Foundation SCOTLAND

Foundation Scotland awards grants which make a difference to the lives of local people. We are Scotland's busiest private grant-maker, awarding over £6 million to over 700 charities and community groups across Scotland.

We are a highly effective and efficient charity and there is a real need for what we do. Currently, around 91% of donations to the voluntary sector in Scotland goes to just 5% of registered charities. We aim to change this by working in partnership with philanthropic individuals, companies and charitable trusts. Together, we have distributed over £18 million in grants to support voluntary groups and charities which may lack the means to raise funds for themselves.

Since we started in 1996, we have grown to be the fourth largest private funder of the voluntary sector in Scotland. We are now distributing over £6million in grants each year, supporting community activities in every Scottish local authority area. 

Over the same period, the Caledonian Challenge has contributed £12million to support the Foundation's important work. Typically, every £1 raised from the Challenge and then distributed by the Foundation, is matched by a further £2 from other philanthropic sources.

Strengthening Communities

We believe that stronger communities will be more successful communities, with a better quality of life for everyone.

We fund projects that provide much needed services at a grassroots level, which enrich the quality of people’s lives and help them build stronger communities. We receive over 2,000 applications each year and are able to fund approximately one third of them. Typical grants range from £250 to £5,000 and go to a wide range of causes including:

 For more information on Foundation Scotland, please visit www.foundationscotland.org.uk.