Founded in 2018, the Economic Change Unit (ECU) is a lean, agile, people-centred  non-profit organisation focused on convening and campaigning for economic systems change. 
We work to ensure that economic policy is grounded in the latest robust economic analysis and rises to the scale and urgency of modern economic, social and environmental challenges.

We are a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales as Strategy and Communications Group Ltd (Company number 11566573).


The UK’s current economic model is profoundly unjust, unsustainable and vulnerable to crisis.

It drives a complex web of harms in the UK and around the globe:

  • Poverty, destitution and the disempowerment of communities
  • Growing inequality and the concentration of wealth and power 
  • The destruction of nature and ecosystems, increasingly severe climate impacts like flooding and wildfires, and the growing and imminent threat of climate catastrophe.
  • The weakening of democracy, and growing corruption, social polarisation, xenophobia, and hate.

This model is hurting people and communities here in the UK and also many people and communities across the global South. This is because of the UK’s colonial history, and the role of our government in preserving an international system which enables the ongoing exploitation and extraction of wealth from countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Our vision is of a world where everyone has the freedom and security to live a good life

We see that as a world where economies deliver: 

  • Fairness - with power and resources distributed justly between people, regions, and nations.
  • Sustainability - with ecosystems protected, the climate stabilised, and planetary boundaries respected.
  • Prosperity - where all people and communities have the resources they need to flourish and live a good life.
  • Resilience - with robust collective systems to protect us all when challenges arise. 

Our focus is on ensuring economic policy is grounded in the latest robust economic analysis and rises to the scale and urgency of modern economic, social and environmental challenges.

We build understanding and support for ‘new economy’ thinking in politics and society, and work to strengthen the movement of people and organisations who share the goal of economic systems change.

The core values which guide us are:
  • Humility - To be most effective, we believe we need to be brave, humble, patient, and low ego: constantly reflecting, seeking feedback, and not being afraid to fail.
  • Solidarity
- Our commitment to fairness is a proactive one – meaning we work in an ongoing way to challenge injustice and to dismantle systems of oppression.
  • Kindness - We are committed to assuming best intentions, treating everyone with kindness and care, and working to build understanding and bridges across difference.
  • Collaboration - We believe we will only win the change we seek if we build broad based, powerful alliances with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

We aim to fully embody these values in our individual behaviours, our team culture, our  organisational activities, and our ways of working with external stakeholders. 

Installing solar panels
We are a not-for-profit company and receive all of our funding from charitable and philanthropic trusts and foundations.

Our current funders are listed below. We are extremely grateful for their support.

Our main expenditure is on the salaries of our staff team. In 2023 our break-down of expenditure was as follows:

  • Salaries: 65%
  • Activities: 27%
  • Operations: 8%

We are committed to ensuring the highest salary in our structure is no more than 3 times the lowest. The 2024 ratio between highest and lowest salary is 1.7.

Further information on our finances can be found in our Annual Report & Accounts: