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Scotland’s community foundation

foundation Scotland logo including photos of projects supported
foundation Scotland logo including photos of projects supported
foundation Scotland logo including photos of projects supported
foundation Scotland logo including photos of projects supported

Foundation Scotland is an independent funder, and is Scotland’s only Community Foundation.


Since 1996, we’ve helped distribute more than £200 million to charities and community groups across Scotland, creating happier, fairer, and more sustainable communities. 

All over Scotland, local groups and charities have ideas and plans for how to make their communities happier, fairer, and more sustainable. What they often lack is the financial support to help make those ideas happen.

We work with funders, donors and philanthropists who want to support and strengthen the building blocks of these communities. We help them to channel their giving in a way that is most meaningful to them, or to support communities that they have a particular connection with.

We also work in partnership with communities themselves, so that they can maximise funding opportunities from place-based funds, such as community benefit funds provided by the renewables sector - like wind farms.

And we offer social investment opportunities that enable social enterprises, community organisations and charities to grow and deliver positive social impact.

For a quick introduction on how we make a difference, watch our animation.

More about us

Over the past 12 months

We’ve paid out

£20.9m

through this many grants

3195

and this many funds

285

Learn more about our impact

Social Investment support

Foundation Scotland has extended support for the third sector even further by providing innovative social investment opportunities to social enterprises in Scotland.

Social investment expands on our community foundation's core grantmaking services providing access to a greater range of funding options across Scotland.  Find out more.

Find out more
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Our news

Fund News

£300,000 investment to prevent homelessness in Clackmannanshire

Five organisations in Clackmannanshire will share nearly £300,000 to prevent homelessness in the first round of funding from the area’s pioneering Transformation Space.

Fund News

Cardenden Decides – local residents allocate £13,000 funding to community projects

Over 155 residents attended a community event in Cardenden to decide how £13,000 of funding should be distributed to local groups and projects.

Fund News

Essentia Foundation invests record £3.5m in Scotland’s young people

Hundreds of young people across Scotland have benefitted from a record £3.5 million investment from the Essentia Foundation across 2025.

Fund News

A million reasons to celebrate community climate action in the northeast

The Vattenfall Unlock our Future Fund has reached two significant milestones with over 100 awards made and over a million pounds in grants distributed.