Power To Change Trust

Charity Number: 1159982

Annual Expenditure: £9.0M
Throughout England

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Quick Stats

  • Initial Endowment: £150 million (2015)
  • Total Investment (2015-2023): £45 million in community businesses
  • Leverage Ratio: £4.68 additional funding for every £1 invested
  • Grant Range: Currently limited programmes; historically £10,000 - £300,000
  • Geographic Focus: England only
  • Current Status: Transitioning from direct funder to advocacy organization

Contact Details

Website: https://www.powertochange.org.uk/

Email: info@powertochange.org.uk

Phone: 020 3857 7274

Address: The Clarence Centre, 6 St George's Circus, London SE1 6FE

Overview

Power to Change Trust (Charity Number 1159982) was established in 2015 with a £150 million endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund to support community businesses across England. Over its first nine years, the trust invested £45 million directly and leveraged an additional £209 million into the community business sector. However, in 2023, Power to Change underwent a significant strategic shift, rebranding as a “think-do tank” and moving away from direct grant-making toward advocacy, policy influence, and system-level change. The organization now focuses on “lobbying for the political framework to support community businesses” and has reduced staff from approximately 50 to 24. While some partnership programmes continue (particularly Trading for Good, delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs), prospective applicants should be aware that Power to Change is no longer operating as a traditional grant-making trust with open funding rounds.

Funding Priorities

Current Grant Programs

Trading for Good (Delivered by School for Social Entrepreneurs)

  • Match Trading™ Grant: Up to £4,000
  • Application: Through School for Social Entrepreneurs
  • Eligibility: Early-stage community businesses in England
  • Includes learning programme to develop trading income

Energy Resilience Fund (Delivered by Key Fund)

  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £150,000 (up to 40% as grant)
  • Energy audit grants: £500 - £2,500
  • Eligibility: Community businesses owning buildings or with 12+ year leases
  • Focus: Energy cost stabilization and sustainability

Historical Grant Programs (Now Closed)

  • Community Business Fund: £50,000 - £300,000 for established community businesses
  • Community Business Renewal Fund: £10,000 - £20,000 (COVID-19 response)
  • Resilient Communities Fund: £1.3 million programme (cost-of-living crisis response)
  • More Than a Pub: Capital funding for community pub acquisitions (2014-2021)
  • Discovery Fund: £10,000 for tech solutions

Priority Areas

Power to Change supports community businesses that are:

  1. Locally rooted - Started by and benefiting local communities
  2. Accountable to the community - Local people have genuine say in operations
  3. Trading for community benefit - Selling services/products locally with reinvested profits
  4. Broad community impact - Engaging diverse community groups and addressing multiple needs

Types of Community Businesses Funded:

  • Community pubs and cafes
  • Community shops and bakeries
  • Leisure centres and swimming pools
  • Community hubs and centres
  • Libraries and cultural spaces
  • Social enterprises with local focus
  • Community-owned assets

Priority Communities:

  • Areas facing high levels of deprivation (66% of funding historically went to 30% most deprived areas)
  • Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic-led or supporting organizations
  • Organizations supporting and led by disabled people

Eligible Organization Types

  • Registered charities
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)
  • Community benefit societies
  • Co-operative societies (with not-for-profit clause, FCA registered)
  • Companies limited by guarantee (with not-for-profit clause)
  • Voluntary or community organisations
  • Town, parish and community councils (for specific programmes)

What They Don't Fund

While Power to Change does not publish a comprehensive exclusions list, they focus exclusively on:

  • Organizations based in England only (not Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland)
  • Community businesses that trade (not purely grant-dependent organizations)
  • Organizations with community accountability structures
  • Projects benefiting defined local communities (not national-only initiatives)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Chair: Tony Burton (assumed role January 2023, succeeded Stephen Howard)

Recent Trustee Appointments:

  • Claire Spencer - Public service leadership and inclusive growth policy expertise
  • Daniel Hill - Inclusive regeneration and affordable housing expert (20+ years experience)
  • Fin Irwin - Cultural entrepreneur and founder of intoBodmin CIC

Executive Leadership

Chief Executive: Tim Davies-Pugh

Leadership Quotes:

Tim Davies-Pugh on Power to Change's approach:

"We've always tried to focus on evidence and data. So not just throwing money at community businesses and hoping it sticks, but really building an understanding of why some things work and some things don't."

On the strategic shift:

“We know that, while incredibly important, project funding alone cannot ensure community businesses thrive.”

On policy priorities:

“Extending cooperative models of ownership for core community assets can open the path to true decentralisation... community-led organisations could be the future of economic growth and regeneration.”

Tim Davies-Pugh on welcoming new trustees:

"Their experiences working with and in community businesses add to the Board's expertise."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: Power to Change no longer operates open funding rounds for most programmes. Current application routes:

  • Check for open cohorts
  • Two tracks: Community Business and Social Enterprise
  • Rolling basis when open
  1. Future Programmes: Monitor Power to Change website for partnership programmes

Decision Timeline

Historical timelines (may not reflect current practice):

  • Trading for Good: Cohort-based, typically 6-8 weeks from application deadline
  • Previous larger grants (£50k-£300k): 2-3 months typical decision time

Success Rates

Between January 2015 and January 2024, Power to Change made 2,821 grants. The organization invested £86 million between 2015 and 2020, supporting the growth of the community business market from 5,500 to 11,300 organizations nationally.

Specific annual success rates are not publicly disclosed, but the trust has historically been selective, focusing on evidence-based decision-making and organizations meeting all four community business criteria.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented for current programmes. For partnership programmes like Trading for Good, refer to delivery partner policies (School for Social Entrepreneurs).

Application Success Factors

Strategic Approach (Based on Power to Change's Philosophy)

  1. Evidence-based model: Power to Change prioritizes data and evidence. Demonstrate clear metrics, impact measurement, and learning approaches in applications.
  1. Trading focus: Emphasize earned income and business sustainability over grant dependency. Show how the project will generate revenue.
  1. Community accountability: Provide clear evidence of community involvement in governance - not just consultation, but genuine decision-making power.
  1. Leverage potential: Power to Change values projects that attract additional investment. Show how their funding will unlock other resources (historical leverage ratio: £4.68 per £1).

Strong Application Elements

  • Local rootedness: Define the specific geographic community served with precision
  • Business plan: Robust financial projections showing path to sustainability
  • Community governance: Clear mechanisms for community voice (board seats, membership structures, etc.)
  • Broad impact: Demonstrate how the business serves diverse community needs, not just one group
  • Deprivation focus: Organizations in the 30% most deprived areas have historically received priority

Example Projects Funded

  • The Anglers Rest (Community pub): Houses pub, cafe, Post Office, and community meeting venue
  • Cafe Laziz (St Helens): Set up to provide employment for refugees learning English
  • Homebaked (Liverpool): Community land trust and co-operative bakery
  • Nudge (Plymouth): Converts derelict buildings, created free WiFi network for community
  • Southmead Development Trust: Received funding from Power to Change and Homes England for planning and development (highly commended at National Planning Awards)

Language and Terminology

Power to Change uses specific terminology consistently:

  • “Community business” (not just “charity” or “social enterprise”)
  • “Locally rooted” and “accountable to the community”
  • “Trading for benefit”
  • “Broad community impact”

Align your application language with these four defining criteria.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Fundamental shift: Power to Change is no longer a primary grant-making trust. Most funding now comes through delivery partners like School for Social Entrepreneurs. Monitor for partnership opportunities rather than expecting traditional grant rounds.
  1. Trading is essential: Unlike many funders, Power to Change requires genuine trading activity (selling goods/services), not just social impact. Your organization must generate earned income.
  1. Community governance matters: Simply serving a community isn't enough - demonstrate that the community controls or significantly influences your organization's decisions.
  1. Local is literal: “Locally rooted” means a defined geographical area (village, town, ward, borough) - not a dispersed demographic group. Be specific about your catchment.
  1. Evidence and leverage: Power to Change values organizations that can demonstrate impact through data and attract additional funding. Show how you measure success and how their investment will unlock other resources.
  1. Deprivation weighting: Two-thirds of historical funding went to the 30% most deprived areas. If you serve a deprived community, emphasize this with specific data.
  1. Alternative routes: With reduced direct grant-making, explore other Power to Change resources including research, case studies, networks, and advocacy that may support your work indirectly.

Similar Funders

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References