Big Change

What Big Change does

Big Change Charitable Trust is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1145224) founded in 2014 and headquartered at 7 Savoy Court, London. It operates as a philanthropic catalyst organization that finds, supports, and connects an intergenerational community of changemakers — social entrepreneurs and leaders working to reshape the systems around young people in education, mental health, social care, and youth empowerment. Rather than building technology products, Big Change delivers its impact through a portfolio of grantmaking programs (Big Education Challenge, Leaders for Big Change grants), a curated donor network (Catalyst Circle, with suggested annual gifts of £25,000), flagship events (Spark Awards, Strive endurance challenges, community retreats), and convening/content platforms. To date it has supported over 70 leaders, unlocked £200m+ in follow-on funding for its changemakers from an initial £5m seed, and impacted 8 million+ young people across the UK, with partner organisations from 26 countries contributing to its global insight network.

The organization's underlying "technology" is its methodology rather than software: a trust-based philanthropy model that pools unrestricted donations from business founders, family offices, trusts and foundations, channels those funds to early-stage changemakers via selective competitions and direct grants, and wraps grantees in ongoing coaching, peer networks, and convening access. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven — annual Spark Awards and Strive endurance challenges generate pipeline, awareness, and fundraising, while the Catalyst Circle serves as the stable revenue backbone. Revenue streams include individual donations (from £10, processed via Virgin Money Giving), Catalyst Circle pooled philanthropy (recommended £25,000/year), corporate and foundation partnerships, and fundraising events (Strive challenges alone have raised over £12m in the past decade). CEO Essie North, who led the organization for 12 years, announced her departure by end of 2026, with a formal CEO search underway.

Big Change is governed by a board of trustees (including Co-Founders Holly and Sam Branson and Young Trustee Rebecca Bassey), supported by a "small but mighty" operational team, and reports no subsidiaries or parent organization. Its long-term brand positioning emphasizes systemic rather than incremental change, intergenerational collaboration, and an explicit refusal to treat symptoms of failure rather than root causes.

Name

Big Change

Legal name

Big Change Charitable Trust

Website

https://big-change.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Change Charitable Trust is a UK-registered charity founded in 2014 that funds, supports, and connects an intergenerational community of changemakers reshaping systems around young people in education, mental health, and social care. It generates revenue via pooled HNW philanthropy, individual donations, and endurance fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth-focused Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation
• Youth philanthropy
• Grant funding
• Social innovation
• Education transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off donations or recurring direct debit donations from individuals who support the mission of helping young people thrive. Donations are processed through Virgin Money Giving.
2. Catalyst Circle Philanthropy Network: A close-knit group of donors including business founders, entrepreneurs, family offices, trusts and foundations who make pooled annual gifts (suggested amount £25,000). These donations are unrestricted and provide funding without conditions, allowing Big Change to be experimental and innovative.
3. Corporate and Organizational Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses, trusts, and foundations who share the vision for lasting change. Partners may support specific areas of work, collaborate on projects aligned with shared strategies, or provide unrestricted grants to maximize impact.
4. Fundraising Events: Strive challenges and athletic events including endurance challenges that have raised over £12 million over the past decade. The founders launched Big Change after running the 2010 Marathon tied together as a giant caterpillar with 34 friends.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Big Change is a UK charitable foundation that finds, funds, and supports an intergenerational community of changemakers working to transform systems around young people. It provides early-stage grants, ongoing support, networking, and convening through programs such as the Big Education Challenge, Leaders for Big Change grants, Catalyst Circle donor network, Spark Awards, and Strive fundraising challenges.

Product overview

Big Change Charitable Trust is a philanthropic organization focused on education system transformation for young people. Rather than offering a traditional product or technology platform, Big Change operates as a funding and support organization that provides grant programs (such as the Big Education Challenge and Leaders for Big Change grants), convenes a network of changemakers through the Catalyst Circle donor network, and runs initiatives like the Spark Awards. The organization connects philanthropists with social entrepreneurs working on education reform, youth mental health, and system-level change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spark Awards: Annual awards program recognizing changemakers and innovative projects transforming education and systems around young people.
• Catalyst Circle
• Big Education Challenge
• Leaders for Big Change

Products and services

• Big Education Challenge Annual funding competition open to changemakers with bold ideas for transforming education and systems around young people. Winners and finalists receive grants and ongoing support from Big Change.
• Leaders for Big Change Grants Grant programme providing individual changemakers with early-stage funding and support for projects transforming systems around young people.
• Catalyst Circle A pooled-giving donor network for high-net-worth philanthropists who make unrestricted annual gifts to support Big Change's early-stage changemakers.
• Spark Awards Annual awards programme that identifies and celebrates changemakers transforming systems around young people.
• Strive Challenges Endurance fundraising challenges for individuals and teams to raise money for Big Change's mission.
• Individual Donation Programme Online donation programme allowing individuals to make one-off or recurring monthly donations to support Big Change's work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 leaders supported, £200m+ follow-on funding raised, 8 million+ young people positively impacted
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered key.

• Forward GlobalkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for walking workshop at Kew Gardens focused on modern philanthropy. Forward Global collaborates with Big Change on convenings and thought leadership.
• The Strive CollectivekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for annual fundraiser challenge including Iceland 2026, combining grit and resilience with fundraising. Strive Collective organizes endurance challenges that have raised over £12 million.
• All LeaderskeyImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExecutive search firm engaged for CEO recruitment. Partner Tanya Stevens ([email protected]) managing the search for Big Change's next Chief Executive.
• Ashoka Young ChangemakerskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization with which RECLAIM partnered. Big Change-funded RECLAIM received recognition through this partnership, extending their reach and impact internationally.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Trust: One of the world's largest charitable foundations, with significant UK grantmaking activity — comparable structure (large UK grantmaking foundation) but operates at vastly greater scale and across different themes.
• The Prince's Trust: Large UK youth-focused charity delivering programmes, funding, and advocacy for young people — comparable end beneficiary (young people) but operates own delivery programmes at much greater scale.
• Nesta: UK's largest innovation foundation, working across education, health, and economic policy with grantmaking and challenge-prize programmes — broader portfolio but overlapping with Big Change's systems-change and education-funding remit.

Direct peers

• Paul Hamlyn Foundation: One of the UK's larger independent grantmakers, with education, young people, and social justice as core priorities — closely comparable funder profile and trust-based approach to Big Change's Catalyst Circle model.
• Barrow Cadbury Trust: UK independent foundation with a strong focus on social justice, young people, and criminal justice system reform — closely comparable in funding for systemic change for marginalised young people.
• The Dulverton Trust: UK grantmaking trust supporting education, young people, and conservation — comparable in being a UK family/founder-affiliated foundation providing multi-year unrestricted support.
• LankellyChase Foundation: UK foundation funding work on severe and multiple disadvantage, including youth and education systems — comparable systems-change grantmaking orientation.
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: UK foundation funding work across education, young people, and the environment with a long-horizon, unrestricted-grant style — directly comparable in mission and grantmaking posture to Big Change.
• Youth Endowment Fund: UK grantmaking fund specifically focused on children and young people, with rigorous evaluation of funded programmes — a direct comparator in youth-focused, evidence-driven philanthropy.
• Impetus: UK charity that makes grants and provides non-financial support to charities working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds — directly comparable grantmaking-plus-capacity-building model with a focus on youth outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BigChangersUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcphpJoxCWBbMkzbTLSrGbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigchangecharitabletrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-change-charitable-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigchangecharity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Change