What sankalpa does

Sankalpa is a Community Interest Company (CIC) registered in England and Wales (company number 10781557), founded in 2015 by Ruth Layton and headquartered in Oxford, UK. It identifies social innovators and small organisations working on animal welfare, food systems, environmental sustainability, mindfulness, and community wellbeing, and provides them with grants, loans, completion funds, mentorship, networking, and hands-on project management support. The organization does not sell products or services; it distributes donor and grant capital to its portfolio alongside non-financial support, and earns modest revenue through loan administration fees and possibly co-funding arrangements. Sankalpa has supported over 20 activities spanning the UK, Kenya, South Africa, Portugal, Germany, China, Taiwan, and Italy, with notable outcomes including The Ethical Dairy becoming the UK's first commercial cow-with-calf dairy, Nasio Trust supporting 400+ orphaned children, and Good Food Oxford growing to 140+ member organisations.

The organisation is managed by a team of six (founder, two additional directors, finance coordinator, project coordinator, plus a director/changemaker role), though firmographic data reports headcount of 14 including broader participants. Revenue is sourced from grants, donations, individual donors, and corporate supporters, channeled through flexible, trust-based support rather than project-tied funding. Sankalpa's underlying 'technology' is its relational and administrative infrastructure: a small grants team (Becky Adams, Tori Smith) processes applications, conducts due diligence, and monitors outcomes. The organisation is not currently inviting new applications and is instead focused on its existing portfolio and engaging with social investors.

Sankalpa's customer base consists of funded changemakers (NGOs, social enterprises, researchers, filmmakers) rather than commercial buyers. Its go-to-market is community-led: identification of innovators occurs through the founder's professional network, referrals, and partnership with Oxfordshire Community Foundation. Customer concentration on the recipient side is low given portfolio diversification, though no donor concentration data is disclosed. The organisation operates without disclosed AI or proprietary technology assets, and competitive differentiation rests on flexibility, founder reputation in food sustainability and animal welfare, and the interconnected ecosystem of its grant recipients.

Name

sankalpa

Legal name

Oursankalpa C.I.C.

Website

https://oursankalpa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sankalpa is an Oxford-based Community Interest Company that provides grants, loans, mentorship, and hands-on support to small social enterprises and innovators working on animal welfare, food sustainability, environmental, and community wellbeing initiatives across multiple countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Funding and Philanthropic Support

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Grant funding programmes
• Social enterprise support
• Community interest company
• Changemaker funding
• Philanthropic grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding and donations: Sankalpa operates as a Community Interest Company (CIC) funded through grants, donations, and support from individual donors and corporate supporters. The organization provides funding to changemakers and innovative projects focused on positive social and environmental change.
2. Loan administration fees: For loan applications, Sankalpa collects administrative fees and processes applications through their grants team.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sankalpa is a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.) that provides grants, loans, completion funds, mentorship, networking, and hands-on project support to social innovators and changemakers. The organization funds small charitable organizations, social enterprises, and community groups working on positive social, environmental, and animal welfare change across the UK and internationally. Support is delivered through flexible, trust-based relationships rather than project-tied funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• sankalpa Funding & Support Programme A grant-making and support programme that provides funding (grants, loans, completion funds), mentorship, networking, and hands-on project management assistance to innovators and changemakers working on social, environmental, and animal welfare initiatives. The programme supports flexible, trust-based engagement with small charitable organizations, social enterprises, and community groups, including help with operations, strategic goal-setting, branding, website development, and administrative capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 20 activities across multiple countries including UK, Kenya, South Africa, Portugal, Germany, China, Taiwan, Italy, and international
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Oxfordshire Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSankalpa works closely with Oxfordshire Community Foundation. Becky Adams, Sankalpa's Finance Coordinator, also works closely with Oxfordshire Community Foundation and other partners in her role.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Garfield Weston Foundation: Major UK family-founded grantmaker supporting education, communities, and the arts with multi-year unrestricted grants. Comparable in approach to flexible, long-term funding of small organisations.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Large UK foundation addressing poverty and social justice through research, policy, and grantmaking to innovative social-change organisations. Overlaps with Sankalpa on social-justice funding and long-term capacity-building grants.
• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch): International foundation funding cultural, educational, social, and environmental causes, with an active UK arm. Comparable as a more established, larger-scale grantmaker working across overlapping themes (food systems, sustainability, social innovation).

Emerging players

• Nesta: UK innovation foundation supporting social innovators, food-system transformation, and changemakers through grants and impact investments. Overlaps with Sankalpa on food sustainability and innovation funding.
• Big Give: UK online giving platform that matches donations to charities through themed campaigns. Comparable as a UK-based giving intermediary supporting small charities with fundraising infrastructure.

Direct peers

• The Tudor Trust: UK independent grantmaking trust providing flexible, multi-year core funding and capacity-building support to small charities and community groups. Highly comparable to Sankalpa in mission, size, and trust-based approach.
• LankellyChase Foundation: UK foundation focused on systemic change across social justice, climate, and equity issues, providing multi-year core grants to small and frontline organisations. Similar in funding philosophy and grantee profile to Sankalpa.
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: One of the UK's largest independent funders, supporting social change, the arts, and the natural environment with long-term, flexible funding. Comparable as a UK-based grantmaker offering unrestricted and core funding to changemakers.
• Oxfordshire Community Foundation: UK community foundation operating locally in Oxfordshire that pools donations and distributes grants to small charities and changemakers in the region. Directly comparable as a grantmaking partner that Sankalpa already collaborates with operationally.

Regional players

• The Aga Khan Foundation (UK): International development foundation active in parts of East Africa and South Asia that funds rural development, food security, and education programmes. Overlaps with Sankalpa's grantees (e.g., Nasio Trust in Kenya, Profit with Purpose in South Africa) and its trust-based model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oursankalpa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 sankalpa