The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
Human rights & advocacy
Independent, sustainably funded organisations are the lifeblood of a healthy democracy. They give voice to those who are too often unheard, hold those in power to account, and defend the rights of the most marginalised in our society. This work is not a luxury; it is fundamental to the kind of fair, just, and equal Scotland that we all want to see.
Yet the organisations delivering this vital work do so within a funding landscape that is short-term, uncertain, and frequently fails to provide the stability and security they need. Much of the funding available is tied to specific projects and delivered on an annual basis, with little support for core costs and few multi-year commitments. This instability is particularly damaging for advocacy and human rights work, which depends on continuity, independence, and the ability to plan and campaign over the long-term.
There is also a specific and troubling challenge facing organisations engaged in advocacy and campaigning work: a reluctance among some funders to support this kind of activity at all. Yet holding power to account, campaigning for change, and defending human rights are exactly the kinds of work that a healthy democracy depends upon, and they must be properly and sustainably funded.
The instability created by the current funding landscape undermines the independence that is so essential to human rights and advocacy work. It makes it difficult for organisations to plan ahead, to retain skilled and experienced staff, and to speak truth to power without fear of the funding consequences. And it places enormous strain on the people delivering this vital work.
Fair Funding would provide the stability and security that human rights and advocacy organisations need to continue their essential work, protecting rights, holding power to account, and giving voice to the most marginalised in our society. This is fundamental to a healthy, functioning democracy, and it must be protected.
We lose great people
A healthy, functioning democracy depends on a strong, independent civil society, one that can give voice to the voiceless, defend the rights of the marginalised, and hold those in power to account. In Scotland, the voluntary sector plays exactly this role, with organisations across the country working to protect and promote human rights, provide independent advocacy, and campaign for the changes needed to build a fairer, more just society.
But this essential work, so fundamental to our democracy, is placed at risk by a funding landscape that provides neither the stability, the security, nor the independence that human rights and advocacy organisations need. Short-term, project-based funding, a lack of support for core costs, and a reluctance among some funders to support advocacy and campaigning work all combine to undermine the ability of these organisations to do what they do best.
“We lose great people because we simply can’t offer them the security they need,” explains an organisation working to protect and promote human rights. “The short-term funding means constant uncertainty, and skilled, experienced staff understandably move on to more secure roles elsewhere.”
“There’s a real reluctance among some funders to support advocacy and campaigning work,” admits an advocacy organisation. “Yet holding power to account is exactly what a healthy democracy needs. Without funding for this work, those voices are lost.”
“The lack of core funding is a constant challenge,” adds an organisation defending the rights of marginalised communities. “Funders want to support projects, but the essential work that underpins everything we do is left dangerously underfunded.”
The implementation of Fair Funding would allow human rights and advocacy organisations to move away from this instability, providing the security and independence needed to plan ahead, retain skilled staff, and continue their essential work of protecting rights, holding power to account, and giving voice to the most marginalised in our society.
“Fair Funding would give us the stability and independence we need to do our job properly,” says the human rights organisation. “It would allow us to retain our people, plan for the long-term, and continue holding power to account, which is exactly what a healthy democracy depends upon.”
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA)
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) is the national intermediary organisation for independent advocacy in Scotland. Working to promote, support, and defend the principles and practice of independent advocacy, the organisation plays a crucial role in ensuring that people across Scotland, particularly those who are most vulnerable or marginalised, are able to have their voices heard and their rights protected. Independent advocacy is a vital safeguard, helping people to understand their rights, express their views, and participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
The work of the SIAA is essential to the health of Scotland’s human rights landscape. By supporting and strengthening independent advocacy across the country, the organisation helps to ensure that people are able to access the advocacy support they need, whether they are navigating the health and social care system, the justice system, or any other setting in which their rights and interests may be at stake. Independent advocacy is particularly important for people who may struggle to have their voices heard, including those experiencing mental ill health, learning disabilities, or other forms of vulnerability.
Like so many organisations across the sector, however, the SIAA operates within a funding landscape that presents significant and ongoing challenges. Short-term and uncertain funding makes it difficult to plan ahead with confidence, while a lack of support for core costs places strain on the essential infrastructure that underpins all of the organisation’s work. As an intermediary organisation, the SIAA plays a vital role in supporting the wider advocacy sector, yet this kind of infrastructure work can be particularly difficult to fund.
The instability created by this funding environment has a real impact, not only on the SIAA itself but on the wider independent advocacy sector that it supports. The uncertainty makes it difficult to retain skilled, experienced staff, undermines the ability to plan and develop the sector over the long-term, and diverts valuable time and resources away from the core work of promoting and supporting independent advocacy across Scotland.
For the SIAA, the implementation of Fair Funding – including multi-year funding and greater support for core and infrastructure costs – would provide the stability and security needed to continue its vital work. It would allow the organisation to plan ahead, retain experienced staff, and continue supporting and strengthening the independent advocacy that is so essential to protecting the rights and voices of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.