Grantmaking for poverty and trauma in Scotland, with Jim McCormick, CEO of The Robertson Trust

Jim McCormick, Chief Executive of the Robertson Trust, joins Alex Blake to talk through how Scotland's largest independent grantmaker actually makes decisions. Jim walks through what happens to an application from the moment it lands, who assesses it and how, and the four decision frames the Trust applies as awards get bigger. He talks candidly about the shift toward unrestricted funding, now at almost 60% of open grants, and why some charities still choose project funding even when core funding is on offer. The conversation also covers pooled funding models gaining traction across Scotland, the Trust's Funder Plus support, and what's changing as application volumes rise and AI-generated applications become more common. This episode is a useful listen for anyone applying to Scottish trusts and foundations, and for funders thinking about how to build more trust and flexibility into their own processes.