Launch your career in community grantmaking.

£25,000 job, mentoring and full professional development programme
– apply today

Introducing 2027

The grant-giving sector is responsible for providing £12.9bn of funding each year, to people and organisations to help them run projects that positively impact the community.  It’s a sector that is good at speaking about and tackling social inequality, and the value of all people in bringing about social change.  But it’s also a sector that recognises the need to hire and develop people with more diverse perspectives who have lived or worked in the kind of communities they seek to help.

And so 2027 exists as a programme to achieve this: to hire, develop and support anybody passionate about forging a career that helps them serve communities through grant-giving, and has some lived experience of being “working-class” and working in the community.  If you’re looking to develop a career with more influence on enacting change, this could be the opportunity for you.

[2027 has been] authentic and developmental in every sense of the word. If I had to pick [my] best part, mentorship would be it. My mentor is always available to speak with me and offers words of guidance and wisdom as I navigate my first year in the grant-making sector.

Yvonne, 2027 Associate, Esmeé Fairbairn

12-month job

At the heart of 2027 is a paid 12-month job at a leading foundation or trust.  A foundation or trust is a grant-making organisation, a charity that provides funding to give to other individuals or organisations, to enable them to run projects that positively impact the community.   As part of the programme, you’ll be employed full time in a grant-making or related role, with one of our dynamic host Foundations or Trust organisations across the UK.  You’ll deliver brilliant work to improve the communities they serve whilst receiving a salary over the year of £25,000. For more information you can download our brochure – click here.

Professional development programme

Alongside your placement you will take part in an acclaimed development programme, through which you will work with each other and partner organisations, on your own development and leadership in the context of the grant making sector. The programme focuses on the self, the sector and community. It is designed to support you not only to translate all your experience and ability into performing in your new job, but also to help you understand, explore and ultimately be part of changing the funding sector.  For more information you can download our brochure – click here.

Career progression

At the end of the 12-month programme, you will have the experience, skills and knowledge to prepare for a decision-making position in a foundation or trust and to influence real change in communities.  

At the heart of 2027 is a paid 12-month job at a leading foundation or trust.  

Our employers

In your new job in grant-making, you’ll be working for one of our highly regarded Foundation & Trust partners – grant-making organisation responsible for providing funding to other individuals or organisations, to enable them to run projects that positively impact the community.

In the last 4 years, more than 20 Foundations or Trusts have taken part in 2027 and some examples include Children in Need, National Lottery Community Fund, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Sport England, City Bridge Trust and NHS Community Trust

My personal and professional experience…is valued and I am encouraged to share my insights in decision making conversations

Maeve, 2027 Associate, Children In Need

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for people who:

1. are passionate about serving communities and interested in taking the next step in your career, to work towards developing your influence in deciding how funding is spent.  

2. have at least 2 years of experience working directly in the community in any frontline position, whether in a job or as a volunteer.  You might, for example, be a teaching assistant, nurse practitioner, PCSO, community worker or volunteer, young offending panelist or any similar role where you have direct contact with your community.

3. self identify as being from a working-class community, because we want you to bring that lived experience to the job.

Find out more about the things we think will be really important to your success on the programme that we think about when we’re assessing candidates, by clicking here to download our brochure.

Who can apply for 2027?

Our 2027 Associates are from all backgrounds but they’re usually people passionate about taking some frontline experience, looking for a fresh challenge and stepping up their contribution on a broader scale. They want to develop their careers, and they want to help communities to thrive:

We’ve welcomed former community volunteers, community nurses, PCSOs, childcare workers, recent graduates with voluntary experience, young offending team workers, carers, appropriate adults, charity workers, healthcare assistants and many more.

Apply today!

Our application form asks just three key questions
so we can find out more about you. 

Timeline

Apply

Shortlisting

Assessment Centre

Matched to employer

Placement start

13th Feb – 4th Apr 2024

Apr 2024

May – Jun 2024

July – August 2024

October 2024

Apply now

Apply

Applications are open soon and close on 4th April 2024.

Click here to apply

Find out more

If you have any questions about 2027, you can email:

2027@koreo.co

Information session

You can watch a recording of our information session led by the team.

Click here to watch

For more information about how we use your data, please access our Privacy Notice here.