The easiest way to describe ‘pay it forward’ is that when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass it on to another person instead. We have created the Pay It Forward Fund so that you can pass the love and compassion you received from us to people who face financial difficulties and cannot join our experiences without the support of others.

Our Pay It Forward Fund assumes that a £15,000 investment will cover the cost of one experience place per year in perpetuity:

1. £15,000 invested in an independently-managed fund with a 7% return will provide £1,050 income for the Foundation.

2. £1,050 minus the cost of the experience will be re-invested into the fund to keep pace with inflation, cover administration, maintenance and management costs, and promote fund growth.

3. All participants will be asked to make a minimum 10% contribution to participate in our experiences; and to pay what they can afford above that.

We are delighted to confirm that we have already raised £15,000 - enough for one person per year to participate in our experiences in perpetuity.

Our goal in 2025 is to secure £150,000 in donations, enabling 10 people per year to participate in our experiences in perpetuity.

Our next goal will be to grow the Pay It Forward Fund to £1.5 million, enabling 100 people per year to participate in our experiences in perpetuity.

Our Pay It Forward Fund will be managed by an independent financial advisory firm who will ensure the fund is professionally managed, with a focus on maximising growth while adhering to ethical investment principles. The selected firm will be registered with and regulated by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This will ensure compliance with the following:

• Prudent Management: Investment strategies will focus on long-term growth while managing risks, with a diversified portfolio that aligns with ethical standards in keeping with the Findhorn Foundation SCIO’s values.

• Reporting Obligations: The fund manager will be required to report regularly to the board of trustees and OSCR, ensuring transparency in fund performance, income generation, and expenditure.

• Ethical Investment Criteria: Investments will be made in line with the ethical values of the Findhorn Foundation SCIO, ensuring no exposure to industries or activities counter to the Foundation’s principles (e.g., fossil fuels, arms trade).

Funds will be dispersed equitably through a transparent application and selection process. Individuals wishing to be considered for financial support from the Pay It Forward Fund will submit an application through our website, detailing the programme they wish to attend, how much they are able to contribute towards the cost, and how participation will benefit their personal and community development.

A Findhorn Foundation committee including our CEO, Director of Experiences and leading contributors to the Pay It Forward Fund will take each application into attunement. All applicants will be anonymised to ensure fairness. To ensure transparency and accountability, all decisions will be reported to our trustees and, with prior permission from each recipient, on our website. All Pay It Forward recipients will be encouraged to document their experiences and learning, and to share these with our supporters through our website.