THE SOCIAL LEADERSHIP PROJECT

By investing in people who lead social change, the country will become more fair and joyful, prosperous and sustainable.There’s no time to waste. Inequity is entrenched, and many people feel systems are rigged against them. The market is not delivering enough affordable homes or secure, well-paid jobs, especially for young people. In many places, public services are stretched to the limit and powerful forces of polarisation and division are threatening community cohesion. The country also faces major transitions - in climate, technology and the future of the economy - which need to be carefully navigated.At times like this the right kind of leadership is at a premium: leadership that is bold and imaginative, that can turn frustration into aspiration, pain into hope, timidity into action. Leaders who are as diverse as the communities they work in, those with many years of experience and those just starting out. Not simply heroic individuals working alone, but collective leadership that draws on the contributions of many kinds of leaders acting across different places and sectors: social entrepreneurs, leaders of charities, community organisers and campaigners, and many more.The country needs a wave of social leadership - more people, in more places, with the support they need to create change. People with the power to go beyond fixing problems to changing systems for the better.

About the Project
In 2025 we began gathering insight into what it's like to lead social change today, the kind of leadership development provision which is currently available and the barriers some leaders face in accessing relevant opportunities.Since January 2026, the Social Leadership Project has been backed by four core funding partners who recognise the need for long-term, significant investment in social leadership in the UK: Henry Smith Foundation, Collective Futures, This Day Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund.System Shift is the initiative's strategy and learning partner. They have been working with these partners to build on the insights from the first phase, exploring how to strengthen and grow the ecosystem of support for leaders and unlock the potential of leadership as a force for social change across the country.In the spring we developed and tested a vision and emerging strategy, and across summer and autumn 2026, we are initiating five, connected ‘exploratory projects’ through which the Social Leadership Project is starting to test, learn, and ensure funding flows to the field.Find out more by reading the Emerging Strategy and some Frequently Asked Questions about the Social Leadership Project.

New Funding Opportunity
The ‘Backing Leaders Directly’ exploratory project opened for Expressions of Interest on 17th August, closing on 14th September at midday. This exploratory project will:

We're looking to fund a diverse portfolio of 8-10 organisations with a proven track record of reaching leaders who are underserved by existing development opportunities, and/or underrepresented in leadership roles.Find out more about this opportunity in the materials linked below.

• Invitation to Submit an Expression of Interest
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Expression of Interest Online Form

Research Insights
In March 2025, the insight gathering phase of the Social Leadership Project was started by an initial group of funders with a shared interest in social leadership, including Collective Futures, Hg Foundation and the Henry Smith Foundation.System Shift led this work to gather insight into the current state of the field and scope the potential for funders to collaborate in order to invest in and strengthen the social leadership ecosystem as a whole.In this phase, we heard from leaders what it’s like to lead social change today, what leadership development provision they make use of and what barriers they face in accessing relevant opportunities. With the input of providers, we built a picture of the current landscape - the kinds of programmes on offer, examples of best practice, and the business models that sustain them.Read our paper summarising these insights here.

Get Involved
The partners are committed to working openly, testing their approach, and learning through action. We are continuing to create opportunities for others to share their expertise and shape the way forward.If you are a funder who is interested in working collaboratively to support social leaders, get in touch with us.If you are a social leader looking for opportunities to grow your skills, try out this AI-powered learning and development navigator tool. It’s a free ChatGPT channel that helps social leaders discover relevant training, mentorship and development opportunities.If you are a provider of leadership development, check out the Collective Leadership Group, a collective of more than 50 organisations that work across the UK that build capacity for leaders and enterprises dedicated to advancing social and environmental change.

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The Social Leadership Project is a collaborative initiative supported by four core funding partners: Henry Smith Foundation, Collective Futures, This Day Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund. System Shift is the initiative's learning and strategy partner.