Breakdown of Scottish Government funding to faith and belief groups and organisations in Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for "I wasn't aware that faith and belief groups, organisations, communities were in receipt of Scottish Government funding. I'd appreciate if you could give me a breakdown of Scottish Government funding to faith and belief groups and organisations in Scotland? For example, is there any direct funding to these organisations? Or is funding provided through third parties"

Response

The Scottish Government provide funding to faith and belief organisations to provide specific projects in relation to faith and belief issues. The funding is provided directly from the Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Division at Scottish Government. The Scottish Government continues to support interfaith engagement work, as well as supporting faith and belief partners to help build inclusive, resilient and cohesive communities across Scotland. We provide funding to promote interfaith dialogue and support faith and belief communities across the country. The Scottish Government does not fund faith based organisations to be or build faith communities, but only to fund discrete projects to meet a particular need or overcome a barrier to equality of outcome or opportunity for a particular faith group.

Faith and Belief organisations can also apply for funding for a variety of projects through Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Funding - SCVO which manages funds for the Scottish Government. Details of organisations who have received funding through the Scottish Government Equality & Human Rights funding can be found at Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The following faith and belief organisations currently receive direct funding from the Scottish Government:

• Interfaith Scotland - Received £145,000 for the year 2023/2024
• Interfaith Glasgow - Received £50,000 for the year 2023-2024
• Edinburgh Interfaith Association - Received £50,000 for the year 2023-202
• Faith in Community Dundee - Received £40,000 for the year 2023-2024
• Scottish Council of Jewish Communities - Received £50,000 for the year 2023-2024

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.