Trusts and Foundations

We’ve developed a safe, hassle-free way for trusts and foundations to fund groups and changemakers.

What we offer

Grant distribution

We design and deliver grant distribution programmes.

Grant management

We sign grant agreements on behalf of grantees.

Fund management

We take care of the whole grantmaking process.

Payment & payroll

We help organisations and institutions pay people.

Process hosting

We help groups and coalitions with independent, neutral backbone/secretariat support.

FISCAL HOSTING

We can hold money on behalf of grassroots groups.

CONSULTANCY

We help groups with bespoke support, whether that’s to do with governance, comms or fundraising.

Let’s put our heads together

Need fresh ideas to tackle a specific challenge? We love working with forward-thinking trusts and foundations to find and test new solutions.

In their words

“The Social Change Nest provides a unique way for funders to back committed people and groups doing dedicated work to help their communities. The Changing Ideas Mutual Aid Fund has been a true partnership with the team and a good example of funders and activists working effectively together.”

“The Social Change Nest have been a key partner on our journey to funding young people directly. Their fiscal hosting through Open Collective has been a great asset to our work funding non-constituted groups of young changemakers. The ability to take the admin burden off the collectives, paired with transparency of cashflow allows us to keep financial reporting to a minimum and allow the young people we work with to focus their time and energy on their social justice work.”

“SCN’s values have helped inform our own approach. The facility to move microgrants has transformed a whole section of our programme and given us a new tool in the toolbox and for our own donors. Our partnership has been collaborative and solutions focused. The team is great, flexible and always proactive to find ways to get support to movements.”

“We began using The Social Change Nest's service because it has transparency and collaborative decision-making at its heart. It is now a central part of our journey to encourage grassroots action in Plymouth. We think there’s a value in holding this type of function independent; it saves time and we can be confident in following best practice.”

Our difference

Over £16m in total channelled to grassroots groups through SCN

87% of groups* said SCN has given them more peace of mind about their group’s finances

100% of funders* said SCN has enabled them to consider unincorporated, grassroots groups as potential grantees

80% of funders* said working with SCN has encouraged them to make deeper shifts to their funding policies or models

*Responding to our 2021 annual survey – read our full Impact Report here

Relevant FAQs

Who is this for?

We support a wide range of actors looking to get funding to community groups. This includes foundations, trusts, philanthropists, institutions, and intermediaries. Not sure if it’s suitable for you? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

What do you mean by a grassroots group?

We primarily support informal, grassroots groups that are unincorporated. That means they’re not registered as a legal entity, such as a charity or community interest company.

They may or may not have a constitution – that is, an agreed set of principles around how they govern themselves. And they tend to be hyperlocal, volunteer-led groups that work to benefit the communities they serve.

How much does it cost?

All our services charge a fee ranging from 5% to 7% depending on what you need. There may be extra costs if we’ve agreed something bespoke. Take a look at our different services here – you can find the prices on the relevant pages.

Can you grant to people outside of the UK?

Yes, we can. The set-up is different, though, so we’d need to talk you through the process first. Get in touch with a member of our team to find out how it works.

Get your
funding to where
it’s needed