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Major Grants

As an independent, endowed foundation we have the freedom to plan and fund for the long term, with the flexibility to respond to the here and now. And as the operating environment for the people that we support feels increasingly fractured, we feel the need to act and think about how and where our resources can go furthest in helping to overcome disadvantage and inequality.

Trustees have chosen to respond by starting to award more major grants to key organisations that are seen as critical and influential. Each organisation has national impact and reach and has shown creativity, innovation and resilience in their work. These gifts will help to build on strong relationships and deep knowledge of the sectors in which these organisations operate and, we hope, will provide them with the support they need to do even more.

Major Grants have been made to the following three organisations totalling £7.5 million. Our wish is that new approach to funding will provide long term stability, helping to secure the future wellbeing of the organisations we are supporting and crucially the communities and people that they serve.

Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS)
£200,000 per year for ten years

To underpin the work of the Directors for the Global Exchange on Migration and Diversity and Migration Observatory with a ten-year grant, index-linked to mitigate the impact of inflation.

The Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) is a multi-disciplinary migration research centre based at the University of Oxford. Established in 2003 within the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, it has an international reputation for undertaking research and generating new evidence and analysis on migration and integration issues.

Coram
£4 million endowment funding

A contribution to Coram’s existing endowment fund to support work on children’s rights and children’s voice.

Founded in 1739, Coram has a vision for every child to have the best possible chance to live a fulfilling life. The organisation supports children and young people from their earliest days to make often difficult transitions to adulthood. Their work focuses on children whose rights are jeopardised, children who are without their birth parents because they were abused or neglected; and children who have fled conflict to seek safe haven in our communities.

Koestler Trust
£150,000 per year for ten years

To underpin the national work of the organisation with prisoners and their families with a ten-year grant, index-linked to mitigate the impact of inflation.

The Koestler Trust is a national organisation which plays a unique role in motivating offenders to take part and achieve in the arts, and in showcasing this art to the public. They encourage ex-offenders to change their lives through taking part in the arts, and challenge negative preconceptions of what ex-offenders are capable of. In recent years, they have significantly increased the range, reach and impact of their activities, ensuring that creativity remains present across the British criminal justice system.

These three organisations join a portfolio which includes previous Major Grants recipients:

Major Grants are awarded at the discretion of Trustees and are considered by invitation only.