Scottish Building Society

About this fund

The Scottish Building Society is already active in charitable activities and previously, each year, they asked members to vote for a Charity of the Year. Colleagues in Head Office and Relationship Centres also raise funds through volunteering and fundraising events. Last year, to make their 175th anniversary,  they established the Scottish Building Society Foundation to support local charities and community groups in the important work they undertake.

Purpose of this fund

The Scottish Building Society Foundation will invest in the long-term future of communities across Scotland. Grants are intended to create lasting benefits for vulnerable individuals and groups, with priority given to projects that can clearly demonstrate enduring outcomes beyond the life of the funding.

The Foundation will provide financial support to charities and community groups. Applications addressing any of the following issues are particularly welcomed:

- Community facilities, services, transport, open spaces, affordable housing, reduction of poverty, and care of the elderly
- Youth and education, providing training opportunities and support for vulnerable young people
- Promoting care and support of vulnerable people; improving community safety, minimising isolation, and maximising wellbeing

Grant requests to support a wide range of costs and activities will be considered, such as equipment, staff or sessional worker costs, consultations, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and capital costs to purchase or develop community assets. All applications must be able to evidence how the funded activity will deliver long-term impact.

Scottish Building Society has over £30,000 to distribute in grants for this round of funding. Grants of up to £5,000 are available. 

Due to the above budget this is a highly competitive fund, with around 7% of applicants receiving funds.

Additional criteria

All funded organisations will be required to provide photos of their proposed project if a grant is awarded. Where a project includes capital elements and photos are not immediately available at the time of award, these must be supplied as soon as possible.

This requirement forms part of the pre-payment conditions, as the photos are needed to support Scottish Building Society’s press and promotion activity around the fund. Grant payments will only be released once the photos have been received. 

Who can apply?

• Registered charities
• Constituted voluntary and community organisations
• Community companies e.g. companies limited by guarantee, community benefit societies or Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations’
• Community Interest Companies are eligible to apply if they meet the Fund’s minimum governance standards

What can’t be funded?

• Applications from individuals or private businesses
• Applications to advance a campaign or a religious or political cause.
• The promotion of religious beliefs
• Activities that are understood to be a statutory responsibility and/or seek to replace statutory sources of funding
• Pre-existing costs that your organisation already incurred as a result of its day to day activities
• Standalone costs for small capital or equipment costs  
• Applications that are requesting less than 25% of the total project cost  
• Organisations which already have annual gross income of more than £250,000 ]
• Feasibility or research projects

Please read through the What we can't fund page for additional exclusions which apply to all Foundation Scotland funds. 

How are decisions made?

An Awards Panel made up of representatives from both Scottish Building Society and Foundation Scotland will meet twice a year to consider grant awards.  For more details on our assessment processes please visit our How funding decisions are made page.