About
Corra Foundation exists to make a difference to the lives of people and communities. It works with others to encourage positive change, opportunity, fairness and growth of aspirations which improve quality of life.
Corra wants to see a society in which people create positive change and enjoy fulfilling lives.
In 2020 Corra launched a ten-year strategy. It is long term because making a difference on the big challenges will take time. At its heart is the strong belief that when people find their voice, they unlock the power to make change happen.
Since 1985 the foundation has distributed almost £193m and made nearly 24,000 grants to charities.
Open and Trusting Grant Making Report
This report shares our commitment to learn, improve, and be an open and trusting grant-maker
Key Facts & Figures
193
Corra Foundation has made almost 16,000 grants to charities across Scotland. These range from the well known to small individual community groups receiving a few hundred pounds for a local project. A full list of the grants made by the foundation is available in the Open Data section of the website.
Our 2019 accounts can be found here.
Our 2018 accounts can be found here.
For earlier data see the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator website.
Corra Foundation is committed to Open Data. For more information click here.
Since 1997, the organisation has granted almost £31 million to support salaries – and therefore jobs – in Scotland’s charitable sector.
Background
Changing our name
On 29 August 2017, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland re-branded and became Corra Foundation.
The past few years have been a time of significant change for the foundation. Our new brand has been driven by the opportunities created by our new strategic direction. This was introduced in 2014 and we will continue to build on it through our current strategy Change for Good.
Why ‘Corra Foundation’?
We set out to develop a brand that has relevance to our organisation, and connects with our history whilst reflecting our future direction. The name ‘Corra’ comes from Scots mythology and relates to ideas of knowledge and change.
The name and logo are intended to have a subtly Scottish ‘feel’ and connect with our roots in the savings bank movement. As such our new brand adopts the colours of the Duncan (modern) tartan to honour the Reverend Henry Duncan, after whom one of our grants programmes continues to be named.
Our beginnings…
The foundation has its roots in the Trustee Savings Bank (TSB) movement, established in 1810 by the Reverend Henry Duncan, in Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire. He started the Bank so that everyone, regardless of wealth or position, could benefit from a savings bank.In 1985, four independent charitable trusts (Scotland, England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands) were created by the will of an Act of Parliament when the Trustee Savings Bank Group was floated on the Stock Market.
A covenant was agreed between Trustee Savings Bank and Trustee Savings Bank (TSB) Foundation for Scotland in 1985, making provision for Scottish communities to benefit from their share of 1% of the Group’s pre-tax profits (Scotland’s share being 19.46% of the total). In 1997 Lloyds Bank and TSB Group merged. This significantly increased our income and the foundation became the largest Scottish independent grant making trust. In early 2010 Lloyds Banking Group gave notice on the agreement and the final payment was received in February 2018.
Since its establishment in 1985, the foundation has been an independent Scottish charity, with a board of Trustees who are unpaid and responsible for our governance.
Can we help you?
For general enquiries and to find out more about any of our grant programmes, please see our contact page
