Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust

The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, founded in 1904 by Quaker philanthropist Joseph Rowntree, advances social justice through bold interventions in democratic processes, influencing public thought, legislation, and policy in the spirit of human brotherhood, liberty, and equity. Core values emphasize fearless advocacy, evidence-based reform, independence, and risk-taking to deepen democratic accountability, transparency, and participation. Their grantmaking philosophy prioritizes systemic change over remedial support, believing enduring progress arises from strategic campaigning, civil society empowerment, coalition building, and nonpartisan challenges to power imbalances, fostering a fairer, more accessible UK political system via partnership with innovative advocacy organizations.

The Trust funds thematic priorities at the core of UK democracy, including electoral reform and voting system changes, parliamentary reform and House of Lords accountability, democratic participation and civic engagement initiatives, civil liberties protection encompassing freedom of expression, press accountability, and the right to protest, political funding transparency, and combating authoritarianism, discriminatory movements, and erosion of rights. Supported activities encompass public campaigning, policy development and research, advocacy against surveillance like ID cards, coalition building for devolution and power inquiries, capacity building for NGOs and civil society networks, core funding for single-issue campaigns, incubation of progressive platforms, and infrastructure for opposition to extreme right-wing politics. Interventions target systemic barriers to fair representation, empowering nonpartisan groups to drive long-term legislative shifts, enhance public discourse, and strengthen civil liberties frameworks through evidence-led, high-leverage advocacy.

Exclusions include local service delivery, capital projects, international work, statutory bodies, and for-profit entities, focusing solely on UK-wide or national initiatives across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland addressing democracy threats. Distinctive for funding politically contentious, non-charitable campaigning ineligible elsewhere, they prioritize high-impact organizations, grassroots advocacy coalitions, and lived-experience-led movements demonstrating potential for transformative reform, valuing fearless leadership in upholding justice, anti-discrimination, and participatory democracy over palliative or individual-focused efforts.