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Personalised cash grants to help people out of homelessness for good.

£1,319 spent by Greater Change unlocks £35,177 in cost savings to the government. A return of over 20x.

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"Greater Change funds a person’s specific needs such as rent, mental health treatment or skills courses – and it’s saving millions in public money."

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Doing it this way it's (money) going on the right things that people need

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“The flat was his. ‘After years of waiting, it all happened so quickly,’ says Midwinter. ‘Walking into that flat the first day was unbelievable. It completely changed my life.’”

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Supported by our trusted partners

Our vision is for Greater Change to no longer be needed.
The impact and efficiency of the Greater Change model is undeniable and we ultimately want to contribute to policy change and see the end of homelessness for good.

Our Impact

1344
people supported
£47.3 Million
saved for local and central government
86%
of people have been housed
Over 50%
of people have been employed
Read more about our impact

Why Our Approach Works

We recognise that it is important to meet people where they are and will always work with them and their key workers to build a realistic plan around their ambitions.

We have rejected less than 5% of cases in our history so far.

Due to our lean team and collaborative approach, our support costs an average of just £1,319 per person in 2022/23.

This approach has resulted in 86% of our clients maintaining their move out of homelessness after our support.

We work with partner charities to deliver our support, leveraging and complementing their local knowledge and strong existing relationships with clients.

Our approach is very simple. Individuals experiencing homelessness and their support workers tell us themselves what will be effective in supporting them out of homelessness. We listen and provide the cash to fund it. Cash works and we have the evidence to prove it.

How it works

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.

Partner Charities Refer Clients To Greater Change

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.

We Work Collaboratively To Agree On What Will Be Funded

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 Raised And Released

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.

We Measure The Impact Of The Funding

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.

What our partners say

Paul
Major Donor Supporting Greater Change

For several years I have been interested in how direct cash transfers can help those struggling with the challenges of homelessness. I had many questions - who? how? when? impact? - and when I came across Greater Change, I found a committed group of people who had asked and answered these questions.

Greater Change reaches those in need through existing partner networks, so there’s no duplication of effort. They have shown that direct cash transfers can have a really positive impact on recipients' circumstances, and they’re committed to an evidence based approach that will ultimately help change perception and public policy.

Having looked at Greater Change’s operations, governance, plans and ambitions, I have made a significant donation to the Greater Change Foundation to help advance their work, to provide direct cash transfer funding, and to encourage other donations through matched funding.

Katie
Aspire Oxfordshire

"Through Greater Change, clients have been able to move into an empty property and purchase the items that are needed to eat, sleep and feel safe. Greater Change makes us feel supported when we have exhausted all other options and we don't want to give up. When there was nowhere else to go, Greater Change reached out and helped to secure the future."

Paul Wilding
Rough Sleeping & Single Homeless Manager Oxford City Council

Oxford City Council are delighted to be renewing its relationship with Greater Change in 2022/23. The impact of Greater change is clear to see for the Council. Not only have previous funding awards been more than matched by Greater Change’s fundraising model, but they also provide meaningful data on how people have been supported to resolve or prevent homelessness.

Paul Morrish
Chief Executive of LandAid

When talking about the crisis of homelessness, it can be easy sometimes to forget that we are talking not just about statistics, but about the lives, the hopes, the dreams and the ambitions of countless individual people.

Greater Change’s approach makes such oversights impossible. It is a tried and tested way of connecting people who can and want to give, to people who need financial help. And it works.

At LandAid, we try to support initiatives that have an evidence base to them – it's one of the reasons we champion the End it with Evidence campaign – so we’re delighted to have partnered with Greater Change to provide funds for individual donations to young people facing homelessness. And thanks to Greater Change’s robust methodology, we’re confident that these funds will have an immediate, direct and powerful impact on the lives of the people we’re here to help.

Live Campaigns

Meet Lisa

"Lisa has been a pleasure to work with as she’s grown into the person she wanted to be. She’s very supportive and encouraging to others. She has now been offered a chance to build her own home through local council housing support, but needs funding to make it a reality. " - Barry Bell, Aspire Support Worker

GOAL:£1000

FAQs

Where does Greater Change get money from?

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.

Who does Greater Change support?

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.

How do people access Greater Change’s support?

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.

What can people apply for?

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.

What happens if people don't want to appear on the Greater Change platform?

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.

Why are some profiles anonymous?

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.

I can't choose who I want to fund. How can I fund more than one person?

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.

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Up to 215 monthly donations of £36 (just under £9 per week) or over will be matched 1:1, thanks to the generosity of three of our donors.

This matching will automatically be applied for any monthly donation started before 31st December 2024.

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