Media Briefing: Pioneering Fund Launches in Edinburgh
March 2025
MEDIA BRIEFING
PIONEERING FUND LAUNCHES IN EDINBURGH
Word version this media briefing can be downloaded here
Edinburgh, like many cities, faces serious and systemic issues of poverty and racism, and these are deeply connected with environmental challenges. Time after time local charities across the city have proven they are well-placed and able to provide the solutions needed to deliver real impact for their communities, but they are seriously constrained by the existing funding model of short-term cyclical or project funding, lack of trust and lack of understanding.
The current landscape doesn’t allow for organisations to address the deep root causes of poverty and inequality due to the way funding programmes are designed, short timescales, and restricted single-issue funds. A radical shake up is required and that is exactly the vision of the Edinburgh Regenerative Futures Fund. The team has spent over two years collaborating with experts and bringing together some of the biggest funders across Scotland – and the UK – who stand alongside the vision to try something new, share the power and ultimately give individuals and organisations themselves the agency and the resources they need to create a brighter future for all residents of Edinburgh.
What is the Regenerative Futures Fund?
Regenerate in its essence, means ‘to create again’
The Regenerative Futures Fund is a ten-year community fund for Edinburgh that puts decision-making power into the hands of those who are most often excluded. It supports approaches to improve the lives of people living in poverty and experiencing racism, and contribute towards a just green transition, by enabling equity, power-sharing and long-term change. It is designed to empower local communities and organisations across the city to drive lasting change. What sets this fund apart is its commitment to meaningful, long term and unrestricted funding, giving organisations the freedom to think and plan for the long-term.
The Regenerative Futures Fund is a pioneering initiative aimed at tackling the root causes of the interconnected challenges of poverty, racism, and the climate emergency in Edinburgh.
Grants of up to £100,000 per year will be offered to around 10-15 Edinburgh-based organisations, over 10 years.
What makes it different?
Collaboratively designed by community organisations, campaigners with experience of poverty, funders and the local authority, this £15 million, ten-year pooled fund presents a unique opportunity for funders, philanthropists and corporate partners to support and learn with others to enable a long-term community-led approach to systemic change.
The Regenerative Futures Fund directly addresses the huge problem we have with short-termism. Transformative thinking - and doing - requires long-term resource. We struggle to think and act long-term due to the dominance of short-term and restricted funding, resulting in 'sticking plaster' and siloed solutions to our biggest societal issues. Frustrated with restrictions and barriers of short-term, restrictive and power imbalanced funding for social sector organisations, Leah Black started sharing ideas around how funding programmes could be designed differently and collaboratively, to allow grassroots organisations to create long-term and transformational change, to shift power in how decisions are made, and who gets to create and imagine solutions for a just and regenerative future.
The Regenerative Futures Fund brings together big-name funders including (in alphabetical order) The City of Edinburgh Council, The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, The Robertson Trust (contributing their largest award this strategic period, and their first ever ten-year award), The Turn2us Edinburgh Trust and others including Foundation Scotland who is also hosting the fund and William Grant Foundation contributing towards monitoring, evaluation and learning.
The development (2022 – 2024) phase was funded by (in alphabetical order) Corra Foundation, City of Edinburgh Council, Capital City Partnership, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Foundation Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund, The Robertson Trust, Turn2us Edinburgh Trust, William Grant Foundation and Creative Informatics at The University of Edinburgh.
A full list of contributors and the amount donated is available at the end of this briefing.
What partnership has taken place?:
The Regenerative Futures Fund is a strong partnership collaboration project bringing together key voices from relevant organisations, involving lived experience throughout the initial design and development phases. This collaboration will continue throughout the subsequent decision-making stages and ten-year funding period.
The Regenerative Futures Fund team worked alongside 12 organisations through the design and development phase including: All Together Edinburgh, Edinburgh Tool Library, End Poverty Edinburgh, Feniks, Grassmarket Community Project, LGBT Health & Wellbeing Edinburgh, Project Esperanza and The Welcoming Association
The team also partnered with local poets Shasta H Ali and Jennifer Williams to encourage people to creatively and collectively imagine a brighter future Edinburgh resulting in a group of community poets creating a poetry anthology called All That Is Needed Is A Dream: Poetry To Inspire Change. This approach to collective imagination will continue throughout the first phase and the capacity building programme. Image attached within dropbox link https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/41by7ms9b4us1bsrrhxtw/AM7DN4TVNAI9otbMFanPiY4?rlkey=o7pmlw75yxs0ozd5xeinvc6gr&st=62ztyhvx&dl=0
What will be funded?
Collectives, movements and grassroots organisations who are addressing the root causes of poverty, racism and climate change and can demonstrate their close links with residents, and skills in community organising and activism. They must be open to working in a collective with others through a programme of shared learning and imagination activities throughout the grant, and they must be based in Edinburgh.
The process for community organisations, collectives, movements and grassroots organisations to get involved will be an eligibility form along with guidelines for organisations to recommend themselves if they are eligible. The team will also ask for recommendations using existing networks in the city such as End Poverty Edinburgh, the Regenerative Futures Fund Lived Experience Decision Making Panel, place-based networks and funders networks.
Eligible organisations will be invited to submit an expression of interest (available on the website) prior to the capacity building phase in summer and autumn 2025. Around 25 organisations will be supported through the capacity building phase where full applications will be developed. 10 – 15 organisations will move from the capacity building phase to the 10-year programme which is due to begin in winter 2025/2026.
What real difference is it going to make to people living in Edinburgh?
The community sector in Edinburgh is abundant with ideas and visionaries who want to respond to these interconnected challenges of our time. Movements and grassroots community organisations will be provided with the resources and networks they need to develop a powerful voice in Edinburgh, and the space to imagine a better future and begin to shape it.
Residents living in Edinburgh will be empowered to play a central role in improving the lives of people living across the city. They will increase their skills and confidence, and their influence, either through new paid roles or setting up or joining campaigns/movements.
What lasting change(s) will be made?
The Regenerative Futures Fund aims to achieve lasting change by:
Shifting decision making power to individuals experiencing financial insecurity and racism.
Empowering community-based organisations to implement solutions tailored to their communities.
Fostering a powerful collective voice advocating for an end to poverty, racism and a green and just transition.
Building a resilient network of organisations capable of collaborating on innovative approaches that tackle the root causes of issues.
Aligning with a recommendation from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission to harness resources to develop an innovation fund to resource solutions to ending poverty in the city.
Two simple funding phases
1. Initial development phase where grants of up to £10,000 will be awarded to around 25 eligible organisations, groups or collectives to enable the development of a full proposal.
o This development funding recognises the resources which are required for organisations to work on funding applications and collaborative proposals and will cover any costs required to develop a full proposal.
o A self-referral form will go live in March 2025 for organisations, groups and collectives to recommend themselves, if they are eligible.
o This self-referral process will run alongside a partner and network referral process until April 2025.Eligible organisations, groups and collectives will then be invited to submit an Expression of Interest.
o These awards will be announced in Spring 2025 and these 25 organisations will be invited to submit a full application later in the year.
2. Long-term funding programme where 10-15 organisations will be selected to receive funding at a level of £50-£100K a year for 10 years, paid out annually. These awards will be announced in late 2025.
Grants will be administered by Foundation Scotland in line with their existing processes.
Full eligibility information and application details can be found here:
Organisations, groups and collectives - Community — Regenerative Futures Fund | Working Together Towards A Regenerative And Just Future For Edinburgh | Community Fund | Scotland - UK
OUR PROGRESS & CALL TO ACTION
The Regenerative Futures Fund has already demonstrated remarkable success in its development phase, having already secured a commitment of £5.8 million. The team is actively inviting others to join the impressive coalition of funders, corporate partners, and philanthropists committed to a just and sustainable Edinburgh to fully realise the ambitious 10-year programme.
By contributing to the Regenerative Futures Fund, donors will:
Invest in a community-led, systemic approach to tackling poverty, racism, and climate change.
Be part of a groundbreaking initiative putting power and resources directly into the hands of communities.
Support a robust, transparent and accountable funding model with a detailed theory of change and a comprehensive evaluation framework.
Join other funders in a learning collaborative to share and amplify knowledge and expertise on systemic, place-based social change.
Contribute to building a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for Edinburgh.
Leave a legacy by empowering communities to create a brighter future for generations.
For those interested in joining the collaboration of pooled funders please visit - Funders — Regenerative Futures Fund | Working Together Towards A Regenerative And Just Future For Edinburgh | Community Fund | Scotland - UK
CONTACT
Claire Montgomery, Communications, Foundation Scotland, cmontgomery@outlook.com, 07766 395 872
Interview opportunities
Leah Black, co-Head of Regenerative Futures Fund, Foundation Scotland
Aala Ross, co-Head of Regenerative Futures Fund, Foundation Scotland
Funder quotes:
City of Edinburgh Council
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “Here in Edinburgh we have an ambitious target to end poverty by 2030, and we remain committed to making our city fairer. We know that this isn’t an easy task but we need to be bold and drive the change that is so greatly needed.
“The Regenerative Futures Fund will empower local people and the third sector to directly fight poverty and inequality in our communities. We need a city-wide partnership fund to help us end poverty together. This innovative model is unique to Edinburgh.
“With backing already in place for £6 million, including £100,000 of Council funding, the team is well placed to start working alongside those with firsthand understandings of poverty. This will help make a lasting difference - ensuring their voices are at the heart of decision-making.”
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Gillian Goode, Funding Manager at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, said “The Regenerative Futures Fund is an ambitious vision to reimagine and demonstrate an alternative model of citizen-led change for the City of Edinburgh. Communities have no shortage of ideas for how to explore and create innovative solutions and address the inequalities that exclude people from being part of that experience; what they often lack is stable and secure resourcing and the right to decide how best to use it. We are grateful and excited to have the opportunity to learn alongside communities, other funders, City of Edinburgh Council, other partners and stakeholders how we might work together differently in future towards sustainable change that can meet everyone’s social and economic needs and safeguard our climate and natural world."
The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “This fund, designed for and by local people, is unique response to a well-evidenced need for change within Edinburgh’s communities. National Lottery players can be very proud that they are helping to support this vital work which will make a real difference to so many.”
The Robertson Trust
Jim McCormick, Chief Executive said “The Robertson Trust is committed to preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland by funding, supporting and influencing solutions to drive social change.
“As an independent funder, we recognise our responsibility to explore new approaches, particularly to address the root causes of poverty, racial injustice and climate risks. Our partners tell us consistently that lasting change cannot be achieved through short-term funding. That’s why we were drawn to the Regenerative Futures Fund’s long-term vision, its ambitious cross-sector collaboration, and its deep commitment to shifting power towards people and places with lived experience of these deep-seated challenges.
Our £1 million award over ten years - the largest and longest commitment of strategy period to date - reflects our commitment to long-term change. We share the Fund’s bold vision and look forward to learning about power-sharing and ambitious collaboration to achieve transformative change in Edinburgh.”
Turn2us
Patrycja Kupiec, Head of Edinburgh Trust, Turn2us, said: “Too often, grassroots organisations are trapped in short-term funding cycles that create uncertainty, stifle ambition, and force them to firefight the symptoms of poverty rather than addressing its root causes. This broken system keeps communities in survival mode, preventing them from shaping the futures they deserve.
At Turn2us, we know that real, lasting change happens when power and resources are placed directly in the hands of those experiencing financial insecurity. That’s why we were the first to commit £1 million to the Regenerative Futures Fund, which offers sustainable support and directly contributes to the Edinburgh-wide commitment. By strengthening local organisations, we’re not just supporting individual communities, we’re helping to sustain the wider ecosystem of support that means people can move out of financial hardship”
Foundation Scotland
Helen Wray, Head of Philanthropy at Foundation Scotland said “This is an ambitious fund that ultimately aims to empower people to play a central role in improving their lives and those of others – to have their voices listened to and be active in shaping their own futures. We talk about this kind of approach often, but rarely do we see it so powerfully laid out. The Regenerative Futures Fund has the potential to create a compelling model for others to follow. We will fully support them to make that ambition a reality.”
Linda Craik, End Poverty Edinburgh Member said:
“Everything is short-term, and for organisations who are trying to help get people out of poverty, they spend too much time filling in funding forms...and if we’re involved from the beginning, we can raise those issues”
Vicky Nyanga-Ndiaye, Project Esperanza said:
‘Being a person of African heritage, I have a natural passion for sustainability. But also in my position of supporting migrant families that project Esperanza, I thrive on trying to impact people's lives, as well as the environment positively, by doing my best for people to gain access to what I deemed basic human rights. I also believe in the fund's mission towards ending poverty, aspiring for racial equality and producing a safe environment for people in Edinburgh’
(There is an) understanding of environmental issues, being of African heritage, we reuse and recycle. It’s insightful for me to realise that in 2023 we are having this conversation on a broader scale in Scotland and (I) feel challenged about this.
The challenge is short-cycles of funding, it’s unsustainable, it’s for 6-months or one-year, we are talking about things that won’t be fixed in these timescales.
Images – available via this dropbox link
FURTHER INFO
When will the awards be made?
Initial Development Grants of up to £10,000 will be awarded to 25 organisations in Spring 2025. Eligibility details are available online https://regenerativefuturesfund.org.uk
The first year of the large unrestricted grants will be announced in late 2025 with nine subsequent payments made yearly until 2035.
Partnership work:
The Regenerative Futures Fund is a strong partnership collaboration project bringing together key voices from relevant organisations, involving lived experience throughout the initial design and development phases. This collaboration will continue throughout the subsequent decision-making stages and ten-year funding period.
The Regenerative Futures Fund team worked alongside 12 organisations through the design and development phase including: All Together Edinburgh, Edinburgh Tool Library, End Poverty Edinburgh, Feniks, Grassmarket Community Project, LGBT Health & Wellbeing Edinburgh, Project Esperanza and The Welcoming Association
Secured funding breakdown:
Total cost of the programme is £15 million
Total secured to date £5.8 million
Breakdown from prominent funders (in alphabetical order):
o £1 million from City of Edinburgh Council (£100,000 approved and an in principle commitment of £100,000 a year for 10 years)
o £500,000 from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (£100,000 a year for 5 years)
o £2 million from The National Lottery Community Fund (£200,000 a year for 10 years)
o £1 million from The Robertson Trust (£100,000 a year for 10 years)
o £1 million from Turn2us Edinburgh Trust (£100,000 a year for 10 years)
o £250,000 from Foundation Scotland, also fund hosts
o William Grant Foundation (£15,000 towards Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning)
Initial development-phase awards during 2022, 2023 and 2024 (in alphabetical order):
o Capital City Partnership (providing £7500)
o Corra Foundation (providing £15,000)
o University of Edinburgh Creative Informatics Programme (providing £10,000)
o The National Lottery Community Fund (providing £62,000)
o Turn2us Edinburgh Trust (providing £22,000)
o William Grant Foundation (providing £15,000)
o City of Edinburgh Council (providing £7500)
o The Robertson Trust (providing £29,000)
o Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (providing £16,000)
o Foundation Scotland (providing £7000)
o Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) provided development phase hosting
We are actively encouraging interested parties to contact us if they would like to discuss supporting the fund as a contributor to the pooled fund.
History of the Fund
Since September 2022, the fund has been co-designed by a group of individuals and activists with experience of living in poverty, and local community organisations working closely with people experiencing poverty and racism, and inequality. This means that the fund has had the voices and experiences of a diverse range of people included in the process from the beginning.
The collaborative design process has also included funders, and local and national government representatives. The fund has been co-designed with the three learning groups. The facilitators of these groups have played a key role in guiding and taking care to hold spaces for challenging conversations to take place.
Approximately 100 people have contributed their resources – time and money – towards this development phase. The expertise of the individuals in the co-design groups flow in and out of other areas such as collective imagination, fundraising, hosting, and communications.