Charitable grants: We’ve funded over 6,000 cutting-edge projects in 40 years

The charitable arm of Network, Network for Social Change Charitable Trust, funds social change and social justice projects aiming to address the root causes of problems. Projects include those led by the people impacted by the issues they address (client-led), as well as groups advocating for specific policy changes. Our projects range from small, local organisations to major UK-wide policy initiatives. 

In relying on each other’s expertise and spreading the risk between us, we promote and fund important and innovative projects. About 80% of our funding is charitable, granted by Network for Social Change Charitable Trust. Grants funded charitably in 2023-24 are listed below. 

All projects funded by Network satisfy our criteria for being legal, non-violent and non-party political.

Non-charitable grants

Charitable Major Project grants 2023-24

These are normally grants for 3-6 years, with annual sums of £100,000 – £250,000. In 2023-24 our 4 Major Projects were:

  • Green Alliance for Cutting Carbon UK, providing policy research for Government in support of the UK’s carbon targets under the Climate Change Act.
  • Permaculture Association, for Landworkers’ Alliance, a transformational grant to enable the scaling up of their member-led network of farmers and land-based workers.
  • Labour Rights, a group of projects addressing justice for workers and protecting labour rights. Violation Tracker blows the whistle on corporate malpractice; Cat’s Cradle provides worker training and education; Working Families campaigns on the Employment Bill.
  • Windrush Justice, in partnership with other funders and Action for Racial Equality, this project seeks justice for those people whose UK citizenship is impacted by the “hostile environment”. Most victims are originally from Jamaica, Nigeria, Ghana and Barbados.

Charitable Major Project grants 2024-25

We also have three new Major Projects beginning in 2024-25:

  • Community Resilience, a project aiming to increase the capacity of local communities across the UK to sustain themselves and adapt in the face of mounting disruption from climate change and other sources. For more detail, please see here.
  • Flying Fair, aiming to reduce the demand for flying. We are supporting a group of organisations: the Aviation Environment Trust works for sustainable aviation policies, and with local groups aims to limit airport expansion; Possible campaigns for climate solutions in transport and has pioneered the Frequent Flyer Levy; New Economics Foundation undertakes and publishes economic analysis in support of aviation demand management.
  • Fossil Fuels and Insurance Reclaim Finance conducts in-depth research and analysis on the practices of financial institutions in the insurance sector, aimed at supporting them to adopt climate strategies.

Charitable Pools grants 2023-24

Generally one-off funding up to £20,000. There is one round per year. Charitable Pools grants in 2023-24 were:

  • Action on Empty Homes Advocacy project for funding a local-authority-led scheme to buy empty homes and to control numbers of short-lets and holiday homes
  • APPEAL Using individual wrongful conviction cases as lever for criminal justice reform
  • Artis Foundation To provide weekly, holistic performing arts sessions to children within schools located in areas of high deprivation, to boost attainment, confidence, communication and wellbeing
  • BASIC (British American Security Information Council) Core fuding towards strengthening European security dialogue through direct engagement with Russian/Eastern European experts
  • Brighouse West Yorkshire Area Quaker Meeting Centre for the Study of Existential Risk’s innovative podcast exploring the dysfunctions that drive the metacrisis and existential risk
  • British Friends of QCEA For Quaker Council for European Affairs, publication and dissemination of an accessible handbook for ensuring Human Rights in Migration
  • Common Wealth Theatre Limited Core funding to keep project leaders in place for Youth Theatre Laboratory and Speakers Corner projects
  • Disability Law Service Reintroducing a triage function to provide better client support and improve efficiency and effectiveness of legal assistance
  • Earthwatch Europe Developing the Miyawaki Research Network to support the study, development and success of ‘Tiny Forests’, primarily in urban areas
  • Endless Medical Advantage Supporting sustainable healthcare services to the refugee and vulnerable communities of Lebanon
  • Environmental Investigation Agency UK Supporting EIA’s work on cutting methane emissions from the energy sector in the EU and increasing support for the Global Methane Pledge
  • Environmental Law Foundation Research into the legal and policy opportunities for the recognition of the Rights of Nature at a local level in the UK
  • Equal Education Chances NEXT STEP will explore the five ways of wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give back
  • Families Outside For COPE (Children of Prisoners Europe), boosting impact in securing the rights of children with a parent in prison and achieving deeper systemic change
  • Finance Innovation Lab Build and coordinate a powerful and effective coalition that can build a pensions system that works for pensioners, the economy and the environment
  • Firefly International Strengthening Svitac’s peacebuilding work with local children and youth in Bosnia, during a crucial period of rising nationalism and inter-ethnic tensions
  • Foundation for Integrated Transport For Transport Action Network, changing national transport policy through radically altering the existing planning policy and approval processes
  • Greater Change Foundation The Greater Change Alumni Programme will gather qualitativ feedback from homelessness service users and be shared across the sector
  • Independent Diplomat Limited To advise and support a coalition of Ukrainian civil society with a diplomatic strategy to generate wider international support
  • Intermission Youth Transforming the lives of disadvantage young Londoners through drama, film & community empowerment, culminating in a 4 week theatre presentation
  • North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre A Music Therapy Hub in Scarborough, one of the most socially deprived towns in North Yorkshire, to support children and young people in need
  • Open Trust – Charitable Trust for openDemocracy Delivering a financial transparency project, which grades UK Think Tanks based on the quality of the financial transparency disclosures
  • Participation & Practice of Rights Project Ltd Core Funding for Anaka Women’s Collective in Belfast to cover staff costs for a development coordinator
  • Peace Direct Supporting local peacebuilding actors to address the issue of militarisation of Colombian society
  • People’s Economy A collaboration between expert economists and grassroots communities to build a stronger movement for change
  • Permaculture Association (Britain) Enabling a body of community climate activists and change makers to coach communities in local resilience and effective local action
  • Positive Youth Foundation The Inspire project to encourage young refugees and asylum seekers in Coventry to develop their poetry, art and songwriting skills
  • Praxis Alleviate financial hardship by low-income households affected by No Recourse to Public Funds, and improve representation of people with lived experience of migration
  • Rainforest Foundation UK Tackling the threat to real climate change mitigation posed by carbon offset schemes, providing a series of case studies, a toolkit and guidance
  • Restorative Justice Council For Therapeutic Productions, raising awareness about the arts and mental health
  • Sand Dams Worldwide Limited Supporting a community in Zimbabwe to construct a sand dam, a sustainable rainwater harvesting technique
  • The Big House Theatre Company Core funding for an Artistic Director: A source of empowerment, inspiration & mentorship
  • The Egmont Trust School club in Zambia combatting the risks of early marriage and underage pregnancies, and supporting girls’ empowerment and independence
  • The International Roundtable for Sustainable Tea (THIRST) Core funding to rebuild our website to connect and inform stakeholders committed to improving the lives of tea workers and farmers globally
  • The Movements Trust For Common Languages, promoting mass organising across borders by facilitating multilingual spaces
  • Thelma Matilda Alves Foundation For ADHD Babes, supporting Black women and Non-binary people of African & Caribbean descent with ADHD, to improve mental wellbeing
  • Turkey Mozaik Foundation For Sivil Toplum icin Destek Vakfi/Support Foundation for Civil Society, promoting support for civil society and grassroots communities in Turkey
  • Able Child Africa For an innovative disability-inclusive mental health guide and ‘toolbox’ for children and youth in Rwanda
  • APPEAL Working for a fairer justice system; challenging wrongful convictions and suppression of evidence by police
  • Artis For a primary school performing arts programme in deprived areas
  • Belong For Amplify, a project to support women in Drake Hall Prison (Midlands) who are caught up in the criminal justice system  
  • Clowns without Borders For their project Wiggle, working in Syria and Turkey with traumatised refugee children
  • Finance Innovation Lab For Transforming Finance: A manifesto for positive change and regulatory reform
  • Gaia Foundation For Oikologica, a Forum of Independent Lawyers, training lawyers from indigenous and marginalised groups in India
  • Gambling with Lives For a pilot education project to prevent gambling harm in young people
  • Global Girl Project Core funding for mobilising girls in the global south to become leaders in families and communities
  • Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit  For Torture ID, helping newly arrived asylum seekers to provide evidence of torture, and lobby for early trauma screening
  • Hear Me Out Music New music programmes for a range of immigration detention facilities
  • Ice and Fire Theatre To develop a theatre play “The Divide – A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions”
  • Independent Diplomat For their Meet the Parties project, creating an impartial platform for conflict prevention and resolution
  • Labour Behind the Label To challenge online fashion retailers selling out on workers’ rights in Turkey
  • Lansbury House Trust Fund For War Resisters International to run an Antimilitarist Campaigning Lab for young people to play key role in resisting militarism
  • London Waterkeeper For their campaign for “A Swimmable Thames”, publicising water pollution events
  • Gaia Foundation For Oikologica, a Forum of Independent Lawyers, training lawyers from indigenous and marginalised groups in India
  • Gambling with Lives For a pilot education project to prevent gambling harm in young people
  • Global Girl Project Core funding for mobilising girls in the global south to become leaders in families and communities
  • Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit  For Torture ID, helping newly arrived asylum seekers to provide evidence of torture, and lobby for early trauma screening
  • Hear Me Out Music New music programmes for a range of immigration detention facilities
  • Ice and Fire Theatre To develop a theatre play “The Divide – A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions”
  • Independent Diplomat For their Meet the Parties project, creating an impartial platform for conflict prevention and resolution
  • Labour Behind the Label To challenge online fashion retailers selling out on workers’ rights in Turkey
  • Lansbury House Trust Fund For War Resisters International to run an Antimilitarist Campaigning Lab for young people to play key role in resisting militarism
  • London Waterkeeper For their campaign for “A Swimmable Thames”, publicising water pollution events
  • Marmot Charitable Trust For Zero Hour, promoting the Climate & Ecology Bill, aiming to cease fossil fuel investments and restore nature
  • Migrants Organise Core funding for work seeking to overturn the “hostile environment” policy
  • Omega Research Foundation Dealing with the disproportionate use of force by UK police, particularly against BAME communities
  • Open Trust For Open Democracy, holding authorities to account through Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs)
  • Peace Brigades International UK Supporting and protecting land, environmental and indigenous defenders
  • Peace Direct For Strength from Adversity, connecting young climate activists in Afghanistan, Syria, Kenya and Lebanon
  • PORA Zimbabwe  For Gokwe Rape Emergency Aftercare Service 
  • Possible (The 10:10 Foundation) For a Judicial review aiming to bring the government’s ‘Jet Zero’ aviation strategy within its climate commitments
  • Prism Youth Centre  For Breathing Spaces 2, helping100 vulnerable teenagers in Bradford engage with an inner city farm for rescued animals
  • Saheliya Glasgow social enterprise, practical support for minority women who have experienced racial inequality
  • Survivor Alliance UK Leadership programme for UK survivors of modern slavery
  • The Kittiwake Trust Multilingual Library in Gateshead, following eviction by landlord and move to new site
  • Tiyeni  Creating a hub and training programme for Deep Bed Farming in Malawi
  • Transform Justice CourtWatch project to increase oversight of our courts and promote community ownership of justice
  • Wellsprings Together Funding a Bradford-Iona Activists Retreat, an intergenerational, multi-faith and no-faith retreat to support community activists
  • Wildlife & Countryside Link For the Nature 2030 project: protecting the marine environment through policy and marine protected areas
  • Women Working Worldwide For Beauty Without the Beast: empowering women in global supply chains to claim their rights (Kenya)

Charitable Fast Track grants 2023-24

Generally one-off funding of £5,000 – £8,000. In 2023-24 we awarded 39 charitable Fast Track grants through 4 funding rounds. Grants were:

  • Advance Myanmar Supporting non-violent resistance in Myanmar through the University Students’ Unions Alumni Force (USUAF)
  • Ajyal Foundation for Education Supporting the mental health and recovery of children impacted by the war and military attacks on the Gaza Strip
  • Aviation Environment Trust Supporting aviation and airports campaigning, to constrain UK emissions through limiting aviation demand and airport capacity
  • Beyond Equality CIO Funding for a Youth Coordinator to coordinate with schools to encourage boys to challenge violence against women and girls
  • Black Equity Organisation Working in partnership to give Black communities a cohesive voice ahead of the 2024 General Election
  • Bristol Palestine Film Festival Funding to deliver the film festival, including film rights, venue hire, staff costs and advertising
  • Canolfan Maerdy Developing community food growing in four villages in South Wales
  • Centre for Alternative Technology Core funding towards graduate school, group visits, short courses, eco-store, visitor centre, venue and accommodation
  • City of Sanctuary UK Empowering people seeking sanctuary to become part of the Sanctuary Ambassador Network across the UK
  • Conservation Farming Trust Preparing for unstable global food supplies, building a fast-track response in Wales, leading the way for the UK
  • Eastville Park Lido C.I.C. Start up funding for fundraising during engagement phase of the project to build a community Lido in Bristol
  • Equal Education Chances Delivering ‘Becoming Youth’, an inclusive project promoting financial wellbeing, belonging, art, heritage, safe relationships, environmental sustainability, global citizenship and creativity
  • ForRefugees For A.SS.I.S.T., providing free information and legal services for women and LGBTQI+ asylum seekers in Greece
  • ForRefugees For Mazi Housing, providing housing and support for de-prioritised asylum seekers and refugees in Athens
  • Foundation for Integrated Transport For Climate Emergency Planning and Policy, undertaking strategic analysis and litigation to stop UK ministerial decisions making climate change worse
  • Foundation for Integrated Transport For Transport Action Network, challenging the Government’s decision to approve the A66 Trans-Pennine road scheme
  • Global Justice Now For Oikologia, supporting challenges to Human Rights and environmental abuses in India
  • Help Dadaab Supporting children in Dadabb, Kenya, the world’s largest refugee camp, into education by funding Community Mobilisers
  • Independent Diplomat Limited Supporting a network of former and current female Afghan diplomats in shaping and influencing a credible political solution to the crisis
  • Inquest For UNGRIPP, to take action against indeterminate sentences and give support to those affected by them
  • Manchester Alliance for Community Care Promoting dignity amidst the hostile environment for migrants in Manchester
  • Maslaha Addressing government silencing of discussion of Palestine in UK schools
  • PalCrafts (Uk) Limited For Sunbula, core funding to build resilience for fair trade producers in Palestine
  • Peace Direct Supporting a network linking young people working for change in situations of protracted violence and insecurity
  • Permaculture Association (Britain) Developing a process for training community-based climate coaches and partnerships with other networks to enable scaling up across the UK in 2024
  • Queen Mary University of London – International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) Examining whether the Jewish Chronicle and Telegraph, which spearhead many unfounded antisemitism accusations, are discriminatory
  • Reconnect Responding to the increasing need for guidance into higher education and teaching among refugees and asylum seekers
  • Saheliya Core funding to support marginalised BAME women in Scotland who have mental health problems resulting from gendered abuses
  • SecurityWomen Delivering conference: How should Women be involved in Security Reform to ensure Better Societal Outcomes?
  • St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral For English Lessons in the Chapter House, to offer lessons and supporting activities for young male asylum seekers
  • The 10:10 Foundation Maximising climate impact from the 2024 general election by campaigning for a televised party leaders’ debate/engagement with parliamentary candidates
  • The BEARR Trust Providing Mental Health Support in small towns and villages in Ukraine using local volunteers
  • The Bradford Court Chaplaincy Service Providing support to people attending Bradford Magistrates Court & Bradford Combined Court Centre
  • The British Shalom Salaam Trust Supporting partners in Gaza and the West Bank in rebuilding homes and work places following Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure
  • The Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action Employing a researcher to set up list of climate/racial justice funders for the Racial Justice Working Group
  • The Institute of Development Studies For New Lucas Plan, production of an educational and action-oriented booklet to tackle climate change from the workplace and the community
  • The Karuna Trust Supporting 16 community-led organisations across ten states in India, serving 300,000 people
  • The Poverty and Environment Trust Coordinating community advocacy and conducting research, with the aim of creating dramatic nationwide growth in community renewable energy schemes
  • The Poverty and Environment Trust For Zero Hour, empowering citizens to take democratic action on the climate and nature crises by supporting the Climate & Ecology Bill
  • The Refugee and Migrant Centre Limited Fund offering discretionary payments to asylum seekers, refugees and dependants trapped in emergency situations needing immediate support
  • The Smile and Olive Foundation (UK) Installing Solar Panels for street children’s school in Lebanon
  • Theatro Technis Company Limited For MENA Arts UK, to continue to champion voices and empower unrepresented Middle East and North African communities within the UK arts industries
  • Womankind Worldwide Improving the lives of women and children facing displacement due to violence and conflict in Ethiopia
  • ACES (Association of Coastal Ecosytems Services)  For Tropical Research & Conservation Centre Nigeria, for 700 biomass cooking stoves in mangrove conservation area
  • Afghanistan & Central Asian Association Supporting displaced refugees with crisis and integration issues, now including support for refugees from Ukraine 
  • African Refugee Community  Staff support in Barnett for services for asylum seekers from mainly French-speaking African countries
  • Alternatives to Violence (AVP) Jordan Workshops for refugees and host communities in Jordan
  • Art Against Knives Core funding to boost capacity and deliver services to vulnerable young people
  • Aviation Environment Trust Challenging ‘Jet Zero’ – the Department of Transport’s policy framework which continues to promote aviation expansion
  • Black Girls Hike Environmental summer camp for 70 black women at Green & Away education centre in Worcestershire
  • Burma Human Rights Network Documenting human rights violations and accountability in Myanmar
  • Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action  For the intrapreneurs.club for Apprentice Pathway Programme, helping young, diverse and low income people to secure careers in IT
  • Chaffinch  Stack the Library for Kibera’s Kids – helping Nairobi’s vulnerable children access vital resources
  • Coventry University Gun Crime Violence among Palestinians in Israel: Strategies to reduce violence  
  • Criminal Justice Alliance  Leadership programme for lived experience voices: advocacy, training and expertise in the criminal justice system
  • Cyclox For Oxfordshire Livable Streets, for a cycle and pedestrian plan, re-prioritising space from cars to cycling, walking and other public uses
  • Devon Centocow Link  First-Aid training for pre-school staff in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
  • Eastside Community Trust  For Eastville Park Lido CIC to bring back a lido in ethnically diverse East Bristol
  • Falklands Stewardship Trust  Groundswell Outreach venture “GO Falkland”, to promote regenerative farming in Scotland
  • Fences & Frontiers Expanding museum and countryside visits for asylum seekers in Glasgow, Birmingham and Cardiff
  • Foundation for Integrated Transport  For Transport Action Network’s legal fighting fund to bring UK national roads policy within the UK’s carbon budget
  • Institute for Development Studies New Lucas Plan, exploring opportunities for a worker/citizen-led transition to a green economy
  • Joliba Trust Income-generating project for rural Malian women, producing cooking oil and soap from Balanites tree kernels
  • Labour Behind the Label Researching LGBTQ+ garment workers stories in UK and global supply chains
  • Medical Justice Interpreters for detained torture survivors for immigration medical assessments
  • Meri Yaadain CIC  Dementia support for South Asian communities in Bradford and beyond
  • Next Century Foundation For Justice Congo Group for awareness-raising about how mining for smartphone minerals in DRC is terrorising local communities
  • Platform Recipe for a Revolution project in Tower Hamlets, minority-led food justice research & movement building
  • Prism City Farm  Bradford Breathing Spaces project using holistic eco-therapy to  help young people in mental distress
  • Public Interest Research Centre Decolonising Narratives: Transforming civil society communications, for organisations within its network
  • Red Balloon Educational Trust  Replacement of outdated laptops for teenagers who have been bullied, traumatised and excluded from school
  • Somewhere Else Bridging gaps in provision for refugees and asylum seekers in Stockton-on-Tees 
  • StandOut Programmes Expansion of employability programme at HMP Wormwood Scrubs
  • Sussex Green Living Regrow & Repair Roadshow in Sussex to promote lifestyle changes that reduce pressure on the planet
  • Tanzania Development Trust  Borewells and rope pumps for 5 locations in rural Tanzania
  • The BEARR Trust UKRAINE: Winter Aid appeal – grassroots grants
  • The Congo Tree Youth development work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, inspiring and supporting young leaders
  • The Eden Trust Youth Environmental Service aiming for every young person in the UK to have the opportunity of a year’s environmental service
  • The Girlington Centre  Refugee Support Group in Bradford, for practical and legal support for refugees
  • The Movements Trust  For Wild Card, grassroots campaigning for the UK’s biggest landowners to rewild and open up their estates to all
  • The Real Farming Trust Bringing the UK farmland trusts together: for closer collaboration and more effective movement building
  • Therapeutic Art Zambia Using art to increase dignity and care for people with poor mental health in Zambia
  • Time for Art  Creative art sessions for asylum seekers in hotels in Oxfordshire
  • Upper Space CIC For Adfree Cities Research into how billboard ads deepen existing social inequalities
  • War on Want Keeping the Hope Alive: fighting for ecological justice in Chile’s Constitutional Process
  • Wild Fish Conservation Judicial Review of the UK Government’s inadequate plan to reduce dumping of raw sewage into rivers
  • Young Sea Changers Scotland Empowering young people in Scotland to take action for the seas

Download 5-year Funding Reports in PDF format for Network for Social Change Charitable Trust.

2019-23
2015-19
2011-15
2008-11
2004-07