Where the Green Grants Went 9: Scotland Edition provides an overview of environmental giving in the year 2021/22 by UK foundations and lotteries in Scotland. In total we analysed 727 grants made by 55 philanthropic funders, comprising 52 foundations and three lottery sources (The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, and the People’s Postcode Lottery). Overall, £25.1 million in grants went to environmental work in Scotland in 2021/22.
This snapshot of funding in Scotland gives an unique insight into how environmental work has developed in the three years since our last report and helps Scottish funders and fundraisers to understand the funding landscape better.
The good news is that environmental funding in Scotland from UK foundations is increasing – rising 52% from £7 million in 2018/19 to £10.6 million in 2021/22. However, this increase falls short of the trebling of funding we see across all countries during the same time period.
Similarly to our findings in WTGGW9, we note that funding is thin and wide – the median grant size being only £9,500 – and some issue areas are woefully underfunded, such as toxics & pollution and freshwater.
We continue to call on funders to adopt more flexible, trusting and collaborative funding models that are suited better to tackling the urgent and broad-ranging environmental challenges the sector faces in Scotland. The report ends with two case studies from the William Grant Foundation and People’s Postcode Lottery, which showcase progressive and effective approaches to grantmaking and may offer a model for other funders to work towards.
Photo credit: Jayne Murdoch, Crichton Carbon Centre & Peatland Action