The Foundations aims to focus its charitable investments towards strategic initiatives that will strengthen and scale up registered not-for-profit organisations that are widely recognised as making an impact in their sector.
As an investor, we look for organisations that can demonstrate a sound strategy, a resilient business model with a broad base of revenue streams and high calibre management. We examine the context and market that organisations work in, we seek to understand the needs of their stakeholders and beneficiaries and we look for an independently evaluated evidence base of positive outcomes.
We look for projects that offer the potential to transform an organisation’s ability to achieve its mission. We examine the strategy which the project supports and we look for significant funding from other sources. In our due diligence, we seek evidence of a detailed implementation plan, a credible budget which demonstrates value for money and a plan for performance management and evaluation.
We seek to make investments that have significant potential for measurable return, wider leverage and fundamental, lasting change.
SCALE OF ORGANISATION AND PROJECT
Grants are generally made only to organisations with an annual operating budget in excess of £250,000 (or local currency equivalent).
Grants are normally made towards significant, transformational projects with a total budget of £50,000 or more. Grants are one-off investments; they are rarely awarded for, or across, multiple years and will not normally be awarded to the same organisation in successive years.
To read more about the guidelines, please click here.
HOW TO APPLY
UK ORGANISATIONS
Our preference is to learn more about your request through an initial online enquiry process. Please select the link below to access our online enquiry process:
NON-UK ORGANISATIONS
Please download our enquiry form here, complete and return by email to [email protected]
Should you require additional clarification regarding our grant-making criteria or process prior to submitting an enquiry you may contact us by telephone on +44 (0) 173 277 7364.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We will aim to acknowledge your enquiry within 1-2 weeks of receiving it.
There are no deadlines for submitting enquiries. The Foundation reviews enquiries on a year-round, rolling basis. Due to the volume of requests and the diligence of our full review process, grant decisions can take time. We suggest that applicants factor six months into their overall funding and project plans.
Typically the initial review process will take between 6-8 weeks. You should expect to hear from us within that time to advise whether you will be invited to proceed with a full application.
If you are invited to submit a full application, Foundation staff will request additional information and possibly a site visit to better familiarise themselves with the organisation, its management team and the project proposal.
Upon completion of a proposal review, a Grant Manager develops a funding recommendation which is reviewed with the Foundation’s Trustees. You will then be notified as to whether or not your funding request has been successful.
