Directory of Social Change

What Directory of Social Change does

Directory of Social Change (DSC) is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 800517) founded in 1974 by Michael Norton, operating for 50+ years as a social-enterprise support organisation for the UK voluntary sector. Headquartered nominally in London but operating fully remotely since December 2020, DSC serves UK charities, trustees, and charity finance professionals through an interconnected platform of eight product lines: the Funds Online subscription database (over 8,000 funders, £8 billion in listed funding), a publications catalogue of practitioner-authored books and templates, live Zoom-delivered training courses, in-house tailored training and consultancy delivered by UK-wide DSC Associates, the free Governance App (used by 6,000+ trustees), custom research and impact evaluation services, annual conferences (Grants Unlocked, Charity Leadership and Governance Summit, Charity Accountants' Conference), and a new AI Hub for charity-sector AI literacy.

Revenue is generated across six streams: recurring Funds Online subscriptions starting at £475 per year per user; one-time publication sales (£35–£125); one-time training course fees structured into three pricing bands based on customer turnover (£35–£389); conference fees (£155–£195, with free access for Funds Online subscribers); bespoke in-house services under multi-year contracts; and commissioned research and evaluation for funders and grant-makers. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer via the dsc.org.uk e-commerce website and fundsonline.org.uk subscription platform, supplemented by daily email newsletters to tens of thousands of subscribers, 30,000+ social media followers, content marketing through a blog and AI Hub, and event-driven demand generation through conferences and free Funds Online webinars. Customer service handles conversions via [email protected] and a London phone line.

The organisation's competitive position is anchored by 50+ years of brand heritage in the UK charity sector, a proprietary continuously updated funder database built since the 1984 'Guide to the Major Trusts', and a network of expert trainers, researchers, and authors. Recent strategic activity includes the launch of the AI Hub and AI training courses, new editions of core publications, partnerships with Sayer Vincent and City Bridge Foundation, and a fully remote cost structure following the closure of the London (2020) and Liverpool (2023) offices.

Name

Directory of Social Change

Legal name

Directory of Social Change

Website

https://dsc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Directory of Social Change is a UK registered charity (founded 1974) that provides funding research, publications, training courses, conferences, governance tools, and research services to tens of thousands of UK charities, trustees, and charity finance professionals through its Funds Online database, publication catalogue, and live training programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity Sector Training and Support Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAE

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYFSAEAKAH

Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Fiduciary, Trust & Estate Advisory

Keywords

• Charity training services
• Funding research database
• Nonprofit publications
• Governance advisory tools
• Charity sector research

Headquarters

HQ city

London, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Funds Online Subscriptions: Annual subscription access to the Funds Online funding database. Subscriptions are priced from £475 (plus VAT) per year for single user access, providing searchable access to over 8,000 funders giving £8 billion.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of books and digital publications covering fundraising, governance, management, finance, and charity operations. Publications include bestsellers like The Complete Fundraising Handbook (£35), Charity Governance Tools and Templates (£125 digital), and The Directory of Grant Making Trusts.
3. Training Courses: Online training courses delivered via Zoom ranging from Bitesize sessions at £35 to advanced one-day courses at £289-£389. Courses cover fundraising, governance, finance, AI for charities, management, and personal development.
4. Conference and Event Fees: Conference attendance fees including Grants Unlocked 2026 (priced £155-£195 depending on organization size bands), with free access for Funds Online subscribers.
5. In-House Services: Tailored training, facilitation, consultancy, coaching, and mentoring services delivered to organizations at their premises or remotely. Services cover topics including governance, fundraising, wellbeing, and organizational development.
6. Research Services: Custom research, sector analysis, evaluation, and impact assessment services for charities and funders. DSC's research team produces reports including sector insights, grant-maker guides, and impact evaluations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Directory of Social Change is a UK registered charity providing information, training, research, and digital tools to the voluntary sector. Its commercial offering combines a subscription funding database (Funds Online listing 8,000+ funders giving £8 billion), a publications catalogue of books and templates for charity professionals, live online training courses delivered via Zoom, tailored in-house training and consultancy, a free Governance App for charity boards, custom research services, annual conferences (Grants Unlocked, Charity Leadership and Governance Summit), and an AI Hub for the charity sector.

Product overview

Directory of Social Change operates as a multi-product charity support organisation offering a platform of interconnected services. The core offering includes Funds Online (an online funding database with 8,000+ funders), Publications (extensive book catalogue for charity professionals), Online Training Courses (live Zoom-based education), In-House Services (tailored organisational support), a Governance App (digital governance review tool), Research Services (custom sector research and publications), Conferences and Events (annual professional gatherings), and an AI Hub (centralised AI resources and training). The products serve the UK charity sector across the full spectrum of organisational needs from fundraising research to governance compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Funds Online: Online funding database platform with over 8,000 funders giving a total of £8 billion. The largest and most comprehensive single source of online funding information in the UK.

Products and services

• Funds Online An online funding database and search platform providing searchable access to over 8,000 UK funders giving a total of £8 billion. Features include a dashboard for tracking bid submissions, saving funders, and monitoring application updates. Priced from £475 plus VAT per year for single-user access.
• Publications (Books, Guides, and Templates) An extensive catalogue of charity sector publications including fundraising handbooks, governance guides, management titles, finance and law resources, templates, and the Speed Read series. Bestsellers include The Complete Fundraising Handbook (£35), Charity Governance Tools and Templates (£125 digital), and The Directory of Grant Making Trusts. City Bridge Foundation funding provides free digital copies of certain publications to small London-based charities.
• Online Training Courses Live online training courses delivered via Zoom covering fundraising, management, leadership, personal development, finance, law, governance, marketing, and AI. Pricing ranges from £35 for Bitesize sessions to £159-£389 for half-day and full-day courses (banded by organisation turnover). Course examples include Advanced AI for Charities and Implementation of SORP & FRS 102.
• In-House Services Tailored training, facilitation, consultancy, coaching, and mentoring services delivered at client organisations' premises or remotely by DSC Associates based throughout the UK. Topics include governance, fundraising, wellbeing, and organisational development. Purchased via direct contact ([email protected]) on multi-year or single engagement contracts.
• Governance App A free digital tool for charity boards to conduct self-led governance reviews. Has helped over 6,000 trustees improve their governance practices. Designed for ease of use by non-specialist trustees.
• Research Services Custom research, sector analysis, evaluation, and impact assessment services for charities and funders. Outputs include the Guide to New Trusts, Guide to UK Company Giving, Guide to Major Trusts, Sector Insight reports on Armed Forces Charities, and bespoke grants evaluation reports (e.g. for Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, Benefact Group, Liverpool ONE Foundation).
• Conferences and Events Annual professional conferences including Grants Unlocked (24 September 2026), the DSC Charity Leadership and Governance Summit (7 October 2026), and the Charity Accountants' Online Conference co-hosted with Sayer Vincent. Pricing banded by organisation turnover (e.g. Grants Unlocked 2026: £155-£195). Funds Online subscribers receive free conference access.
• AI Hub A centralised knowledge hub consolidating AI-related training courses, articles, and external resources for the charity sector. Includes introductory AI courses, advanced agent/GPT training (e.g. AI Basics for Small Charities, Advanced AI for Charities: Automate Workflow with Agents and GPTs), and practical guidance on implementing AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude AI, custom GPTs/Gems) in charities.

Quantifiable outcome

• £25,000 raised by a single charity using Funds Online in first year of subscription
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sayer VincentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2026Sayer Vincent, charity accountants, partner with DSC to deliver The Charity Accountants' Online Conference - a two-day annual online conference for charity finance professionals.
• EvouchersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 September 2026Evouchers is sponsoring the Grants Unlocked 2026 conference. Evouchers specialises in creating secure, flexible voucher systems that help charity organisations support, reward and motivate their communities.
• City Bridge FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCity Bridge Foundation provides funding that enables DSC to offer free digital copies of publications including The Complete Fundraising Handbook for small-income London-based charities.
• SCiP AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSC produced the report 'Funding for Armed Forces children and young people' in association with the SCiP Alliance, providing the first systematic analysis of this funding area.
• Benefact GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSC helped Benefact Group evaluate their charity support model and uncover what's really making a difference through the 'Understanding the Impact of Blended Giving' research report.
• Liverpool ONE FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSC produced an evaluation report on the impact of Liverpool ONE Foundation's grants programme.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK umbrella body for the voluntary sector providing training, research, policy, and resources to charities. Closely comparable to DSC as both serve the same UK nonprofit customer base with overlapping training, publications, and policy offerings.
• The Cranfield Trust: UK charity providing pro-bono management consultancy, training, and resources to other charities. Comparable to DSC in serving UK charity professionals with development services and training.
• Charity Digital: UK charity providing digital training, resources, and technology advice to other charities. Comparable in mission and product mix (training, resources, events) for the UK third sector.
• UK Fundraising: UK-based hub for fundraising news, resources, training, and supplier directories for the charity sector. Comparable as a training-and-resources peer serving UK fundraising professionals.
• Charity Finance Group: UK membership body supporting charity finance professionals with training, conferences, and resources. Comparable to DSC's finance/accountants training and conference business (e.g., Charity Accountants' Online Conference).
• ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations): UK membership organization for charity and social sector leaders, offering training, networks, events, and resources. Comparable to DSC in its focus on UK charity leadership development and sector events.
• GrantFinder (Idox Group): Direct competitor in UK funding research databases, offering searchable grant and funding opportunity information for charities, schools, and local authorities. Closely comparable product to DSC's Funds Online.

Broad incumbents

• Blackbaud: Global provider of software, services, and expertise for nonprofits including fundraising CRM and grant management. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across the same nonprofit-customer segment, though at much greater scale.
• Civica: Large UK software and services provider with dedicated public-sector and charity-focused products (e.g., Civica Grant). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering funding research and grants management tools to charities.

Emerging players

• 360Giving: Nonprofit providing open data tools and a free, searchable database of UK grants made by funders. Comparable as an emerging alternative to DSC's Funds Online, particularly for cost-sensitive users willing to use open data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DSC_Charity
• Facebookfacebook.com/DSCcharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/directory-of-social-change

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Directory of Social Change