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Foundation Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland Reg: SC022910 (Charity Commission) Sign up to see website
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53
Integrity Assessment
Partial transparency
53/100 · methodology

About Foundation Scotland

We were established in 1992 as the Scottish Community Foundation before changing our name to Foundation Scotland in 2012. For more than 25 years, we have been working to strengthen communities across the country. All over Scotland, local groups and charities have ideas for how to make their communities happier, fairer, and more sustainable. We enable funders, donors, and philanthropists to support the building blocks of these communities – grassroots groups, charities, anchor organisations and enterprises. We focus on communities of place, and communities of shared interest. We support philanthropists to help their personal giving make the most difference. We work with donors to invest in community action that enables people and places to flourish. We work alongside communities to …

Founded
Headquarters
Edinburgh, Scotland
Foundation type
Charitable Company

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 6 similar education in United Kingdom
Program spending This charity: 90%
Peer average: 85%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 53
Peer average: 86

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for Charity Commission removal, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every £1 goes

· FY2025 · oscr (FY2025)
£0.90
Program£0.90
Fundraising£0.02
90% to programs beats the peer average (85%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Foundation Scotland has a substantially complete profile, sourced from OSCR.

  • By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 98% of the 78,357 education charities in the United Kingdom with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
  • GiveRadar holds 5 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2025. See the filings
  • Its integrity score of 53 is below most of the 87,708 education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks. GiveRadar bases this on limited verified information so far, with little on record for its governance. Explore United Kingdom data
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • a website
  • a contact email
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • leadership details (present for 78% of comparable organizations)
  • a donation page
  • third-party accreditation
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Foundation Scotland is a registered education nonprofit based in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 1994 and has been operating for 32 years. Its registration number is SC022910. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 53/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £31M in annual revenue.

Foundation Scotland's official registration number is SC022910, as recorded in the national registry of United Kingdom.

Foundation Scotland has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 53/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 53 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. The charity allocates 90% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United Kingdom is 86/100.

Foundation Scotland is located in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 1994 and has been active for 32 years.

Based on official tax filings, Foundation Scotland has £31M in annual revenue. It allocates 90% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 85% for education charities in United Kingdom. Fundraising costs represent 2%. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of £994K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Foundation Scotland is classified as an Education organization, registered in United Kingdom. It operates as a Charitable Company. It has £31M in annual revenue.

According to GiveRadar's records, Foundation Scotland is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and overseen by the Charity Commission. It reports that 90% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 85%). GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

We were established in 1992 as the Scottish Community Foundation before changing our name to Foundation Scotland in 2012. For more than 25 years, we have been working to strengthen communities across the country. All over Scotland, local groups and charities have ideas for how to make their communities happier, fairer, and more sustainable. We enable funders, donors, and philanthropists to support the building blocks of these communities – grassroots groups, charities, anchor organisations and enterprises. We focus on communities of place, and communities of shared interest. We support philanthropists to help their personal giving make the most difference. We work with donors to invest in community action that enables... Foundation Scotland is classified as an education organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 1994.

Among education charities registered in United Kingdom: It allocates 90% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 85%. Its annual revenue of £31M is well above the peer average of £994K.

Foundation Scotland is a charitable company limited by guarantee, the most common incorporated form for UK charities. It is registered with both Companies House and the Charity Commission, and must file annual accounts with both regulators. Directors (who are also charity trustees) have limited liability. Its Charity Commission registration number is SC022910.

You can verify Foundation Scotland in several ways. First, search the Charity Commission Register at https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/ - every charity registered in England and Wales appears here with its registration number, trustees, governing document, and filed accounts. Because this is a charitable company, you can also check its filings on Companies House (https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/). Second, check whether the charity's annual return and accounts are up to date - the Commission flags charities with overdue filings. Third, look for the Fundraising Regulator badge on the charity's website, which signals voluntary compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Contact Foundation Scotland directly for current donation methods. UK charities typically accept online card payments, direct debit, and bank transfer. Many also use platforms such as JustGiving or Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). If you are a UK taxpayer, make sure to tick the Gift Aid box: it lets the charity reclaim 25p from HMRC for every pound you give at no extra cost to you. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim back the difference between basic-rate and their marginal rate through Self Assessment. Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn) lets you donate pre-tax through your employer.

Donations to Foundation Scotland are eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK income-tax or capital-gains-tax payer. Gift Aid adds 25% to your donation at no cost to you (the charity reclaims basic-rate tax from HMRC). Higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers can also claim back the difference through Self Assessment or by adjusting their PAYE tax code. Gifts of shares, property, or land to charity are free of Capital Gains Tax and can be deducted from your income for Income Tax purposes. Legacy gifts (in your will) reduce the value of your estate for Inheritance Tax and can lower the IHT rate from 40% to 36% if you leave at least 10% to charity.

Foundation Scotland is based in Edinburgh in Scotland. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.

Foundation Scotland was first registered in 1994, making it approximately 32 years old. UK charities must file an annual return with the Charity Commission to remain on the register. A long registration history generally indicates sustained operations and continuous regulatory compliance.

Annual revenue
£10M-£100M
90% to programs
Source: oscr (FY2025) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from oscr (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025, FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
52
Still gathering leadership data

We check government filings and charity disclosures quarterly. If you represent this charity, claim this page to add officers directly.

Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
£31.4M revenue
FY2025
OSCR
Form filed
£80.3M revenue
FY2024
OSCR
Form filed
£25.0M revenue
FY2023
OSCR
Form filed
£33.3M revenue
FY2022
OSCR
Form filed
£32.7M revenue
FY2021
OSCR

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Cause areas in United Kingdom

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Education this charity 87,646
Health 28,382
Religion 22,146
Arts & Culture 21,802
Community Development 10,738
Environment 5,683
Social Services 4,899
Youth Development 4,637
See all cause areas in United Kingdom

Most common causes in United Kingdom

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Education 54,780
Arts & Culture 17,729
Disability 17,106
Religion 16,671
Health 15,045
Poverty 14,062
Community Development 11,486
Cultural Heritage 8,526

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities
Financial filings
Charity Commission annual returns - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 17, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 17, 2026
Profile completeness
75%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 7
  • Financial data · FY2025 on record
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1994
Not available · 4
  • Named leadership
    Board and officer list not yet indexed
  • Executive pay
    Top-officer pay not disclosed
  • Mission statement
    No self-published statement of purpose
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Foundation Scotland

What is Foundation Scotland?
Foundation Scotland is a education charitable company based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. We were established in 1992 as the Scottish Community Foundation before changing our name to Foundation Scotland in 2012. For more than 25 years, we have been working to strengthen communities across the country. All over Scotland, local groups and charities have ideas for how to make their communities happier, fairer, and more sustainable. We enable funders, donors, and philanthropists to support the building blocks of these communities – grassroots groups, charities, anchor organisations and enterprises. We focus on communities of place, and communities of shared interest. We support philanthropists to help their personal giving make the most difference. We work with donors to invest in community action that enables people and places to flourish. We work alongside communities to ensure that local funds are distributed by communities themselves. And we offer social investment opportunities to enable social enterprises, community organisations and charities to grow. 'the prevention or relief of poverty','the advancement of education','the advancement of religion','the advancement of health','the saving of lives','the advancement of citizenship or community development','the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science','the advancement of public participation in sport','the provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended','the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation','the promotion of religious or racial harmony','the promotion of equality and diversity','the advancement of environmental protection or improvement','the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage','the advancement of animal welfare','any other purpose that may reasonably be regarded as analogous to any of the preceding purposes' 2.1 The Objects of the Foundation are specifically restricted to the charitable purposes contained in this Article 2. 2.2 The Objects to be undertaken in Scotland or elsewhere for which the Foundation is established are: 2.2.1 the advancement of citizenship or community development, to include rural and/or urban regeneration, the promotion of civic responsibility, volunteering, the voluntary sector and the effectiveness or efficiency of charities. 2.2.2 the prevention or relief of poverty. 2.2.3 the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. 2.2.4 the advancement of education. 2.2.5 the saving of lives. 2.2.6 the advancement of religion. 2.2.7 the advancement of health, to include the prevention or relief of sickness, disease or human suffering. 2.2.8 the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science. 2.2.9 the advancement of public participation in sport and in the provision of recreational facilities or the organisation of recreational facilities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended. 2.2.10 the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation. 2.2.11 the promotion of religious or racial harmony. 2.2.12 the promotion of equality and diversity. 2.2.13 the advancement of environmental protection or improvement. 2.2.14 the advancement of animal welfare. 2.2.15 any other purpose that may reasonably be regarded as analogous to any of the preceding purposes. and 2.2.16 any other purpose under section 7 of the Charities Act which is also regarded as a charitable purpose in relation to the application of the Taxes Acts
When was Foundation Scotland founded?
Foundation Scotland was founded in 1994.
Where is Foundation Scotland located?
Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
What is Foundation Scotland's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately £10M-£100M. 90% of expenses go to program services.
Is Foundation Scotland trustworthy?
Foundation Scotland has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 53 out of 100 (Partial transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Foundation Scotland's registration number?
Registration: SC022910 (United Kingdom).
What is Foundation Scotland's website?
https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk
Are donations to Foundation Scotland tax-deductible?
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.