About us
We are a not-for-profit research organisation, working with communities, organisations and policymakers.
We support locally-led action, building knowledge around the issues people tell us they care about. We work collaboratively to improve lives and address shared challenges, driving social change for stronger communities and a fairer future.
Our founder, the social researcher and innovator Michael Young, laid down The Young Foundation’s roots in 1954. We have a long and a proud history of community-led innovation, incubating more than 80 new organisations – including The Open University, The School for Social Entrepreneurs, Year Here, Social Innovation Exchange, and many others.
The Young Foundation is devoted to fighting inequality through trailblazing research and by working with communities. Their ethos of ‘doing with’ people – rather than people ‘being done to’ – is vital. They have a cracking track record of creating and supporting the scaling-up of social innovations that have really made a difference to people’s lives.
Lord John Bird, Editor in Chief, the Big Issue