The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust has been a Quaker funder since 1904. Our current strategy has shaped our work since 2018, and as we look ahead to the next decade, we want to take stock of what’s changed, what we’ve learned, and how we can do even better.
We want to do that with you.
We recently ran a perception audit, and people were refreshingly honest with us. Here’s some of what you told us:
- You value your relationship with us, but you want it to feel more like a genuine partnership.
- You want longer-term, more reliable support.
- You want us to be more agile and responsive to what’s happening in the sector.
- You’d like a clearer sense of what we stand for.
- You want us to use our voice and position more actively, not just our grants.
We found this really useful. Thank you to everyone who contributed. These insights confirmed that we need to refresh our strategy, and also that we have solid foundations to build from.
Over the coming months we’ll be talking with many of the people who shape our work: grantholders, applicants, sector infrastructure bodies, funders, trustees, co-optee advisors, our Quaker community, youth groups, and our own staff.
We’ll use surveys, one-to-one conversations, and group discussions to make sure a wide range of voices are heard. We’ll keep sharing what we’re learning as we go, so contributors can see how their input is shaping our thinking.
We’ll be in touch directly with those invited into the next phase. In the meantime, we’d really welcome your reflections and ideas through answering our open questions here.
If you have any questions about the process, please get in touch with our decennial strategy officer, Eliza Broadbent, at eliza.broadbent@jrct.org.uk.
A lot is genuinely open for discussion. But some things are certain, because they’re central to who we are:
- We will remain a Quaker organisation.
- We will remain a charitable organisation rooted in public benefit.
- We will honour our commitment to making reparations in line with our charitable purposes.
- We will continue funding for the long term.
Our new strategy will be finalised in 2027 and come into full effect in 2028. There will be no immediate changes to our funding commitments.
Trustees hold responsibility for the final strategy. Our senior leadership team is overseeing the review and shaping early thinking. What we hear through this process will genuinely inform what we build.
We want to understand what we do well, be honest about where we could do better, and get a real sense of what the sector needs from a funder like us over the next decade.
We’re looking forward to the conversation.