Fiona Duncan on the rebranding of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland
Hello from the Corra Foundation.
I’m so proud to write those lines, making real the ideas and hard work of our partners, supporters and team.
We’ve been around for over three decades, at the heart of Scotland’s charities, funding grassroots work in communities near and far.
Our history is strong, from Reverend Henry Duncan in the 1800s to today. We will treasure it, as we change for good.
Our new strategy responds to the times we are in – times of challenge and opportunity. It’s rooted in where we’ve come from. It’s the next step forward from where we are.
We believe that being a foundation and a grant maker doesn’t have to be old fashioned - the Corra Foundation will aspire to be a progressive voice
Fiona Duncan
In 2014 we set out a three-year strategy focused on: being the best grant maker we can be; reaching communities that we historically have not; and supporting other funders. I believe there’s significant continuing value in that direction of travel. But it’s time to take off the limitations, to be bolder.
Now we are publishing the next iteration of our strategy, Change for Good.
It’s informed by our learning and reflection from the last three years and it makes partnership an underpinning principle of the way we will work.
We will move forward towards 2019 with an explicit focus on making a bigger difference for, and with, people by working together with others.
When I look round Scotland today I feel strongly that we all need to put our shoulder to the wheel. Times are hard. Money is tight. The world looks a little chaotic sometimes.
But between us we have passion, ideas, urgency. By coming together we have more resources to bring to the table than we might imagine. It’s 2017. Let’s set our sights high – on ending poverty and its many associated challenges; on solving some of the big issues that undermine the chances of too many people.
We will draw on insight from our work, and wider evidence, and proactively develop approaches to address the gaps. We will create and respond to opportunities to work in partnership – this might be with other charities or funders, communities, government and business. We will also work with policy-makers, practitioners and – most importantly – people with lived experience to take forward the most promising ideas.
We believe that being a foundation and a grant maker doesn’t have to be old fashioned. The Corra Foundation will aspire to be a progressive voice, we are prepared to take risks to achieve our mission – which by the way hasn’t changed.
It’s still to make a difference to people and communities, by encouraging positive change, opportunities, fairness and growth of aspirations, which improve quality of life.
The Corra Foundation starts its journey and who knows where we will end up. Our ethos is not focused on us as an organisation, it’s about what we exist to do, it’s about the impact we can have – by enabling others.
I know that many people reading this will share our conviction that there is much left to do to build a society in which people create positive change and enjoy fulfilling lives. We’ll bring hope, energy and commitment to make our contribution. What will you do? Perhaps we could do something together?
Fiona Duncan is chief executive of the Corra Foundation.
