Long-term commitment
We support work with the potential to grow and strengthen over time
Our work
The Wood Foundation supports long-term change in different places, in different ways, always shaped by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
Different contexts, shared commitment
The Wood Foundation’s work spans Scotland and Africa, shaped by the people, places and opportunities at the heart of each.
In Scotland, the Foundation supports education, communities and regional opportunity through funding, programmes and partnerships. In Africa, it uses venture philanthropy to strengthen enterprises, industries and livelihoods in ways that can become commercially sustainable and socially valuable.
What connects this work is not a single model, but a shared commitment: to stay close to the opportunity, work with people who understand the context and support change that can continue to grow over time.
A shared approach
Practical involvement
We bring more than funding, staying close enough to understand what is needed and where support can add value
Shared ambition
We work with people and partners who bring the same commitment to making things happen, uniting around the belief that lasting change is possible
Learning as we go
We are willing to back ambitious ideas, measure what matters, and learn from both progress and challenge
A commitment to meaningful impact
The Wood Foundation is driven by the desire to make a positive, lasting difference. That means being ambitious in what we support, but also thoughtful about how we understand the change our work helps create.
We take impact seriously. We want to know what happens beyond the point of funding or delivery - focusing on how lives, organisations, communities and enterprises are affected in the years that follow.
Our approach is proportionate, robust, credible and useful. It helps us gather evidence, learn from what is working and be honest about where progress takes time or where things do not go as planned.
That matters because meaningful change often involves risk. The Wood Foundation is willing to back ambitious ideas where the potential for impact is strong, and we see learning as part of that responsibility.
“What excites me about impact is the long view. It is not just about what happens in year one, but what we can understand three, five or even more years later — how an investment has changed lives, what has grown from it, and what we can learn along the way.
That includes being honest about what does not work. The Foundation has an appetite to back ambitious ideas, and with that comes a responsibility to learn deeply from both progress and challenge.”
Discover more from The Wood Foundation
Find out more about the people, projects and ideas bringing our work to life.
Our story so far
The key moments, decisions and people that have shaped The Wood Foundation from 2007 to today.
Our people
The Wood Foundation is shaped by the people who guide, manage and deliver its work across Scotland and Africa
Stories
Explore stories from across The Wood Foundation’s work - from young people and educators to communities, partners and or…