Message in a bottle: A Letter to Foundation Scotland in 2056
Dear Future Foundation Scotland, If you're reading this in 2056, congratulations. Pop the corks. You're celebrating 60 years of connecting generosity with communities across Scotland. Not bad for an organisation that started life with one employee, one shared computer and applications arriving by fax.
Here in 2026, we're marking our 30th anniversary. We're spending the year looking back at where we started, reflecting on the lessons we’ve learned and celebrating the communities, donors, staff, trustees and partners who've helped shape our story. But anniversaries aren't just about looking backwards. We're excited about the future and what Foundation Scotland looks like in your ‘today’.
Think of this as a message in a bottle. Or perhaps a slightly dusty tin unearthed under a tree somewhere. Maybe it's been tucked away in a community hall loft that we helped to repair. Or perhaps Doc Brown finally got the DeLorean working properly and delivered it himself. Thanks, Doc!
However it reached you, hello from 2026. And, oh, do we have questions.
Who's Prime Minister now? There's been a fair bit of change here recently. Have we found our way back into Europe? What does AI look like in 30 years' time? Is Taylor Swift still topping the charts? In fact… how do people even listen to music in 2056?
Thirty years ago, when Foundation Scotland first began, we couldn't have imagined our world as it is today. There were no smartphones, zero social media, no Zoom or Teams. The internet was still finding its feet. But tech moves quickly and it wasn't long before we could scarcely remember a time without it.
Then came a global pandemic (which you've probably read about). It changed how we worked, how we communicated, and it reminded us of the importance of community connection. From neighbourhood WhatsApp groups to emergency support for those most in need, we saw people come together in resilient, responsive and simply extraordinary ways. We hope you haven't experienced anything quite like it. But we all know every generation faces its own challenges.
Whatever your world looks like, we hope one thing hasn't changed: that you still believe communities across Scotland know themselves best.
Here in 2026, our ambition is to help build fair, inclusive communities where everyone feels they belong. Today barriers exist across race, gender, disability, sexuality, age, class and geography, and many people face inequality, stigma and exclusion. We hope that, by 2056, this is also confined to the history books. But if not, we are sure you're still listening, widening opportunities for the voices often unheard, and making sure power, opportunity and resources are shared more fairly.
We also hope communities are still leading the way on climate and environmental action. Today, we are investing in projects that help people grow, repair, reuse, restore nature and build resilience together. Perhaps by the time you read this, climate change is no longer the defining challenge it is today. Perhaps we have helped to build the foundations for a greener future. Perhaps.
And what about funding in 2056? Thirty years ago, we couldn't have imagined many of the ways funding works today: community benefit funds, social investment, participatory decision-making and long-term, community-led investment. Dormant bank accounts opened generations ago are helping communities thrive today… are you discovering accounts that were opened as we write this in 2026? What needs are they helping to address?
Most of all, we hope your Foundation Scotland is still working towards a society where everyone feels they belong, and is still connecting funding with community ambition, imagination and determination.
So, Future Foundation Scotland, whatever your world looks like, this is our message to you. Keep going. Keep finding better ways of listening, of sharing power, of building trust, and putting communities at the heart of decisions. And never stop working to help create fairer, stronger, courageous communities across Scotland.
P.S. If you're wondering what on earth a fax machine was, try the museum or ask someone who has been working in the Foundation for over 30 years (hello old friends!). While you're there, see if you can find any cheque books, maybe a shared desktop computer and find out why everyone used to start every conversation with "Sorry, you're on mute."