abrdn Financial Fairness Trust

abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, formerly Standard Life Foundation, was established in 2009 from unclaimed assets after Standard Life's demutualisation, with former Chancellor Alistair Darling as founding chair. Its mission is to foster a financially fair UK society by enhancing financial wellbeing for low-to-middle income households, emphasising strategic, evidence-led change through research, policy advocacy, and campaigning on household finances, taxation, pensions, debt, consumer protection, savings, financial exclusion, and transitions like cost-of-living crises and climate change. It prioritises systemic reforms via grants to think tanks, charities, and universities—such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Citizens Advice—supporting multi-year projects that generate robust evidence for policy impact, with a recent pivot toward practical community partnerships for direct financial resilience.

Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities, community groups, think tanks, research bodies, and academic institutions of all sizes (with at least three non-executive trustees/directors), operating UK-wide with no geographic or income restrictions. Funding targets people facing economic disadvantage or poverty, focusing on revenue costs for policy work, research, and innovative pilots with broader potential.

Grants typically range from £50,000 to £120,000 (up to £200,000 exceptionally) over 1-3 years, awarded biannually via a two-stage process: outline applications (Word template emailed to applications@financialfairness.org.uk) due next on 5 June 2025 at 1pm, followed by full submissions for shortlisted applicants, with decisions 4-5 months later. It excludes standalone capital costs or direct services unless tied to scalable research/innovation, standing out for its authoritative policy influence, high-profile convening power, and track record of £3m annual disbursements driving national financial fairness reforms.