What we do

We fund and support organisations working to alleviate poverty and trauma in Scotland. We also inform and influence the sector, stakeholders and decision-makers, sharing our knowledge, solutions and networks.

"Our vision, rooted in our heritage, is for a fair and compassionate Scotland where everyone is valued and able to flourish."

To achieve this vision, we work with others, using all our tools and resources to improve the wellbeing of people with experience of poverty, trauma or both. We fund and support third sector organisations and communities working to address these issues, and build evidence to inform policy and practice.

We are also working to support a longer-term transformation of the systems and services that help people facing poverty and trauma, to further improve their life chances and experiences in a changing world.

What we do and how we do it is underpinned by our strategy for 2020-2030.

We fund

As one of Scotland’s largest independent funders, we provide funding to alleviate poverty and trauma in Scotland. We do this by:

  • funding organisations and groups who are helping to meet the immediate needs of people in their communities
  • funding organisations that provide early help to people and communities, as they work to improve the design and delivery of systems and services that support people with experience of poverty or trauma
  • funding ambitiously and flexibly, encouraging those we fund to test and improve new approaches, to collaborate and to do more of what works
  • using our financial resources innovatively by adopting different funding models.

We support

We support capacity and skills development within the third sector and communities by:

  • supporting capacity, skills and capability within the organisations we fund, and the third sector more broadly
  • amplifying the voices and experiences of those working around poverty and trauma, and by speaking up on issues that affect the third sector’s ability to alleviate poverty and trauma
  • supporting the development of multi-agency initiatives collaboration and co-design which aim to improve support systems and solutions.
  • developing our systems and processes to make it easier for organisations and communities to access our support and make the difference they want.

We influence

We build on and influence learning and practice by:

  • growing and sharing our understanding of poverty and trauma – their causes, consequences and potential solutions
  • using networking opportunities to develop robust and open conversations about poverty and trauma
  • identifying where we can best add value and how best to target our resources
  • developing programmes of work to build and inform evidence around potential solutions to poverty and trauma.

More about what we do

Funding we offer
Take a look at the funding we currently offer to third sector bodies.

Our focus 
Find out more about what we’re interested in.

Our strategy
See our strategy for 2020-2030.