Catalyst develops justice, equity and digital funders database
Howard Lake | 11 April 2025 | Uncategorised
Catalyst, the UK collaborative that brings a social purpose to the digital revolution, is launching a library of UK grantmakers that support justice, equity and digital activities by charities. It will be free to access.
The database currently lists 25 opportunities, 17 of which are open for applications. Catalyst acknowledges that the resource is not going to be comprehensive. They state that the database will only include funders who accept unsolicited applications, in contrast to funders who restrict their funding to existing or past recipients or who will invite applications from selected charities.
Some fundraisers will know that the resource began two years ago as a page on Catalyst’s website listing sources of digital funding. The team created it because they encountered so many charities that needed additional funding to make their digital development plans possible.
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Not surprisingly it was one of the most visited pages on the website, and that was a website that was packed with opportunities and practical digital advice and resources for charities.
As with some other funding information initiatives, it proved hard to keep up to date, and was no longer fully aligned with Catalyst’s mission as it had developed. Founded in 2019 Catalyst has evolved from a collaborative initiative incubated by a charitable organisation to a standalone CIC, and had refocused its work on the intersection of technology and power.
Nevertheless, because of the evident need for this funding information they committed to developing it, and the enhanced resource will appear on its website from the end of April 2025.
They allocated a budget for the resource, broadened the scope of funders listed, committed to more robust grant opportunity research and developed new approaches to crowdsourcing new opportunities and updating those listed.
For example, if you know a funder that should be add to the database you can submit it via this form.
And if you have spotted an error or out of date info you can let them know using this form.
Catalyst also partnered with Jo Jeffery, grantmaking expert and co-creator of The List (of ‘paused’ or closing grantmakers). Together they created an audit of justice, equity and digital funders.
You can read Joe Roberson’s report on this process on Medium.
Specifically this covers:
- Funding programmes for digital work
- Funders who actively welcome applications for digital work. (They admit this is “a little subjective”)
- Funding programmes for justice and equity focused work, from anti-racism to climate justice
Jo Jeffery will be updating the database for its first two months.
You can view the database in Airtable (no account required).
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.