Baillie Gifford

Charity Number: CUSTOM_5C473280

Annual Expenditure: £1.5M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1.5 million+ (through Community Awards Fund)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Approximately 10 weeks
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £5,000 (depending on programme)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Scotland, with limited international funding

Contact Details

Foundation Scotland (manages Baillie Gifford funds)

  • Website: www.foundationscotland.org.uk
  • Email: grants@foundationscotland.org.uk
  • Phone: 0131 524 0300

Baillie Gifford Philanthropy Team

  • Website: www.bailliegifford.com/en/uk/individual-investors/philanthropy/
  • General Email: help@bailliegifford.com
  • Phone: +44 (0) 131 275 2000
  • Contact Form: www.bailliegifford.com/en/uk/individual-investors/philanthropy/get-in-touch-with-the-philanthropy-team/

Overview

Baillie Gifford is a British investment management firm founded in Edinburgh in 1908. The firm officially established its first Philanthropy Committee in 2001, appointed its first full-time Philanthropy Manager in 2008, and added a second full-time manager in 2021. The Philanthropy Team now works with over 150 charity and community groups annually. Since launching their staff-driven Charity of Your Choice programme in 2017, staff have helped 650 charities across the world. Through their Community Awards Fund alone, they have awarded 650 grants totalling £1.5 million to grassroots organisations across Scotland. Baillie Gifford has partnered with Foundation Scotland for over ten years to distribute funding to good causes, with a strategic focus on supporting grassroots projects and prioritising organisations that may find it harder to seek funding elsewhere.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Baillie Gifford Social Issues Fund (Active)

  • Grant Amount: Up to £5,000
  • Focus: Grassroots community organisations across Scotland tackling homelessness, substance abuse, food insecurity, financial security, digital inclusion, loneliness and isolation
  • Eligibility: Organisations with income less than £250,000
  • Application Method: Online via Foundation Scotland
  • Special Note: Grant request must be at least 25% of total project costs

2. Baillie Gifford Grassroots Sports Fund (Active)

  • Grant Amount: Up to £5,000
  • Focus: Purchasing sports equipment (excluding clothing)
  • Purpose: Improve quality and participation in sport for all, remove barriers to participation, improve sustainability
  • Application Method: Online via Foundation Scotland
  • Special Note: Grant request must be at least 25% of total project costs

3. Baillie Gifford International Fund (Limited/Solicitation Only)

  • Grant Amount: Up to £5,000
  • Focus: Climate action projects outside the UK that increase participation and encourage behavioural change
  • Status: For 2025/26, continuation grants only for existing projects funded in 2024/25
  • Eligibility: Registered charities with income up to £5 million

4. Charity of Your Choice Programme (Internal Staff Programme)

  • Grant Amount: £1,000
  • Frequency: Three times per year
  • Process: Staff nominate charities; Philanthropy Committee approves approximately 50 grants per round

5. Multi-Year Awards (Status Unclear)

  • Grant Amount: £2,000 - £5,000 per year
  • Duration: Up to three years
  • Focus: Long-term support for charity growth and development

Priority Areas

Baillie Gifford supports a broad range of causes across:

  • Arts and Culture
  • Community Initiatives
  • Environment and Climate Action
  • Grassroots Sports
  • Health and Education
  • Social Causes: Including support for care-experienced individuals, young people, and veterans
  • International Development: Limited to charities registered in UK working overseas

What They Don't Fund

  • Organisations headquartered outside Scotland (except for International Fund)
  • Projects where grant would be less than 25% of total costs
  • Organisations with income over £250,000 (Social Issues Fund)
  • Clothing purchases (Grassroots Sports Fund)
  • Applications to International Fund are currently limited to continuation funding only
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Governance and Leadership

Philanthropy Team

  • Sam Pattman, Philanthropy Manager: Joined Baillie Gifford in 2003, worked in Event Management before moving to philanthropy full-time in 2018
  • Juliet Tweedie, Philanthropy Manager: Joined in 2021 after 15 years in the arts and charitable sector, previously led development teams at the Centre for the Moving Image

Structure

The Philanthropy Committee includes staff subgroups spanning:

  • Arts
  • Community
  • Grassroots sports
  • Health and education
  • International
  • Natural environment
  • Social causes

Philosophy

According to Baillie Gifford's stated principles: “Their community engagement is purely philanthropic, motivated by helping people rather than marketing or advertising benefits. They focus on supporting grassroots projects and prioritise those who may find it harder to seek funding elsewhere. Staff are at the heart of their charitable giving.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Foundation Scotland Managed Funds:

  1. Visit www.foundationscotland.org.uk/apply-for-funding
  2. Select the relevant Baillie Gifford fund
  3. Review application questions before starting (available on website)
  4. Register and complete online application form
  5. Ensure your charity meets Foundation Scotland's common eligibility criteria

For Direct Baillie Gifford Support:

  • Contact the Philanthropy Team through their website contact form
  • Email help@bailliegifford.com or call 0131 524 0300

Decision Timeline

  • Standard Timeline: Approximately 10 weeks from receipt of application
  • Decision Process: Funding allocated by selected Baillie Gifford staff with support from Foundation Scotland
  • Notification: Via email

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, Baillie Gifford has awarded 650 grants through their Community Awards Fund, working with over 150 organisations annually.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. Contact Foundation Scotland or the Baillie Gifford Philanthropy Team directly for guidance.

Application Success Factors

What Baillie Gifford Values

Based on their stated principles and approach:

  1. Grassroots Focus: They explicitly prioritise grassroots organisations and those that “may find it harder to seek funding elsewhere”
  1. Long-Term Relationships: Baillie Gifford takes a multi-year approach, stating they “work with charities over multiple years, supporting their growth and long-term development”
  1. Staff Connection: With staff at the heart of their giving, applications that resonate with Baillie Gifford employees may have advantages
  1. Meaningful Impact: The 25% threshold (grant must be at least 25% of project costs) suggests they want to make significant contributions to projects
  1. Geographic Alignment: Strong preference for Scotland-based organisations (except International Fund)

Recent Funded Projects

Team United (Lothian): Awarded £13,915 over 3 years for their Team Challenge programme, enabling almost 50 young people with autism to access sporting activities, build confidence and make new friends

Menself+ CIC: Received £1,700 from Community Awards Fund to deliver 20 weekly yoga sessions for men's health initiatives

Application Tips

  • Ensure your grant request is at least 25% of total project costs
  • Clearly demonstrate grassroots nature of your organisation
  • Show how funding will make a significant difference to your beneficiaries
  • For Scotland-based organisations, emphasise local community impact
  • Highlight if your organisation might face barriers accessing other funding sources
  • Consider multi-year impact and sustainability in your application

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic Focus is Critical: Unless applying to the International Fund, your charity must be headquartered and working in Scotland. This is a firm requirement.
  1. Grassroots is the Magic Word: Baillie Gifford explicitly prioritises grassroots organisations. Emphasise community-led, ground-level work rather than large-scale operations.
  1. Size Matters: Keep income under £250,000 for Social Issues Fund, and ensure grant represents at least 25% of project costs - they want to make meaningful contributions, not token gestures.
  1. Think Long-Term: Baillie Gifford values ongoing relationships and multi-year support. Articulate how their funding fits into your organisation's growth trajectory.
  1. Foundation Scotland Partnership: Most grants are administered through Foundation Scotland. Familiarise yourself with their common eligibility criteria and online application system.
  1. Staff-Driven Decisions: Funding decisions involve Baillie Gifford staff members, meaning applications that tell compelling human stories may resonate more than purely technical proposals.
  1. Timeline Planning: Allow 10 weeks for decisions. Plan your project timelines accordingly and apply well in advance of when funding is needed.

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