Changing Ideas Ltd

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £992,970 (FY 2024/25)
• Annual Income: £7.35 million
• Success Rate: Approximately 14% for Tenacious Journalist Awards (9 from 70 applications)
• Decision Time: 2 weeks (Law for Change); 2-3 months (Tenacious Awards)
• Grant Range: £5,000 - £20,000 (specific programs)
• Geographic Focus: UK-based
• Application Method: Mixed - varies by program

Contact Details

Address: 11 Clarendon Gardens, London W9 1AY

Phone: 020 7286 0744

Email: info@changingideas.org

Website: www.changingideas.org

Charity Number: 1117008

Company Number: 05735047

Overview

Changing Ideas was founded in 2007 by David Graham, a retired businessman and active philanthropist, after his son became paralyzed in 2003. The charity has grown substantially, with total income of £7.35 million and annual charitable expenditure of £992,970 (FY ending March 2025). David Graham was named on the 2024 Big Issue Top 100 Changemakers list.

The charity's mission is to back people, movements and organisations challenging the status quo by funding ideas that address social injustice and human rights, with particular focus on causes that can impact the lives of the most vulnerable. Rather than operating as a traditional grant-making foundation, Changing Ideas builds, runs and funds its own strategic initiatives, including the Tenacious Awards, Law for Change, Sit-Up Awards, Research for Change, and Link for Change network.

The charity's approach reflects David Graham's philosophy that "with small amounts of money, if you're very strategic, you can actually achieve quite a lot.“ His stated passion is ”backing individuals and organisations who can make a difference, but need resources to be able to try things out, to take risks, and achieve impact."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Tenacious Awards (£20,000 per campaigner; £10,000 per journalist)

• Launched in 2023 to recognize and support campaigners and journalists working to right injustices
• Campaigner awards: £20,000 unrestricted funding plus mentoring and strategic support
• Journalist awards: £10,000 grant plus up to 8 months coaching and mentoring
• No restrictions on how campaigner funding may be used, as long as it supports moving the work forward
• Partnerships with Breakthrough Impact (mentoring), Social Change Nest (fiscal hosting), and Public Interest News Foundation (journalism awards administration)

Law for Change (Varied amounts - funder of last resort)

• Launched in 2023; has backed over 80 public interest cases since inception
• Provides relatively modest investments for legal claims with clear social benefit
• Funding covers initial stages such as pre-action correspondence, pledges against adverse costs, or trial support
• Funder of last resort for cases that would otherwise fail without support
• Focus on cases addressing discrete legal (rather than factual) issues
• Applications reviewed within 10 working days (2 weeks)

Sit-Up Awards (£5,000+)

• Annual award at Edinburgh Fringe for theatre with social impact potential
• Winner receives £5,000 plus slot on SoHo Playhouse's International Fringe Encore Series in New York (February/March)
• Additional cash prize to achieve change through audience engagement
• Venue, accommodation, production provision, mentoring and strategic support included

Research for Change (Amount not specified)

• Helps frontline charities validate methods and collaborate with others
• Provides funding to make charities more effective through research

Link for Change

• Network of public interest lawyers, campaigners and investigative journalists
• Works to unleash social change through collaboration

Priority Areas

Changing Ideas supports work across diverse social justice issues including:

• Legal advocacy and human rights
• Climate change and environmental protection
• Anti-trafficking efforts
• Housing justice
• Health and maternity care
• Gender justice and domestic abuse
• Digital safety and tech harms
• Modern slavery
• Mental Capacity Act reform
• Knife crime and preventable deaths
• Gambling harms
• Theatre for social change
• Public interest journalism

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly detailed. The charity focuses its resources on proactive initiatives it builds and runs directly, rather than responding to general unsolicited grant applications outside its established programs.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees: 4 trustees (names not publicly listed on Charity Commission register)

No trustees receive remuneration or payments.

Key Personnel:

David Graham, Founder

• Originally qualified as an accountant
• Founded Changing Ideas in 2007
• Based in London and Scotland
• Big Issue Top 100 Changemaker 2024
• Philosophy: "I realize that with small amounts of money, if you're very strategic, you can actually achieve quite a lot. The whole purpose for me was to start to try and think about how I can give the little bit of money I'm going to give more effectively."

Karen Lam, Head of Charity

• Background in social sector consulting
• Previous experience as a grantmaker and nonprofit advisor
• Former trustee for CAYSH, a charity supporting youth facing homelessness

How to Apply to Changing Ideas Ltd

How to Apply

Tenacious Awards - Campaigners:

The application process for the 2025 cohort has concluded. The awards operate on an annual cycle with nominations opening once per year (nominations for 2024 closed May 31, 2024). Information about the 2026 campaigner cycle will be available at www.tenaciousawards.org.

Tenacious Awards - Journalists:

Applications for the 2026 cohort are open until January 1, 2026.

• Must be an individual journalist or independent news organisation with turnover below £2m
• No commercial or political affiliations; UK-based
• Focus on public interest news that informs and empowers the public
• Must be seeking support to highlight a social issue and achieve change
• Selection criteria include: history of high-quality ethical journalism, proven record of positive social impact in the UK, clear plan for using the award

Law for Change:

• Applicants (law firms) should first read the FAQs at www.lawforchangefund.org
• Complete initial short application form with case details, expected public benefit impact, and financial needs
• Include Counsel's assessment with application
• Key criteria: tangible social benefit, lasting social change, clear benefit to community or marginalized groups
• Focus on cases with limited access to justice that would benefit from legal action in the public good

Sit-Up Awards:

Applications open annually for theatre makers presenting at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Details available at www.situpawards.com (note: website was unavailable during research).

General Grant Applications:

Changing Ideas does not have a public application process for general grant funding outside its established programs. The charity proactively identifies and develops initiatives aligned with its strategic priorities rather than responding to unsolicited proposals.

Decision Timeline

Tenacious Journalist Awards:

• Applications close: January 1
• Judging period: January-February (may include follow-up phone calls)
• Winners announced: End of February

Law for Change:

• Decision provided within 10 working days (2 weeks) from receipt of complete application including Counsel's assessment

Tenacious Campaigner Awards:

• Timeline varies; 2024 nominations closed May 31

Success Rates

Tenacious Journalist Awards: Approximately 14% success rate (9 winners from 70 applications for 2025 cohort; 20 longlisted from initial pool)

Tenacious Campaigner Awards: 10 winners selected annually from competitive field

Law for Change: Over 80 cases backed since 2023 launch (success rate not specified)

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified. Given the annual nature of the Tenacious Awards, unsuccessful applicants can likely reapply in subsequent years, though this is not explicitly stated.

Application Success Factors

For Tenacious Awards:

• Demonstrate “extraordinary skill and determination” in fighting injustice and driving meaningful change
• Show proven track record and clear impact plans
• The awards anticipate “a strong and extensive field of applicants”
• Judges for journalism awards include Changing Ideas representatives, PINF, previous Tenacious Awards winners, and leading investigative journalists

For Law for Change:

• Focus on demonstrating tangible social benefit and lasting social change
• Emphasize benefit to marginalized groups with limited access to justice
• Present discrete legal issues (not purely factual disputes)
• Show that case would fail without Law for Change support
• Present as early-stage cases where modest investment can make critical difference

General Strategic Alignment:

• David Graham's philosophy emphasizes backing those who “need resources to be able to try things out, to take risks, and achieve impact”
• Changing Ideas seeks initiatives with “potential to change society for the better”
• Preference for strategic, innovative approaches that achieve significant impact
• Focus on supporting the most vulnerable populations

Examples of Funded Work:

• Core funding to SOS UK for Teach the Parent (climate change education through youth-parent dialogue)
• SOHTIS development of methods to identify trafficking victims in Scotland
• Woodhill theatre production exploring suicide in prison and holding prison service accountable
• Legal cases holding police accountable, changing government food waste policy, passing anti-human sacrifice law in Uganda

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Program-Specific Applications Only: Changing Ideas does not accept general grant applications. Engagement must be through one of their specific programs (Tenacious Awards, Law for Change, Sit-Up Awards).

• Innovation and Risk-Taking Valued: The founder explicitly supports organizations that need resources “to try things out, to take risks, and achieve impact” - demonstrate experimental or innovative approaches.

• Strategic Impact Over Scale: David Graham's philosophy emphasizes that "small amounts of money, if you're very strategic, you can actually achieve quite a lot" - focus on strategic leverage points rather than large-scale operations.

• Demonstrate Tangible Social Benefit: For all programs, particularly Law for Change, emphasis on concrete, measurable social benefit and lasting change is critical.

• Unrestricted Funding Philosophy: The Tenacious Campaigner Awards provide completely unrestricted funding, reflecting trust in recipients to use resources effectively.

• Competitive Selection: With success rates around 14% for journalist awards and only 10-20 winners annually for campaigner awards, applications must demonstrate exceptional track records and clear impact potential.

• Partnership Approach: Changing Ideas works through established partnerships (Breakthrough Impact, Social Change Nest, Public Interest News Foundation) rather than operating in isolation.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Imagine Foundation
• The Lankellychase Foundation
• The Roddick Foundation
• Hedley Foundation Limited
• The Access To Justice Foundation
• People's Health Trust
• The Stewarts Law Foundation
• The Barratt Developments Plc Charitable Foundation
• The A B Charitable Trust
• The Bromley Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, CHANGING IDEAS LTD (1117008): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1117008&subid=0
• Changing Ideas website, “What we fund” page: https://www.changingideas.org/what-we-fund
• Changing Ideas website, “Our team” page: https://www.changingideas.org/who-we-are
• Tenacious Awards website: https://www.tenaciousawards.org
• Tenacious Awards website, “About the journalism award”: https://www.tenaciousawards.org/about-the-journalists-award
• Tenacious Awards website, “Who we are”: https://www.tenaciousawards.org/who-we-are
• Public Interest News Foundation, “Announcing the Tenacious Journalist Awards 2026!”: https://www.publicinterestnews.org.uk/blog/announcing-the-tenacious-journalist-awards-2026/
• Public Interest News Foundation, "Announcing: 2025's Tenacious Journalists!": https://www.publicinterestnews.org.uk/post/announcing-2025-s-tenacious-journalists
• Law for Change website, “Apply” page: https://www.lawforchange.uk/apply
• Law for Change website, “FAQs”: https://www.lawforchangefund.org/faq
• The Funders Collaborative Hub, “Law for Change”: https://www.funderscollaborativehub.org.uk/collaborations/law-for-change
• The Social Founders Network, “The impact of small-scale philanthropy” (featuring David Graham)