Image: Ian Schneider, Unsplash

About Us

Our Mission

Our resources empower people who are economically or socially excluded and support those in adversity to thrive. We work collaboratively to create lasting impact and advance long-term solutions to challenge economic and social disparities.

The root causes and consequences of social and economic exclusion are wide-ranging and vary by individual experience, but key components include poverty and hardship, lack of access to services or support, and systemic disadvantages and inequalities.

Everything we do is driven by the desire to tackle social and economic exclusion and poverty, reducing the burden that they place on the physical, mental and material wellbeing of individuals and families.

In applying to join our organisation as a Programme Director, you will be joining us at an ambitious and exciting time. After seven years of impactful programme delivery across a wide range of social cause areas, we are now developing and implementing a bold, ambitious and forward-thinking new strategy and brand for 2025, rooted in relationships, centred on innovation and focused on the positive changes needed to make contemporary society more equitable.

2025 Strategy

Our Focus Areas

To achieve our mission, we have developed a new strategic focus in core areas where we know we can achieve the greatest impact for organisations, communities and individuals.

Life Transitions

To maximise the impact of our funding, we will focus on work supporting people through key life transition points:

  • A Strong Start

  • Building Independence

  • A Fairer and Safer Future

Opportunity Fund

We will combine our increased focus with the flexibility of an Opportunity Fund. This funding will support innovation and emerging areas of need outside of our core funding priorities.

Our Strategic Objectives

  • Narrow our focus on a smaller number of priority themes, to maximise our impact

  • Become more relationally focused and outward looking, to redistribute power and share resources

  • Become a learning organisation, using data-driven insights to inform our decision making

  • A greater focus on analysing data to gain a fuller understanding of our impact

  • Use non-grant making tools to achieve impact

  • Commit to open philanthropy and sharing our learning to strengthen our sector

Our Impact

Our funding reaches thousands of people each year. In 2023, we distributed 1,132 grants to a total value of £47.1m. 

Each year, we publish an Impact Report. Our latest report outlines the grants we made in 2023 and details the incredible impact our grant holders have achieved. We have also included case studies and stories from different grant programmes and communities. 

Culture and Values

Our values shape our work and drive everything we do.

We understand that culture and values are fundamental to the identity of our organisation and we want to ensure our values shape and drive everything we do.

Alongside our 2025 strategy, we have developed a set of values that underpin our commitment to social justice and support us to achieve our mission.

We are committed to reassessing how we embed our values in our work to shape a great culture for the organisation.

Catalyst for change
Using our resources to create lasting impact and drive positive change.

Relationship-centred
Understanding diverse perspectives through compassion and inclusion, putting good relationships at the heart of all we do.

Forward Thinking
Looking outward, innovating, and pursuing insights.

Always Learning
Improving continually by challenging, reflecting, holding ourselves to account and sharing learning.