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The Robertson Trust is seeking Advisors to form a Leadership Group and Decision Making Panel for our upcoming Advancing Racial Justice Fund.
The Advancing Racial Justice (ARJ) Fund was created to address the systemic underfunding and exclusion of Black and People of Colour (BPoC)-led organisations in Scotland.
Co-developed by The Robertson Trust, the Fund has been shaped through a discovery phase, during which we worked closely with people and organisations leading grassroots work by and for Black communities and people of colour in Scotland. You can read more about the development of this Fund here.
The Fund will offer multi-year grants of £10,000–£40,000 per year for three years, plus an initial £10,000 for project design. The fund supports work rooted in anti-racism, intersectionality, and community leadership with a focus on systemic change. It will be open to registered charities, unconstituted groups and CICs that are BPoC-led with annual incomes under £200,000.
We are now looking for Advisors to form a Leadership Group and a Decision-Making Panel, both of which will play a central part in guiding the delivery of the ARJ Fund.
We welcome Advisors who bring lived or professional experience of systemic racism, and who can show how this shapes their approach to advancing racial equity. We particularly encourage interest from advisors with under‑represented backgrounds, while all individuals will be considered solely on merit against the criteria.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday, 17th December at 10am.
You can read more about each of the projects in the drop down buttons below.
This group of grassroots community leaders in Scotland will have shared responsibility with The Robertson Trust for strategic decision-making in the fund. The group will play a major part in community outreach and the fund’s learning and evaluation process.
The Community Leadership Group will not be involved in assessment of applications or funding decisions, which will instead be carried out by staff members and a separate panel of BPoC community members.
The Leadership Group involves:
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Ensuring the ARJ Fund remains rooted in the lived experiences, priorities, and leadership of BPoC communities in Scotland.
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Upholding the mission and principles of the ARJ Fund.
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Making strategic and long-term decisions about the ARJ Fund, in partnership with the Enabling Group (senior representatives from The Robertson Trust and other sector representatives).
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Supporting outreach, engagement, and community leadership activities connected to the ARJ Fund, including an annual systems change event.
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Providing challenge and support to The Robertson Trust’s internal anti-racism journey, particularly around bringing learning from the ARJ Fund into broader practice.
More information and how to apply for this opportunity can be found in our Information Pack.
This panel will be made up of community leaders, organisers, and changemakers with lived or professional experience that provides a deep understanding of systemic racism and its impacts on communities, institutions or funding system. Members will play a central role in shaping which projects receive funding, ensuring decisions reflect community priorities and values.
The Decision-Making Panel involves:
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Reviewing and assessing funding applications from BPoC-led organisations proposing systems change projects.
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Working collaboratively with other panel members, the ARJ Funding Officer, and The Robertson Trust staff to make recommendations and final decisions.
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Co-designing assessment criteria and shared decision-making principles, including how we assess lived experience, anti-racist knowledge, and organisational capacity.
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Ensuring transparency and accountability, with decisions recorded and reported as part of the Fund’s strategic learning process.
More information and how to apply for this opportunity can be found in our Information Pack.
How to apply
You are welcome to apply for both the Leadership Group and the Decision-Making Panel, but successful applicants will only be able to participate in one of these groups.
If you are part of an organisation, your organisation may want to apply for the ARJ Fund itself.
To maintain fairness and transparency, and avoid conflicts of interest:
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Members of the Leadership Group can apply for the ARJ Fund.
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Members of the Decision-Making Panel cannot apply for ARJ Fund.
If you are unsure whether your circumstances present a conflict of interest, or you have enquiries related to applying to the Fund, please get in touch with the Advancing Racial Justice Funding Officer, Martha Williams: arj@therobertsontrust.org.uk