Category: News

We had 53 responses to the survey we conducted earlier this year. We’re publishing the results in full – both for transparency and so we can say thank you to everyone who put time into sharing their perspectives.

The positive feedback was very encouraging; the less positive will help us reflect on what we can do differently. You told us that:

Understanding of our focus on democracy is clear.  JRRT is strongly associated with democratic reform and work to strengthen the democracy sector, as well as civil liberties, and voter participation.

Rating JRRT, 22% regarded JRRT as expert, 80% positive about our level of understanding.  47% rated JRRT as a major influence in their field and 60% scored the Trust as having significant positive impact.  All were significant improvements on the 2017 survey.

On what JRRT priorities should be, the highest top weighted rankings were strengthening the democracy sector (18%); transparency and accountability (14%); and democratic engagement 13%.

The application process is seen as fast (85%) and easy to use (79%). Three out of four applicants do not feel under pressure to modify priorities and 66% felt extremely comfortable approaching the Trust if there were a problem.  But feedback emerged as an area where we can improve.

Capacity: Two thirds of grantees say that a JRRT grant has contributed to building their financial sustainability – and perhaps unsurprisingly grants for capacity building were the top choice for support (20%), followed by opportunities to network or collaborate and opportunities to take part in events and seminars (both 14%), access to London office space (13%) and introductions to parliamentarians in their field (12%).

Strengthening the democracy sector: top choices were for commissioning research to support campaigning (13%), mapping the sector and open resources on who’s who, academics, funders, parliamentarians (12%), polling (10%) and strategic communications (9%).

The Board will be considering the survey results as we set priorities for 2021 and beyond.

To read a full breakdown of our survey results, please click here to download a PDF of the detailed figures and all submitted open comments.

It was with great sadness that JRRT learned of the death on 30 October 2020 of our friend and colleague David Shutt, Lord Shutt of Greetland OBE.

David joined the board of JRRT, then known as the Joseph Rowntree Social Services Trust, in 1975. He gave great service to the Trust as one of our longest-standing and most influential directors, overseeing our finances and helping to guide our political direction throughout his tenure. He served as Chair from 2007 to 2010. Throughout his service, his firm Quaker beliefs and Liberal principles helped keep the Trust moving along the lines set out for us in 1904 by our founder, Joseph Rowntree. David played a key role in the Power Inquiry (a joint project with the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust) and kept the Trust focussed on the purity of elections, including voter registration and party funding reform; causes that remain central to the work of JRRT’s grantees today.

In 2000, David was appointed as a working peer, and served as Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats on International Development and then Northern Ireland, as well as Liberal Democrat Deputy Whip in the Lords, and then Chief Whip. When the Coalition Government was created in May 2010, David was appointed to a ministerial position as the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords.

David resigned from the Trust’s board in 2010 when he went into government, but remained an active, valued and vocal advocate of JRRT as a member of the company. His commitment, kindness and humour were much valued and will be greatly missed.

JRRT sponsors the annual David & Goliath Award at the SMK National Campaigner Awards in memory of David.