We think the type of intervention is as important to us as the cause, as well as the ability of our partners to have impact. Some of the initiatives we are currently supporting are listed below.
Using Law and Campaigning for Change
Issue: Various / Partner: Law for Change Fund
Established in 2022, the Law for Change Fund is an initiative of progressive funders offering financial support to legal actions that can contribute to lasting social change and tangible benefit to the public good. +more...
Issue: Online harms / Partners: Various - see below
We have made several donations to initiate research into legal action against tech companies for the harms caused to young people and further supported legal action in this area. +more...
Foxglove - Alongside Luminate, we funded a project investigating how a major tech company is tracking under 13's on its platforms. Further details will be revealed in late 2022.
Good Law Project - We have supporting pre-action research and campaigning.
Cease UK - We have supported efforts to impose age restrictions on the viewing of pornographic materials.
Issue: Human Rights / Partner: Burma Campaign
Our initial funding enabled the Burma Campaign to produce the “Dirty List” – a list of companies conducting business with the regime. Further donations helped towards its revision, circulation and publicity. +more...
The list was widely circulated, particularly following the coup in 2021, and many of the companies listed stopped trading with the regime. In 2022, we have further supported the Burma Campaign to access a key shipping list which will help build on the impact of the work to date.
Issue: Campaigning / Partner: Sheila Mckechnie Foundation
We sponsored in 2022 two awards at the National Campaigner Awards and are now exploring projects to further support campaigners.
Growth Funding
Issue: Mutual Aid & Community Action / Partner: Social Change Agency
We are providing funding and support for the establishment of a pioneering mutual aid fund in 2022. The aim of The Changing Ideas Mutual Aid Fund at the Social Change Agency is to support the development and iteration of the mutual aid movement in a post covid context. +more...
The establishment of the new fund follows on from support we gave alongside The Lankelly Chase Foundation at the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020. This earlier support enabled a platform and infrastructure to be made available to dozens of small community groups that sprung up to help vulnerable people and communities cope through challenging times.
Today, the agency has around 300 groups working with them. Almost £2 million of donations have passed through their platform from individuals and foundations directly to local communities.
Issue: Education / Partner: Children on the Edge
Following a successful collaboration on legal reform in Uganda (see below), we are further partnering with Children on the Edge in 2022/23 on an educational initiative to improve models of early childhood education. +more...
Issue: Health / Partner: Hands Up Foundation
We provided support and encouragement to Hands Up Foundation to develop a plan to scale the provision of innovative cost-effective artificial limbs to children from Syria. +more...
Research Funding
Issue: Wellbeing / Partner: Inspiring Scotland
We initiated a research project in partnership with Inspiring Scotland and others to find ways to improve the wellbeing of children in the UK.+more...
Issue: Mental Health / Partner: Spinal Injuries Association
We funded a research project, run by University of Reading, looking at the mental health of the spinally injured and identifying gaps in services and cost-effective ways to make improvements. +more...
Seed / Start up funding
Issue: Climate Change / Partner: SOS-UK – Teach the Teacher
Our funding enabled this innovative campaign to be publicised ahead of the UN climate change conference, COP26 in Glasgow. +more...
Issue: Theatre for social impact / Partner: Sit-up Awards
We created an annual prize at the Edinburgh Fringe to support theatre companies, before, during and after their productions to achieve greater impact. +more...
Emergency Funding
Issue: Human Rights / Partner: Children on the Edge
We provided essential funding to enable Children on the Edge to get their campaign off the ground to introduce a law in the Ugandan parliament to bring an end to human sacrifice.The law was passed in 2021.
Issue: Refugees / Partner: Watershed
We provided the cost of an essential worker to Watershed to ensure that the toilets and showers were operational in the Lesbos refugee camps, thus ensuring clean water and sanitation.+more...