About the Organization
The Network for Social Change is a group of individuals providing funding for progressive social change, particularly in the areas of justice, peace and the environment. Together we give well over £1.5 million a year to a variety of projects and organisations. About 90% of this is through our charity Network for Social Change Charitable Trust, with the rest through our non-charity, Funding for Social Change Limited.
We have many different backgrounds, although all of us accept the obligations of membership and have enough wealth to meet the costs. Some of us have inherited our wealth, while others have created it. Some are new to philanthropy, looking for a good way to use surplus capital, income or a windfall to support exciting social change projects. Others are more experienced philanthropists with significant charitable trusts, who value Network as an efficient way to fund cutting-edge projects.
Whatever our background and situation, we like working collaboratively and helping each other gain confidence and experience as grant-makers. We’re proud of what we achieve together in making the world a better place.
About the Grant
Through our charity, Network for Social Change Charitable Trust and our non charity, Funding for Social Change Ltd, we fund a variety of charitable and non-charitable projects, each sponsored by a member.
We look for projects that promote social change (broadly defined) and tend to favour projects which are innovative, highly leveraged, and/or difficult to fund (a category which may include core funding for an organisation). We like addressing the root causes of a problem, not the symptoms.
We do not fund responses to one-off disasters, most types of building, or direct contributions to political parties. Non-charitable projects are required to use our money for non-violent and legal purposes only.
Mechanisms –
We have three funding streams; Pools, Major Projects and FastTrack. All projects are sponsored and assessed by members who choose which of the funding streams to participate in and how to allocate their donations between the options on offer.
FastTrack: FastTrack provides grants of up to £8000. Each project is identified, assessed and sponsored by a single member, who then invites fellow members to join them in funding it. There are four funding rounds a year.
Pools: Members sponsor projects for grants of up to £20K per project from one of the 6 Pools. Currently these are Green Planet, Human Rights, Economic Justice, Health and Wellbeing, Peace, Arts and Education. The projects are then assessed by members of the Pool who decide together on a portfolio to bring to the wider membership for funding. Around half our funding is via Pools. There is one funding round a year:the application deadline is late August and grants are awarded in February. Most grants are in the range £15-20K
Major Projects: These are projects which are each initiated and driven by a small group of Networkers. Typically these will focus on a neglected area of social change. The wider membership normally then provides funding for 3-6 years, typically raising £100-150K per project per year.
Our current major projects are:
- Landworkers Alliance
- Cutting Carbon Now
- Labour Rights
- Windrush Justice
For applying, visit: Link
For more information, visit: Link
