The Shackleton Foundation provides seed funding and support, by means of a single grant or loan of £15,000 to early-stage social ventures with a primary focus on benefiting disadvantaged young people in the UK
Founded in 2007, to commemorate Sir Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic expeditions in the early part of the 20th century, the Shackleton Foundation seeks to help disadvantaged and socially marginalised young people.
Funding is to support leaders with innovative social ideas aimed at generating positive social change for disadvantaged and socially marginalised young people. Trustees have a preference for Leaders to be running charities, social enterprises or not-for-profit organisations.
The projects should be long-lasting and far-reaching with a clear social purpose and not solely reliant on grants and donations. What sets us apart from other funders is the projects we support are often considered too risky or too early-stage. True to the spirit of Shackleton himself, we take calculated risks in providing support at such an early stage, helping to turn these concepts into a reality when many social entrepreneurs find it challenging to secure funding without a proven track record.
Eligible ideas must:
- Be innovative and fresh
- Fulfil a clear need and demand
- Be in the first year of development
- Have a real social impact
- Have well-defined outputs and goals
- Have the potential for real growth and sustainability
- The beneficiaries of the work must be young people predominantly based in the UK
Applications must be submitted via their website and are considered on a quarterly basis.
