Our policies and commitments

Due diligence policy

Grant making is a judgement that balances considerations between benefit and risk, to identify partnerships in line with our strategic priorities. We undertake due diligence on all our potential funding partners to understand and evaluate the main risks our partners are facing so we can help mitigate them (if we are the right people to do so); to evaluate the risks to Blagrave in funding, and to fulfil our duties for diligent grant making as required by the Charity Commission. 

Read our
Due Diligence Policy

Policy on paying for freelance work

This policy outlines how we pay people and organisations who provide professional services on a freelance contract at Blagrave. It applies to all individuals or registered companies on freelance contract, for example, advisers, facilitators, consultants, learning partners and speakers at our events. This policy also lays out the rates we pay for different types of service providers, and how we arrived at the set amounts.

Read our
Policy on Paying for Freelance Work and Pay Table - Jun 2025

Conflicts of interest policy

At Blagrave, we aim to be a transparent and fair organisation. We value lived experience alongside learned ‘professional’ experience. We strive towards being equitable by addressing how we can support team members to bring their whole selves in to their work as advisers, consultants, staff and Trustees, and this includes bringing their passion and insight. We balance this alongside our legal obligation to act in the best interests of the Trust, and in accordance with our governing document, and we carefully manage situations where there might be a conflict of interest.

Read our
Blagrave - Conflicts of Interest Policy - Feb 2024

Safer recruitment policy

Our commitment to safer recruitment and the use of background checks, including DBS checks, reflects our dedication to creating a safe environment for all.

We aim to balance the need for safety with the principles of fairness, respect, and inclusivity. We encourage applicants to engage with the process openly and without fear, knowing that their information will be handled confidentially and that decisions will be made with sensitivity and careful consideration of their individual circumstances.

For more information, contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Valeria Tavares at valeria@blagravetrust.org.

Read our
2025 Safer Recruitment Policy

Responding to a concern about a child’s welfare

We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of children and young people and keep them safe. As The Trust doesn’t work directly with children, this procedure mainly applies to grant partners who are directly working with children and are operating under Blagrave’s safeguarding arrangements as a condition of their funding.

Read our Child Safeguarding procedure

Responding to a safeguarding concern about an adult at risk

This procedure aims to provide clear guidance on how to report concerns about the safety of an adult that may be directly or indirectly impacted by our work. This procedure applies to anyone working on behalf of The Trust, including senior managers, trustees, employees, volunteers, freelance contractors, and grant partners who sit under our safeguarding arrangements.

Read our Adult Safeguarding procedure

Whistleblowing policy

We are committed to the highest standards of openness, probity and accountability. An important aspect of accountability and transparency is a mechanism to enable staff and other people associated with the Trust to voice concerns in a responsible and effective manner. Where an individual discovers information which they believe shows serious malpractice or wrongdoing within the organisation then this information should be disclosed internally without fear of reprisal, and there should be arrangements to enable this to be done independently of line management (although in relatively minor instances the line manager would be the appropriate person to be told).

Read our Whistleblowing policy

Diversity, equity and inclusion policy

At The Blagrave Trust we are dedicated to fostering a fair and just society. We view young people as powerful forces for change and are committed to creating inclusive spaces where their voices and leadership drive meaningful impact. This policy outlines our approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), going beyond compliance to set best practices that reflect our mission and values.

Read our
2025 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Blagrave

Safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and adults policy

The purpose of this policy is:

• To keep safe from harm, abuse and exploitation children and adults who are engaged in activity delivered by, or in partnership with, the Blagrave Trust, or by grant partners funded by The Blagrave Trust.
• To promote the wellbeing of children and adults who are engaged in activity delivered by, or in partnership with the Blagrave Trust or by partners funded by The Blagrave Trust.
• To promote the welfare and keep safe from harm all staff who work on behalf of Blagrave.
• To provide all those who work for or on behalf of the Trust with the overarching principles that underpin the Trust’s approach to Safeguarding.

This Policy applies to all employees, trustees, freelancers, advisers, or anyone else working or volunteering on behalf of the Trust; regardless of whether they work directly with children or adults at risk.

Read our
2026 Blagrave_Safeguarding policy

Investments policy

Blagrave holds investments in both property and financial markets. We believe we should use all of our resources, including our investments, in pursuit of our mission. As a result, in recent years we have moved approximately two-thirds of our investments to be held with Cazenove Capital and Rathbone Greenbank Investments.  The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a key lens through which both funds are assessed, and investment decisions categorised to ensure they are Avoiding harm, Benefiting society and Contributing to solutions.

As part of our commitment to ethical investing, in 2020 we launched the ‘ESG olympics’ with Friends Provident Foundation and the Joffe Charitable Trust, to identify the exemplar investors in this space. Following an open tender process Cazenove was selected and have launched the Casenove Sustainable Growth Fund. You can read more about the process here and the resulting report about the state of the sector of ESG here.

Our investment policy sets out our aspirations to ensure we apply our values across all our work.

Read our Investment Policy

Anti-fraud, bribery and corruption policy

The Blagrave Trust has a zero-tolerance stance towards fraud, bribery and corruption. The Trust requires all those receiving funding or representing the Trust, including its suppliers, grant recipients, partners, contractors, advisers, volunteers and agents, to act in accordance with our Fraud policy.

Read our Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy

Privacy and data protection policy

Your privacy is important, and we will not do anything to violate your trust. We collect information about visits to this site anonymously so that it cannot be associated with a particular user.

Read our Blagrave - Privacy and Data Protection Policy
 

Complaints policy

As a progressive funder we see it as essential we take an anti oppressive approach, treat everyone fairly, and practice transparency so that we can be held to account. We therefore take any complaints we receive very seriously.

You can use this policy to contact us if you think Blagrave has done something wrong, not provided a good enough service, or made a mistake.

Read our Complaints Policy

Commitment to transparency – how Blagrave works with advisers

In line with our value  of transparency, this document lays out how we work with advisers, how and how much we pay advisers. It also shares how we arrived at our decisions.

Read our Commitment to transparency - How we work with advisers

Commitment to safeguarding (due diligence)

A strong safeguarding culture is essential to all  that work with children and adults at risk. We are committed to ensuring we do this safely through robust checks and sharing good practice.

Read our Our Commitment to Safeguarding in our Funding
 

Commitment to partners

Our commitments statement sets out our commitment to our partners. It is a key mechanism for accountability in our work, and we welcome your comments and feedback.
 

Living wage funder commitment

We are a Living Wage Funder – that means that we are committed to both paying the Living Wage ourselves and supporting and enabling our charity partners to do the same.

Read our Our commitment as a living wage funder

Youth engagement and leadership commitment

We’re currently reviewing Youth engagement and leadership to ensure our policies remain up to date and we continue to centre young people in all that we do. Watch this space…
 

Our climate commitment

We've recently renewed our commitment to prioritise climate justice and action throughout our work.  Read more here. 

Our commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression

This document sets out Blagrave’s core commitments to anti-racism and anti-oppression as we move into our new strategy in 2026.  It is grounded in humility, accountability, and ongoing learning.

Read our commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression here. 

Where we stand: reflections on the UK non profit sector

At Blagrave, we spend a lot of time listening – to young people, to partners, and to others working across the non-profit sector. Over time, their honesty has invited us to hold complex questions and sit with the tensions in the system, as well as the contradictions in our own practices. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been necessary.

Where We Stand is a three-part video series that offers an honest, thoughtful and compassionate reflection on the UK’s non-profit sector. Rooted in the insights of those working directly with and within communities, it aims not to prescribe solutions but to surface truths, recognise challenges and open space for meaningful conversation.

It is an opportunity for our partners to express what they’re feeling, seeing and navigating as we listen closely to the truths they’re holding.

Each video acts as a prompt for reflection. We hope it creates space – for curiosity, recognition, accountability and deeper dialogue.

Episode one: Young people and youth work

Young people today are growing up amid financial insecurity, rising mental health challenges and rapid digital change. One in four children lives in poverty, while access to youth services and safe community spaces continues to shrink.

This episode brings forward perspectives from those closest to these realities, exploring what it feels like to grow up in this context and to work within a youth sector shaped by long-term cuts. The conversation highlights what is being lost when support is reduced just as need intensifies.

Reflection questions:

• What becomes possible when young people have power over the spaces and resources in their communities?
• What does it look like to build support systems that don’t disappear when funding cycles end?

Watch episode one on YouTube: 

Episode two: Today’s Reality for Youth Charities

Charities across the UK are operating in increasingly difficult conditions. Income is falling, costs are rising, and demand for services continues to grow. After years of austerity, many organisations have become lifelines – stepping in where public systems no longer reach.

In this episode, trusted voices working in the youth sector share what this reality looks like on the ground, and what it means for young people who rely on these services. The conversation surfaces the pressures charities are under, the ways organisations are adapting, and the gaps that continue to affect young people’s lives.

Reflection questions:

• What does it mean to centre young people’s needs in a sector stretched to its limits?
• What feels uncomfortable or familiar about some of the issues raised?

Watch episode two on YouTube: 

Episode three: Philanthropy Today

Philanthropy has positioned itself as a force for tackling inequality and shaping social progress. Yet the scale and urgency of today’s challenges raise difficult questions about whether existing models can meaningfully respond to today’s realities.

In this final episode, voices from across the sector reflect on philanthropy’s role at this moment – including its power, pace and accountability. The discussion invites reflection on whether approaches shaped in a very different social and economic context are still fit for purpose, and what might need to shift in response to systemic injustice.

Reflection questions:

• Is philanthropy moving at the pace this moment demands?
• Who gets to shape funding decisions – and who doesn’t?
• What would it mean to rethink power, not just redistribute money?

Watch episode three on YouTube:

The ripple effect of PGM

The ripple effect of Participatory Grant Making

Back in 2024, we recruited our first multi-generational panel of advisers for the Regional Programme, which distributes around £1.2m each year to youth organisations across the South East of England.

Why?

Rather than making funding decisions solely from Blagrave, we brought together eight people with lived and professional experience of the youth sector. We hoped this would lead to better-informed decisions, but the benefits went much further.

What we learned

Individual empowerment
Advisers felt their lived, learned and professional expertise was genuinely valued and fairly paid. For some, the experience changed their expectations of future employment and their sense of what they could contribute.

Impact on applicants
Advisers gave applications considerable time and thoughtful feedback, helping applicants feel seen and valued regardless of the outcome.

Sector impact
The programme also demonstrated higher standards for funder behaviour, particularly around feedback, responsiveness and respect.

What it took

Advisers were contracted for at least 12 months, paid for their time, given a substantial induction and supported to build relationships and reflect together. The programme cost around £10,000 in direct costs and support, with approximately 100 hours budgeted for each adviser over the year.

Blagrave concluded that the investment directly supported its mission of putting power in the hands of the people it seeks to serve.

Thanks went to regional advisers Helen, Karen, Megan, Alec, Gray, Zamy, Eli and Louise, and independent facilitator Katherine Perrin.