Funding Socials: Meet Funders, Find New Resources & Connect with Your Peers

Funding Socials is an inspiring in-person event series designed for charity and social enterprise leaders looking for fresh ideas and connections to help boost income generation.

Our session in the Edinburgh will be held in Out of the Blue. You will have the chance to hear directly from both Funders and a local organisation working to raise funds.

The event is designed to help you cross the divide and connect with both funders and new peers, who can help you on your journey.

Please tell us a bit more information about you and your organisation within the registration, so we can match you up to potential funding, investment and support opportunities during the Funding Socials event.

Jane Bruce of Brilliant Leaders will facilitate the session with the aim of creating an informal and accessible event.

We are delighted to welcome along guest speakers and funders from across the third sector ecosystem including:

• Conor Cross, Foundation Scotland
• Lauren Scott, Firstport
• Nick Addlington, William Grant Foundation
• Laura Bedford, Development Officer– Democratic Finance Programme
• Development Trusts Association Scotland
• Mary Porter, KPE4.

Along with our guest speakers Kieran Daly, Head of Market Building at Social Investment Scotland will examine the support and funds they offer charities and social enterprises and be ready to answer any questions you have.

You will be given a warm welcome with teas and coffees on arrival and the session will close with a light lunch, where you will have the chance to mix with funders and peers and make some new connections.

The hosts for this session are:

Jane Bruce, Brilliant Leaders

Jane is the Founder of Brilliant Leaders, a social business which offers coaching and development programmes to leaders and teams with a social purpose. Jane is a former charity/social enterprise CEO, accredited Executive Coach and experienced facilitator.

Before setting up Brilliant Leaders, Jane was Chief Executive of Social Bite in Scotland. In this role, Jane led a team of 100+ staff and 90 volunteers to run a chain of social enterprise cafes, mass fundraising events and innovative housing programmes. Previously, Jane was Chief Executive of Venture Scotland, which provides a wilderness-based development programme to young people facing tough challenges.

Alongside Brilliant Leaders, Jane is a qualified football coach having previously played football in the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

and Kieran Daly, Head of Market Building, Social Investment Scotland

Kieran Daly is Head of Market Building at Social Investment Scotland (SIS) and part of its senior leadership team, leading on all Market Building income generation, programme delivery, and business development to support social enterprises across Scotland. His career spans senior roles in enterprise, investment, and the arts, including Country Manager (Scotland) at Big Issue Invest, where he managed a £1.5m early-stage fund, and Chief Operating Officer/Deputy CEO at FoodCycle in London, where he scaled its social café model nationwide.

He is currently a Board Member at Impact Arts and a long-standing Board Member and former Interim Chair of Social Enterprise Scotland, with previous trustee roles at Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) and MsMissMrs CIC. A Glasgow School of Art graduate, Kieran is passionate about building ecosystems that enable mission-led organisations to thrive. A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, he combines creativity with strategic leadership to support organisations tackling social challenges across Scotland and beyond.

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