Democratic Finance Scotland

Democratic Finance Scotland Democratic Finance Scotland is a programme of support, run by DTAS, for community led organisations to explore alternative methods of finance and funding.

Money is sourced from local people & businesses & used locally to grow community enterprises. Democratic Finance Scotland is a programme of support, run by the Development Trusts Association Scotland, for community led organisations to explore and use alternative methods of raising finance and funding. Specifically, methods where the money is:
• sourced locally from everyday people and local busin

esses
• used locally to start or grow community enterprises or purchase sustainable community assets

We currently support community organisations to explore and use the following democratic finance methods:
• Community shares
• Community bonds
• Local legacy giving
• Donation based crowdfunding

📢 We’re excited to share a new study by the Centre for Local Economies exploring the potential for a Scottish Community ...
05/05/2026

📢 We’re excited to share a new study by the Centre for Local Economies exploring the potential for a Scottish Community Wealth Fund - a bold and internationally unique proposal to ensure communities across Scotland benefit from the renewable energy transition.

Commissioned by the Scottish Community Coalition on Energy (Development Trusts Association Scotland, Community Energy Scotland, Community Land Scotland) this is an important step in rethinking how Scotland’s natural resources can deliver lasting, community-led benefits.

Read the summary and full study here:

Scottish Community Wealth Fund – Feasibility Study23 April 2026Scotland’s transition to a net zero economy presents a historic opportunity to ensure that the benefits of renewable energy are shared equitably among communities. Building on the Scottish Government’s commitment to Community Wealt...

We’re excited to share a practical guide to crowdfunding, produced in partnership with the New Futures: Former Places of...
09/04/2026

We’re excited to share a practical guide to crowdfunding, produced in partnership with the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme at Community Ownership Support Service, Development Trusts Association Scotland.

This resource is designed for community groups in Scotland considering taking ownership of a former place of worship, but it can also support groups raising funds for the acquisition or renovation of other community assets.

Crowdfunding is one of the many democratic finance methods our team supports. If your community is considering a crowdfunding campaign, or exploring other democratic finance options, get in touch! [email protected]

Read the full resource here:

COSS’s New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme and Democratic Finance Scotland have jointly produced a Churches Crowdfunder Guide, to provide practical guidance, key steps, and examples of how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign, with a specific focus on communities acquiring or reno...

07/08/2025

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