Friends Provident Charitable Foundation

Friends Provident Charitable Foundation, an independent UK grant-making charity established in 2004 with a £33 million endowment from Friends Provident plc, draws on Quaker traditions of social responsibility to champion equality, justice, and stewardship. Its mission is to foster a fair, sustainable, resilient economy that prioritises people and planet, tackling social and environmental injustice through systems change. Distinctively, it employs a "whole endowment" strategy—blending grants, social investments, research, convening, and shareholder advocacy—to drive structural shifts beyond traditional philanthropy, while leading sector efforts in transparency, diversity, and anti-racism via initiatives like the Foundation Practice Rating.

The foundation funds work under its 'Building a 4D Economy' programme, emphasising decarbonisation (climate-just transitions), decentralisation (local economic power), democratisation (participatory decision-making), and diversification (plural ownership models). It supports research, advocacy, policy development, community wealth building, innovative pilots like energy co-operatives, and collaborations from think tanks (e.g., New Economics Foundation, LSE Grantham Institute) to grassroots groups, accelerating change for marginalised communities across the UK.

Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities, social enterprises, community groups, academic institutions, and collaboratives of all sizes (no income thresholds; non-constituted groups via fiscal hosts), operating UK-wide with no regional limits. It offers project grants, core/unrestricted funding, seed support, and full-cost recovery, typically £100,000–£200,000 over two years.

Unsolicited applications follow a two-stage process: 'Say Hello' intro, staff-led EOI meeting, then full proposal, reviewed quarterly (next deadline: 6 May 2025; decisions in ~6 months). It excludes non-UK or unrelated work, standing out for long-term partnerships challenging economic and philanthropic norms.