This grants programme supports work to influence how laws are made and implemented. It aims to promote transparency, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights. This means that we fund organisations that hold government institutions and policy-makers to account to exercise power in the interests of communities and uphold fundamental rights and freedoms, including economic and social rights.

In recent years, the UK has been undergoing rapid legislative changes with significant impact on rights and the constitutional framework. We work closely with civil society actors who work towards improving human rights protections and access to justice. We do this across the UK with organisations aiming to influence national, devolved and local governments.

We particularly value community-led and lived experience-led approaches. Past grants under Fairer Systems have focused on a wide range of policy activities including longer term work on: the UK’s constitutional settlement in the four nations of the UK, human rights developments, and community-led organising around specific rights or on access to justice more broadly. For an overview of all LEF grants, take a look at our 360 Giving page. 

In shortlisting, we will prioritise organisations with key qualities that we value. Read more about ‘how we prioritise applications’. We can fund most operating expenses including:

1. Staff costs, whether new or existing posts
2. Direct costs such as travel, subsistence or events
3. Overheads
4. Small capital items such as IT equipment

In delivering these activities, we welcome collaborations between organisations. We also recognise the role of second-tier organisations (which support other organisations instead of people directly) in developing co-ordinated responses. Work with policy-makers needs to operate within the Charity Commission guidance on campaigning and political activity by charities. 

We are interested in the outcomes you would like to achieve and a broad pathway to getting there, so the grants we make under this programme are flexible. We encourage organisations to include a reasonable overhead contribution.