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The Foundation’s vision is: A Scotland where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We know the coronavirus will have a profound impact on those opportunities for many people, as a result of both the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic.
The Foundation will use funds generously provided by William Grant & Sons as creatively and effectively as we can in the current crisis and beyond. We are resolved especially to support people and communities that were already marginalised, in poverty, or living with multiple and complex challenges before the crisis, as we anticipate they are the most likely to be severely affected by it.
All the charities and organisations we were already supporting have been reassured they can use the money we had already paid or pledged during this year flexibly to respond to the challenges they and the communities they serve are facing. We will keep talking to them about what they need as the situation progresses. Along with many other funders, we have signed this pledge to say that we stand with civil society organisations during this unprecedented time.
We foresee three phases for the crisis: reaction and response; adaptation and survival; and then recovery and resilience. We have released our available reserve funding – over one million pounds – for use during this crisis and deployed over £500,000 quickly to support a group of urgent response initiatives during the first phase.
As we move into the later phases, we are reviewing our grant-making across our core themes of Health & Social Causes, Youth Opportunities, Scottish Culture & Heritage, and Natural & Built Environment. In each area we are seeking to look both at and beyond the current crisis to ensure people and communities in Scotland can be ready to thrive again.
The Foundation is also supporting the efforts of William Grant and Sons employees across the world who are taking action to respond in their own communities. We have increased the funds available for the company’s Employee-led Giving schemes, including an expanded Matched Giving scheme and a fast track mechanism for company locations around the world to make donations in support of people affected by the crisis in the local communities where William Grant & Sons employees live and work.
We intend to publish more regular updates on an expanded website to be launched later this year.
The Foundation team is working remotely at the moment and can be contacted at foundation@wgrant.com.
The William Grant Foundation’s vision is a Scotland where everyone has the opportunity to thrive
William Grant & Sons has always taken a long-term view to support its people, its communities and its business. Building on a long tradition of supporting community groups and charities, the company now sets aside 1% of pre-tax profits each year for use by the William Grant Foundation.
This commitment is deeply rooted in the core values shared by the William Grant family and the company.
The Foundation enables positive change for Scotland by distributing funding, collaborating with partners, and sharing its knowledge and insight in order to:
• Support the wellbeing and empowerment of people affected by ill health, disability or disadvantage
• Improve the life chances of young people in the communities where the company operates
• Enable Scotland’s environment to support the wellbeing of all its people, now and in the future
• Support and nurture the unique culture and heritage of Scotland
Total grants awarded in 2023
92 GRANTS TO 83 ORGANISATIONS
In addition to its grant-making in Scotland, the Foundation makes funds available to support the charitable activities of William Grant & Sons employees wherever they are in the world – read more about Employee-led Giving below.
Although the Foundation’s work is focussed in Scotland, we also provide funds to the company to allow William Grant & Sons employees around the world to support the causes they care about. The company’s Matched Giving Scheme will match funds employees raise for – or donate to – their own chosen charities, and also makes donations to reflect any time they volunteer in their communities. The Foundation also provides funds to the company’s Local Giving scheme which supports good causes where employees live and work.
Organisations working in communities close to global company locations can get in touch to request support through the William Grant & Sons Local Giving scheme.
Thanks to the William Grant Foundation, the company delegates allocated funds to global company locations, to allow them to support good causes in their local communities. Employees at each site choose where the funds go. As well as cash, Willam Grant & Sons products can also be provided for use in fundraising. Note that cash grants rarely exceed £1,000 (or equivalent).
Examples of recent donations include:
• Support with cost of flights for two local ice skaters in Coatbridge to compete at the Transitional Games.
• Purchase of defibrillators for local organisations across Lanarkshire, Scotland to improve access to anybody that needs them.
• Supporting a women’s refuge in Chiswick to allow them to host a Christmas party for their residents.
• Hosting a multi-sensory event for the blind in London.
• Purchase of new clothing, equipment and coaching costs for local cricket club in Sydney.
"We worked hard to raise the money and for the Foundation to double it through Matched Giving is brilliant."
If you wish to request a Local Giving donation, please consider the guidance below when submitting your request.
• Please state which William Grant & Sons location you are applying to. (Requests are prioritised where the benefit will be felt within a reasonable travel-to-work distance of sites, i.e. the communities where our employees live.)
• Your name and contact details, including phone and email
• Name and contact details of the organisation applying – or which you are raising funds for – including charity registration number or equivalent, if applicable
• What the organisation does, who it works with and where
• How we can help and how the requested donation will be used, including dates and details of any specific event or project
• What difference the proposed activity will make and how many people will benefit
• If people will pay to benefit or attend
• If you are organising a fundraising event, how much is it expected to raise?
• What else are you doing to raise funds or donations?
Note - some sites make decisions regarding cash donations only once or twice each year. Requests for product donations will usually be considered on a rolling basis, but please apply as far in advance as possible and no less than two weeks before the donation is required. Product donations must be collected from our premises
The Foundation’s work is all about people: people affected by the activities our Foundation supports; people working with skill, passion and commitment in the many charities and organisations we are privileged to fund; and the people in William Grant & Sons who make what we do possible. Here are a few of their stories