More people than ever are falling through the cracks and becoming trapped in homelessness.
At the same time, the pathways out of homelessness are full of varied obstacles and very few ever get the chance to leave homelessness behind on their terms.We want to change this.
Greater Change partners with local homelessness charities who have strong existing relationships with their clients. These clients then work with their support workers to apply for Greater Change’s funding when they need a financial boost.
Greater Change works with the client and their support worker to agree on what will be funded. The client has control over the process, with Greater Change using its experience and expertise to ensure that the funding will have a sustainable, transformative impact.
The funding is then transferred to the partner charity who purchases the agreed goal. For some clients, the funding is raised through the website, however the majority can’t appear on the website for safety and privacy reasons. These clients receive funding from monthly donations and other sources, which also enables Greater Change to respond to urgent requests and release funding quickly.
6-12 months following the release of the grant, Greater Change follows up with the client and their support worker to measure its impact. We measure how the funding has changed the client’s situation across eight key metrics, including housing stability, employment and substance misuse if relevant. Find more about our impact here.
We believe that Greater Change offers a key and necessary part of the long term solution to homelessness. A lack of financial resilience is an important reason why individuals fall into homelessness or struggle to move out of homelessness.
Greater Change effectively tackles this lack of financial resilience, however we ultimately can’t provide the whole solution. To tackle homelessness for good in the UK, the social care and housing systems also need to be improved.
This is why we place paramount importance on working with other charities and seeking to achieve long term policy change.
Greater Change’s funding comes from a range of sources including individual donations, philanthropy, grant-making bodies, local councils and corporate partnerships.
One off and monthly donations through the website are vital in enabling Greater Change to support hundreds of clients per year. 100% of these donations go directly to the campaigns of clients we support, with operational costs funded by local councils and grant-making bodies.
Greater Change supports people who are homeless or at immediate risk of becoming homeless. Our funding helps them to take transformative steps out of homelessness for good.
Greater Change partners with local homelessness charities who have strong existing relationships with their clients. These clients then work with their support workers to apply for Greater Change’s funding when they need a financial boost. Once the funding goal is agreed, Greater Change transfers the grant to the partner charity, which purchases the goal directly.
Our clients can apply for anything that will help them take significant steps out of homelessness. By not having set criteria, we trust those we support and give them control over the process. Common goals include rent deposits, vital furnishings, ID and training courses, but we have also funded many less common goals including exam resits, WiFi and disability adjustments.
Over 90% of those we support choose not to appear on the platform for safety and privacy reasons. There is no obligation to do so and those who don’t are no less likely to receive our support than those who do.
Many of those who receive support from Greater Change choose to keep their profile anonymous. For safety and privacy reasons, it is often inappropriate to publish any identifying information.
Our flexible platform allows you to make a one off/monthly donation instead of donating to a particular campaign. This is used to support clients who need the money urgently or who choose to remain anonymous for safety and privacy reasons. No matter how you donate, 100% of your money will be used to help our clients.