About us

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 act as a connecting bridge between independent funding sources and communities, helping to strengthen them by putting money directly into their hands.

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.

You want to know your funds will be effective. As experts in fund distribution, we offer a bespoke service, working with you to develop a fund that is right for you and the community or cause you wish to support - from philanthropic funds, to community benefit funds and funds from corporate businesses.

Our Vision, Purpose and Values

Our vision is of confident, thriving, inclusive communities across Scotland. Our purpose is to strengthen communities by acting as a bridge between funding and community needs and ambitions.​

Our values

• Human Connection: Behind every decision is a person, a community and a story.
• Collective Courage: We embrace change because we believe it creates opportunity for others.
• Meaningful Impact: We measure success by the difference we make in people’s lives.

Our Governance

Day to day, our work is delivered by an experienced team, who live across the length and breadth of Scotland, ensuring we bring local knowledge to many of the communities we serve nationwide. We all report to our Board of Trustees. They are responsible for governing the Foundation, developing and approving our Strategic Ambitions and guiding decision making, ultimately all areas that serve to ensure we grow effectively, efficiently and with social impact.

We delegate some of the specialist governance and development work from the Board to committees and working groups. Members of our Board and our committees bring a wealth of experience to the work that we do and have a considerable influence on our ongoing development.

To see the faces behind the Foundation, please visit Our People page, and read more about our Trustees here.

How we’re funded

Like any charity, we need to meet our operating costs to carry out our work. The main income we receive each year comes from donations. Every time we distribute charitable grants or manage programmes, the donor also makes a charitable contribution to us. The size of this contribution will depend on the level of work we’re required to do, how much money we’re distributing and how their funds are invested.