Cattanach

Elevate Great, formerly Cattanach (Scottish Charity SC049833), was founded in 1991 by Phyllis Cattanach to deploy family wealth for social good, evolving into an equity catalyst focused on Scotland's early years. Its mission is to close inequality gaps by investing in evidence-based, disruptive ideas that promote lifelong health, well-being, and economic strength for young children and families facing disadvantage. Core values—equity, partnership, lived experience insights, and systems change—drive a distinctive approach: incubating scalable interventions, fostering coalitions like the Independent Human Rights Fund for Scotland, and linking practical support with policy advocacy.

The funder prioritises projects advancing children's rights, poverty relief, education, health, mental well-being, inclusive play-based learning, and parental support, targeting the earliest life stages for maximum preventive impact. Beneficiaries include marginalised urban and rural Scottish communities; grants support organisations like Clan Childlaw, Shelter Scotland, and LGBT Youth Scotland via core funding, innovative projects, capacity building, and collaborative initiatives for sustainable, collective change.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and community groups based in Scotland, favouring small to medium-sized grassroots entities embedded in disadvantaged areas—no strict income thresholds, but a preference for those rooted in lived experience. Funding is invite-only; no unsolicited applications, open calls, or published deadlines—Elevate Great proactively identifies strategic partners.

Typical grants range £10,000–£50,000 annually (often £15,000–£35,000), with multi-year awards up to £100,000 for partnerships. It excludes capital grants, emergency relief, and non-Scotland work, standing out for encouraging risk-taking, participatory design, and long-term systems transformation over short-term fixes.