Tackling Inequalities Fund - learning report
The Tackling Inequalities Fund is a £500,000 initiative launched by Foundation Scotland in May 2023 to support six organisations in Scotland to address and reduce the causes of inequality.
The aim of the Tackling Inequalities fund is to provide organisations with the financial support to develop, test, implement or scale up activity that contributes to tackling and reducing inequalities either in their local areas or through their project more widely. Tackling Inequalities funding has taken the approach of being unrestricted and longer term, helping organisations to avoid the short term funding cycle that they face each year. This type of funding is emerging as critical if we are to see a positive and permanent shift in the funding environment. This shift would see long-term, unrestricted funding embedded in the way communities are supported, and it would see funders placing trust in those who know best how to deploy funds in the most meaningful way - communities themselves. It would also allow them to think longer term about sustainability, growth and strategic development.
“It’s allowed us to think about things differently, to really think about, what would different ways of funding look like, what would that mean. We’re doing something transformational.”
Calum, Gordon Rural Action
This report highlights the Fund’s progress, key learnings, and recommendations for the next phase. It also takes a case study approach, hearing first hand and in-depth from projects about their challenges, successes and aspirations for the future.
Key findings include:
- Unrestricted funding has enabled organisations to focus on long-term, preventative solutions.
- Collaborative working has enhanced impact, particularly in partnerships that leverage complementary expertise.
- Community engagement is critical in shaping services that reflect lived experiences and local needs.
Helen Wray, Head of Philanthropy at Foundation Scotland has been working on the project since the idea first took form:
"We wanted to develop a new fund to test local, community-led approaches to preventative, or ‘upstream’ solutions that tackle some of the barriers to equality. Alongside responding to immediate and vital demands, Foundation Scotland is increasingly adopting a developmental approach, allocating funding to groups working differently to create a fairer and more just Scotland. We’ll be learning from the funded projects about their own approaches and what works well, which will help inform our own thinking in the future."
The three-year funding programme is being delivered in partnership with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland, an organisation that envisions an economic system that has wellbeing at its heart, and ensures everyone can experience fairness and connection, and participate in the decisions that affect them.
Read the Executive Summary and report here