Our Impact

For more than 30 years, we have supported communities the length and breadth of Scotland, increasing grantmaking reach and effectiveness. 

Relationships are at the heart of everything we do. Our ties to thousands of community groups and small charitable organisations enable us to support and deliver meaningful impact at a local level.

We recognise that creating change by tackling the root causes of problems can take time, so we commit to working with communities long-term. It is locally-generated learning that informs wider positive action.

Impact, knowledge and learning

Through our work with communities and donors, we build a knowledge and evidence base about what works, and what doesn't. We share our insights openly, and help to shape practice, influence policy, and inspire change.

We assess progress and monitor impact as activities progress, understanding that anticipated outcomes may change as projects evolve and adapt to local conditions.

We support communities to share their expertise and learning to encourage others and in turn inform local and national policy development.

We collaborate with other groups and organisations that champion support for preventative and more upstream approaches and work with donors to understand and appreciate the value of this perspective.

Evidence matters, both quantitative and qualitative, so we value how people in communities describe the differences funding makes to them.

We gather and share learning – focusing on why things work and why they don’t – to inform and influence the work of others. Success stories are shared to demonstrate what is possible – in a thriving community ecosystem, surprising shoots sometimes emerge.

We continue to work to ensure that more funds address wellbeing and prevention in Scotland’s communities, although we also recognise the immediate challenges many face.

Our work contributes to a growing movement that demonstrates the positive impact of wellbeing-focused approaches.