20 Years, 20 Voices: Carina Bauer
20 Years, 20 Voices celebrates the people, charities, donors and partners who have helped shape Sussex Community Foundation over the past two decades.
Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, established the Brighton & Hove Homelessness Fund at the Foundation in 2020, bringing together businesses, charities and local partners to tackle homelessness in a more strategic and collaborative way.
From funding research and strengthening partnerships to investing in projects that prevent homelessness and help people rebuild their lives, the fund has demonstrated the power of local philanthropy.
Focussing on homelessness
Carina Bauer and her colleagues at IMEX knew from the beginning they wanted to focus on supporting people experiencing homelessness in Brighton & Hove.
"We saw the problem of homelessness growing in the city," Carina says. “And we were already supporting charities like The Clock Tower Sanctuary, so we approached them to say, what could we do that's a bit more strategic?"
That conversation led to the creation of the Brighton & Hove Homelessness Fund.
"At the beginning, we offered to fund a project that brought together all the local research that had been done in different places," she explains.
The findings highlighted several priorities for the sector, including strengthening the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Network (HRSN), which helps charities collaborate more effectively across Brighton & Hove.
"For us, that made complete sense," Carina says. "Our business is about bringing people together. We know collaboration works.”
Funding change
The research shaped the fund's approach, focusing investment on projects that could create lasting change rather than immediate crisis support alone.
"We decided we wanted to fund projects at two ends of the funnel - either preventative, stopping people from becoming homeless, or to help people get out of homelessness," she says.
Carina reveals that the most impactful work isn't always the most visible.
"Sometimes it's about research and data. Sometimes it's about planning a funding application for possible new homes, or a network. We put our funding into the types of projects which have more long-term aims."
A partnership built on trust
Carina credits Sussex Community Foundation with making the Brighton & Hove Homelessness Fund both practical and flexible.
"We had a good referral because it was somebody we trusted at the Council," she says. "I like the fact that the Foundation can be very flexible with the fund. We can shape the priorities we care about and stay involved in decisions, but we don't have to manage the administration, due diligence and impact measurement."
"I never wanted it to be a fund about IMEX and our business," Carina explains. "The longer-term idea is a fund that is self-perpetuating through multiple donors of people and businesses who are interested in supporting homelessness charities in the city."
Small changes that create lasting impact
One recent highlight came at a partnership event where charities shared the impact of projects supported by the fund.
"When you look at the big picture, the statistics are so big and the issues are so complex," she says. "But then you fund a programme like SPARC delivered by Brighton Housing Trust, and you've helped eight people who’ve experienced homelessness get apprenticeships and develop their skills. It seems like a small number, but for those eight people, that's life changing."
The role businesses can play
Carina believes investing in local communities is a responsibility for businesses.
"I think it's a fundamental responsibility. If you are a business, you should invest back into the community where you're based."
She sees it as part of a long tradition of businesses contributing to the places where they operate.
"If you look at the businesses of old – Cadbury, Bournville, Rowntree, Wedgwood – all these old British businesses who built communities and built fantastic lives for the communities where their factories were."
Carina also wants businesses to know that giving locally is more accessible than many people realise.
"People sometimes assume you need to give hundreds of thousands of pounds to set up a fund, but that's not the case. Choose an issue you care about and start. Or join an existing fund if that makes more sense. You don't have to create something from scratch to make a real difference."
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, Carina hopes the fund will attract a more diverse group of supporters.
"I'd like us to attract a diversified group of funders, so that we can increase the amount in the fund," she says.
But it's about more than raising money. She hopes to build stronger links between businesses and charities, with companies sharing skills and expertise as well as funding.
"I think there are a lot of great people and businesses in Brighton that would like to do more for their community," she says. "It's just how do we match them and really get them working."
For Carina, the key is commitment.
"The effort for small and large charities to fundraise year to year, day to day, is enormous. If you can give some certainty to a charity, it means that they can do better work."
Her advice to anyone thinking about giving is simple:
"If you want to really make a difference in an area, you've got to do it over the long term. Pick your area and commit to it for a few years, rather than chopping and changing every year."
