Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust: Power and Responsibility

Overview

The responsible use of power was important to Joseph Rowntree. He saw business and politics as forms of public service to be used to promote social justice, equality and a spirit of citizenship. Whilst being fully aware that corporate and government power can be used to the detriment of individuals and communities, he recognised their potential for good and for building the kind of society he was interested in. Much has changed since 1904, but Rowntree’s concern about ‘the power of selfish and unscrupulous wealth’ still rings true 100 years later.

The ways corporate and political institutions operate continue to concern the Trust. Though the context is different, the Trust’s Quaker values remain constant and are expressed in a concern for social justice. They believe that greater accountability, openness, and responsiveness within political and corporate institutions will benefit everyone.

The nature of the world today means that it is harder for people to know where, and by whom, decisions affecting their lives are taken, let alone have a chance to influence them. There is a need to strengthen the democratic process, to enhance corporate accountability, and to build confidence in the way decisions are taken.

This is a newly defined area of concern for the Trust, but it builds upon their experience in the corporate responsibility and democracy fields.

Ask for what you need, but be realistic. We expect that you will have thought carefully about other sources of possible funding and, if applicable, how the work will be sustained over the longer term.

JRCT makes around 125-150 grants per year, with a total value of around £5m, giving a nominal average grant of £30,000. Actual grants range from a few hundred pounds to £100,000+ and may be single payments or spread over up to three years. Both large and small grants are important, but JRCT usually makes its largest grants for work that is at the core of the Trust’s concerns and where other sources of funding are very difficult to access.

The Trust will consider applications from organisations and individuals which:

• encourage accountability, openness and responsiveness in government, government agencies, the public services, and the private sector; or which explore an appropriate role for the media in achieving this;
• foster understanding of, and respect for, human rights in government, business and civil society as a means to promote social justice;
• explore appropriate relationships between people, their communities and the institutions that affect them - whether these be local and central government, quangos, or companies;
• explore whether and how political participation and involvement can be increased and deepened within Britain , as a means to promote a socially just society;
• promote ideas to nurture the democratic process and to counter the misuse of power;
• explore how government and business might change their planning, evaluation and reward systems from their current short-term outlook to a longer-term one;
• examine the relationship between government and business and ways in which they interact both for and against the public interest.

The Trust wants to support initiatives which make a difference. The limited size of their resources, together with their interest in influencing policy, tends to lead them towards supporting organisations working at the national level.

Issues of accountability, openness and responsiveness are equally relevant to the European Union and global institutions to which the UK belongs. In this programme they will consider applications from organisations working at a European Union level. They will also consider applications aimed at increasing the accountability of the UK government and other UK bodies for the policies that they pursue within global institutions.

The ways in which business and government can be held accountable differ significantly. Applications may address either or both of these sectors.

Issues of accountability, openness and responsiveness are equally relevant to the European Union and global institutions to which the UK belongs. In this programme they will consider applications from organisations working at a European Union level. They will also consider applications aimed at increasing the accountability of the UK government and other UK bodies for the policies that they pursue within global institutions.

The ways in which business and government can be held accountable differ significantly. Applications may address either or both of these sectors.

JRCT often makes unrestricted or core costs grants, as they believe that is often the most effective way to support an organisation. However, JRCT only makes grants for work that falls into one of their programme areas. Their do not make make general charitable contributions to other organisations.

There are no fixed grants limits. They encourage you to ask for what you need, but also to be realistic. They receive many applications for amounts they cannot possibly fund. See their application guidelines for further details or look at their grant database to see previous grants that they have made.

How to apply

For applications from UK and Ireland they have described their application process in five stages:

• Step One - Preparation
• Step Two - Check whether JRCT might fund the work you want to do
• Step Three -Your application
• Step Four - Sending your application
• Step Five - The Trust's decision

You can work through these stages using the Trust's website or you can download a complete copy of the relevant guidelines.