Corra Foundation has unveiled its new 10-year strategy, which includes a commitment to unrestricted funding
A major funder has pledged to revamp the way it provides grants to charities.
The Corra Foundation has today launched its 10-year strategy, which includes a new approach to Henry Duncan Grants, the £1m a year programme that support grassroots charities in Scotland.
Corra’s strategy centres on strengthening and amplifying people’s voices and power to make change. Reflecting this, the strategy was developed with input from charities who said they wanted funding that comes with trust and time. In response, Henry Duncan Grants will offer simpler processes, with grants of up to five years, unrestricted wherever possible.
Over the coming decade, the foundation said it believes the power to create change rests with people themselves. Corra’s role is to ensure that people with ideas for radical change are supported, skilled, connected and confident.
Corra chief executive Fiona Duncan said: “Our strategy is a response to the world we live in, and to the one we want to play a part in building. We’ve taken the bold step of setting out our 10-year vision, providing clarity on our priorities and direction and recognising that change takes time.
“This strategy is not about Corra, it’s about the people and communities we work alongside to champion fairness, rights and connected communities and tackle challenges such as poverty, problematic drug and alcohol use, loneliness and mental health issues.
“At the heart of this strategy is our belief that when people find their voice, they unlock the power to make change happen. We have the privilege of seeing the amazing things that people and groups across Scotland do every day to support each other. We want to be bolder and more creative in the way in which we play our part in supporting this.”
Corra will continue to develop relationships with communities of place and interest. This will include new projects such as Participatory Scotland, supporting local communities to connect with each other and use their voice and power to influence wider change.
It will mean increasing participatory approaches within grant programmes, for example through lived experience panels and models of community-controlled funding. It will also include wide collaboration, including managing funding on behalf of others and working together to use learning and evidence to influence policy, practice and systems change.
