We want to back innovative ideas and practical projects that get to the
roots of the problem, that can challenge the economic status quo and
help shape a future economy that works for all.
We see grant giving as a tool to support our partners to bring about
change. Our programme is about creating a more resilient, fair and
stable economy and the best way to do this is to support ambitious
projects with a focus on changing the economic system.
This page gives you more information on what we fund, our approach to
funding and how to apply.
Full Cost Recovery
We recognise and want to fully fund the true costs of delivering project activity. We know that grant holders have to meet their overheads to deliver excellent work from a secure platform.
Paying the Living Wage
We are part of the Living Wage Friendly Funder scheme, a group of funders that support grant holders to pay the Living Wage and meet the cost of living. This means that we expect grant holders to pay at least the Living Wage on any staff posts supported by us, unless we agree there are good reasons for this not to happen.
Transparency
We want to be open about the reasoning behind our funding decisions. All second stage applicants receive the minute of the part of our Trustee meeting where their application was discussed, so they can fully understand our decision. It can take us a few days to provide this information, but we believe transparency is an important basis for our relationship with grant holders.
We support the principles of open data and soon will share our grants data as part of the 360 giving open data platform.
A Flexible, Partnership Approach
We work in partnership with grant holders to provide funding in a way best suited to their project and recognise that projects’ needs can change. We are open to discussion around the best way to set up a grant, and to making changes to it over time.
Learning Together
Our grant making programme is about creating change at an ambitious level and so requires brave and bold ideas. Sometimes these may not work as planned. We are open to learning from what works and what doesn’t and will support our grant holders in both situations.
We recognise and want to fully fund the true costs of delivering project activity. We know that grant holders have to meet their overheads to deliver excellent work from a secure platform.
Paying the Living Wage
We are part of the Living Wage Friendly Funder scheme, a group of funders that support grant holders to pay the Living Wage and meet the cost of living. This means that we expect grant holders to pay at least the Living Wage on any staff posts supported by us, unless we agree there are good reasons for this not to happen.
Transparency
We want to be open about the reasoning behind our funding decisions. All second stage applicants receive the minute of the part of our Trustee meeting where their application was discussed, so they can fully understand our decision. It can take us a few days to provide this information, but we believe transparency is an important basis for our relationship with grant holders.
We support the principles of open data and soon will share our grants data as part of the 360 giving open data platform.
A Flexible, Partnership Approach
We work in partnership with grant holders to provide funding in a way best suited to their project and recognise that projects’ needs can change. We are open to discussion around the best way to set up a grant, and to making changes to it over time.
Learning Together
Our grant making programme is about creating change at an ambitious level and so requires brave and bold ideas. Sometimes these may not work as planned. We are open to learning from what works and what doesn’t and will support our grant holders in both situations.
Our two stage process allows you to submit an idea and test it
against our criteria before preparing a full application. Please do
trust our process and submit your ideas if you want to know what we
think.
The outline application is
your opportunity to describe who you are, what you want to do, and why.
You must ensure that you make it clear how the proposed work would make
a contribution towards the aim of our current funding programme,
referencing one of the programme outcomes we are looking for.
Once we have reviewed your outline application it will either be
declined or you will be invited by our Trustees to a submit a full stage
two application. During this process outline proposals are judged on:
- fit with the aim of our funding programme
- strength of your analysis of the current problems and the feasibility of methods to tackle them
- the nature and extent of the proposed outcomes
- the potential strategic impact of the work
- value for money
- the level and nature of any risks that might be involved
Full applications are by
invitation only, at the discretion of the Trustees. This stage involves
the submission of a more detailed proposal (up to six pages long) and an
assessment interview with our staff. Trustees then decide if they wish
to fund your project as part of our portfolio at their next quarterly
meeting. We do allow applicants to defer submission of their full
application to a later meeting if they need longer to pull this
together, but applicants can only defer once. Thereafter they will be
asked to resubmit a stage one application.
Funding decisions are at the absolute discretion of our Trustees, but
the Foundation is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity and
fairness towards all applicants – see our Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy for information. We have a Conflicts of Interest Policy in
relation to grant applications that Trustees have a connection with,
including – but not limited to – those that they may have a pecuniary
interest in.
The whole process can take up to six months so please bear this in mind when planning your project timescales.
