Network For Social Change Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 295237

Annual Expenditure: £1.8M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,764,497 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (member-sponsored model)
  • Decision Time: 3 months maximum for initial review
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £250,000+
  • Geographic Focus: UK, Europe, and Global South (particularly environmental and human rights campaigns)

Contact Details

Website: www.thenetworkforsocialchange.org.uk

Email: nfscct@gmail.com

Phone: 0117 251 0503

Project Submission: Projects can be submitted via the “Share Your Project” page on their website. Note that Network only funds applications sponsored by a member, and they do not reply to unsolicited enquiries or letters.

Overview

Founded over 40 years ago, the Network for Social Change Charitable Trust (charity number 295237) is a unique collaborative grant-making organization comprising over 100 individual members who collectively raise and distribute over £2 million annually. With total income of £1,764,497 in the year ending August 2024, the charity makes grants to organizations working on justice, peace, and environmental issues. Operating with 5 trustees and 100 volunteers, approximately 80% of their funding flows through the charitable trust, with the remainder distributed through their non-charitable arm, Funding for Social Change Ltd, for more “edgy or innovative” projects. Over 40 years, they have funded more than 6,000 projects, providing notable early support for initiatives like Stop Climate Chaos, which helped achieve the UK's Climate Change Act of 2008. The organization takes pride in supporting “innovative, highly leveraged, and/or difficult to fund” projects that address root causes rather than symptoms.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Major Projects: £100,000 - £250,000 annually

Multi-year grants (typically 3-6 years) for significant campaigns and organizations. Recent examples include Community Resilience (helping local communities adapt to climate disruption), Landworkers' Alliance, Windrush Justice, and Flying Fair.

Charitable Pools: £8,000 - £25,000

Generally one-off funding with one round per year for established organizations working on priority themes.

Fast Track Grants: £5,000 - £8,000

One-off funding awarded through 4 funding rounds per year. In 2023-24, Network awarded 39 charitable Fast Track grants and 24 non-charitable Fast Track grants. Recent examples include Airwars (documenting civilian harm in Gaza), Reclaim the Power (Climate Camp 2024), and Missing Third Project (women's leadership in Kenya).

All programs operate on a member-sponsored model accessed via their Project Noticeboard, not through open application.

Priority Areas

The Network funds across 11 overlapping topic areas focused on justice, peace, and the environment:

Environment and Climate: Climate crisis, biodiversity loss, renewable energy, pollution, marine conservation, transport, and environmental justice, particularly supporting those least responsible but most affected by climate change

Women's Rights: Projects addressing marginalization, disempowerment, and abuse of women, both in the UK and internationally

Peace and Conflict: Local peace initiatives in conflict areas, solutions for divided communities, nuclear risk research, and peacekeeping initiatives

Economic Justice: Campaigns for financial transparency, financial regulation, fairer taxation systems, and greater accountability from economic power holders

Racial Justice: Projects led by people of color and addressing systemic racism

Human Rights: Including workers' rights, refugee support, and legal aid for asylum seekers

International Development: Particularly supporting environmental defenders in Latin America and practical projects like mangrove protection in the Global South

The Network particularly favors projects that are “innovative, highly leveraged, and/or difficult to fund,” seeking to address root causes rather than symptoms. They welcome projects led by people with lived experience.

What They Don't Fund

  • Responses to one-off disasters
  • Most types of building projects
  • Party-political activities
  • Projects involving violence or illegal activities
  • Unsolicited applications not submitted through their Project Noticeboard
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (2024)

  • Patricia Anne Elizabeth Horrocks, Director (appointed 2020)
  • Gillian Martha Howarth, Director (appointed 2021)
  • Carol Gillian Freeman, Director (appointed 2023) and Company Secretary
  • Heather Louise Currey, Director (appointed 2024)
  • Helen Wingfield, Director (appointed 2024)

The charity operates with 5 trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits. The organization relies on 100 volunteers who are members of the Network, actively participating in finding, assessing, and funding projects.

Member Perspective

As one NSC member stated: “The great thing about Network is finding more exciting, cutting edge, radical projects.” This reflects the organization's commitment to supporting innovative social change work that may be difficult to fund through traditional channels.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Network operates a unique member-sponsored funding model, not an open application system:

  1. Submit Project Summary: Via the “Share Your Project” page on their website (max 200 words describing the project, plus contact details and requested sum)
  1. Project Review Period: Projects stay on the Project Noticeboard for 3 months where Network members review them
  1. Member Sponsorship: If interested, a Network member will contact you to discuss your project further. Only member-sponsored applications proceed to funding consideration
  1. Decision Process: All applications reviewed by members, with a specialized sub-group checking charitable grants for legal compliance. Members jointly recommend projects, with final decisions approved by directors

Important:

  • Network does not reply to unsolicited enquiries or letters from grant applicants
  • Do not contact the Administrator directly
  • They cannot guarantee that projects will be sponsored - “inevitably only a small percentage are”
  • If you haven't heard within 3 months, they are likely unable to help

Decision Timeline

  • Initial Review: Up to 3 months for projects on the Project Noticeboard
  • Fast Track: 4 rounds per year for grants up to £8,000
  • Pools: Generally 1 round per year for grants £8,000-£25,000
  • Major Projects: Multi-year funding decisions made on rolling basis

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics are not publicly disclosed. However, the Network explicitly states that “inevitably only a small percentage” of projects submitted to the Project Noticeboard receive member sponsorship. The member-sponsored model means competition is high, as projects must first attract a member champion before being formally considered for funding.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is published. Given the member-sponsored model and 3-month review period, organizations could theoretically resubmit after this period, though this is not explicitly stated.

Application Success Factors

Key Strategic Advice from the Funder

The Network explicitly states they “tend to favour projects which are innovative, highly leveraged, and/or difficult to fund” and aim “to address the root causes of a problem, not just the symptoms.” This is critical guidance for positioning your project.

Recently Funded Projects as Examples

2024-25 Major Projects:

  • Community Resilience: increasing capacity of local UK communities to adapt to climate change
  • Mothers Rise Up: grassroots campaign combining specialist skills and creativity for climate justice, focusing on insurance of fossil fuel investments

2023-24 Fast Track Examples:

  • Airwars: documenting civilian harm allegations in Gaza and Israel
  • Reclaim the Power: Climate Camp 2024 mass-action camp against Drax (UK's biggest carbon emitter)
  • Missing Third Project: building next generation of women leaders through capacity building in Kenya

Established Major Grantees:

  • Wildlife & Countryside Link (ocean conservation)
  • Appeal (fighting miscarriages of justice)
  • Landworkers' Alliance (supporting farmers and land-based workers)
  • Flying Fair (reducing aviation demand)

Standing Out to Members

  1. Emphasize Innovation: Projects described as “cutting edge” or addressing problems in new ways attract member interest
  1. Show Leverage: Demonstrate how your grant will multiply impact or unlock other funding
  1. Highlight Difficulty Funding: If your work is controversial, early-stage, or doesn't fit traditional funder criteria, state this clearly
  1. Root Causes Focus: Articulate how you address systemic issues, not just symptoms
  1. Lived Experience Leadership: The Network explicitly welcomes projects “led by people with lived experience, including those founded by people of colour”
  1. Clear Connections to Priority Themes: Link your work explicitly to justice, peace, or environment
  1. Be Concise: You have just 200 words for your Project Noticeboard submission - make every word count

Common Challenges

  • No Direct Access: You cannot approach Network directly with applications; you must wait for member contact
  • High Competition: Only a “small percentage” of projects submitted receive sponsorship
  • No Feedback: The Network does not reply to unsolicited enquiries, making it difficult to understand why projects weren't selected
  • Member Dependency: Success depends on a project capturing a member's interest within the 3-month window

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Member-Sponsored Model is Critical: Understanding that Network only funds member-sponsored applications is essential. Your 200-word project summary must be compelling enough to attract a member champion within 3 months.
  1. Innovation and Risk-Taking Valued: Network explicitly seeks “cutting edge, radical projects” that are “difficult to fund” elsewhere. Don't undersell your project's innovative or controversial aspects - these may be advantages here.
  1. Root Causes Over Symptoms: Clearly articulate how your project addresses systemic issues, not just immediate needs. This aligns with their stated strategic approach.
  1. Three Funding Streams with Different Timeframes: Fast Track (4 rounds/year, up to £8,000), Pools (1 round/year, £8,000-£25,000), and Major Projects (multi-year, £100,000+). Target the appropriate stream for your organization's capacity and project scope.
  1. Broad Thematic Reach: While focused on justice, peace, and environment, they fund across 11 overlapping topic areas and internationally. Don't self-select out if your work touches these themes.
  1. 3-Month Window Only: Projects stay on the noticeboard for just 3 months. If you don't hear anything within this period, the Network cannot help, and you'll need to decide whether to resubmit.
  1. Leverage the 80/20 Split: Understanding that 80% of funding goes through the charitable trust while 20% supports “edgy or innovative” non-charitable work through FSC Ltd means projects that don't fit traditional charity definitions may still have a pathway to funding.

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