One leader in our pipeline shared their motivation: "I want to reignite my business... I want to make sure I don’t go out without a fight." This spirit is what we are nurturing in our upcoming cycles.

• Bridging the Capacity Gap: A common theme among our new cohorts is the move from ideas to action. As one participant noted: "The bottleneck isn’t knowledge, it’s the capacity to implement... I want to take action toward my goals rather than just conceptualise them."

• Expansion of the Flagship: With Innovate Now Round 4 (Impact on Urban Health) already underway, we are applying our proven Level 3 model to health equity, ensuring that the "Innovate Now" standard becomes a permanent fixture in the London landscape.
  

Health checks 

At Do it Now Now, we don’t just fund organisations, we help them become more resilient, efficient, and impactful. That’s why we designed a Health Check process: a structured diagnostic that measures an organisation’s capacity across key areas such as governance, finance, HR, and programme delivery. Crucially, we tailored the Health Check to the participant, with distinct frameworks for non‑profit organisations, for‑profit businesses, and individual sole traders. This ensures that whether we are supporting a grassroots community group or a growing social enterprise, the assessment is relevant, respectful, and actionable.

Between 2023 and 2025, 115 organisations and individuals across nine of our programmes completed an initial Health Check. Most of these programmes are still running, but one, our flagship Innovate Now programme with City Bridge Foundation (Rounds 1–3), finished within the reporting period. That means we have a complete set of before‑and‑after data, giving us a clear, evidence‑based picture of what changed.

What changed 

When we first met the organisations in Innovate Now R1–3, targeting organisations at the development stage, many were held together by passion alone. Governance was often informal; board meetings were held on an “ad hoc basis,” and founders carried the weight of the entire mission. One leader told us plainly: “I am the brain and passion of the organisation,  if there wasn't me, the org would have closed down.” Financial systems were fragile; reserves were nonexistent, and planning was reactive: “We see an opportunity and apply.” Policies were scattered on paper, and data collection was driven by funder templates, focusing on outputs rather than lasting change.

Then we got to work. Through tailored capacity‑building, one‑to‑one mentorship, and peer learning, the same organisations transformed. Boards began meeting regularly, “challenging us and holding us to account on finance, staffing, and safeguarding.” Policies moved to centralised digital hubs, “shared during induction and reviewed annually.” Recruitment became structured, with “panel interviews and annual appraisals linked to personal development plans.” Financial safeguards appeared,  “we now have a reserves policy, dual signatories, and monthly management accounts.” And strategic planning took hold: “We have a five‑year plan blending grants with earned income.”

One leader summed it up: “Getting our structures and processes in place made our operations smoother and more efficient,  a game changer for our long‑term sustainability.”

The numbers tell the same story. Across the seven Health Check themes, the average score rose from 3.3 to 3.9 out of 4,  an improvement of 0.6 points. The biggest leaps happened in Administration, Financial Management, and Human Resources (each +0.6), and Organisational Management (+0.7). These aren’t just abstract metrics; they represent real organisations that are now better governed, more financially stable, and ready to scale their impact. And because we started with a clear baseline and finished with a full post‑programme assessment, we know exactly what worked and what to do next.

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