Grantmaking approach

Building on our experience of over 100 years of grantmaking as Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, we know that effective philanthropy means finding the right balance:

• Meeting immediate needs while also backing long-term systemic change that removes barriers and builds resilience.

• Supporting urgent service delivery where it matters, while also investing in the “scaffolding” — the relationships, leadership, and infrastructure — that enable lasting change.

• Funding research and evidence that not only shapes policy and practice, but is rooted in community priorities and accountable to those most affected.

• Exploring community-owned assets and new financing models that shift benefit and opportunity back into community hands.

This isn’t an either/or. As our grants program evolves we will seek to fund across horizons — from responding to pressing needs through to long-term field-building. In practice this means:

• Funding the true costs of impact, including overheads, governance, and the relational work that makes change possible.

• Providing flexible support — including multi-year funding where it is most effective — alongside simpler, more accessible processes.

• Backing collaborative models that enable collective problem-solving and shared action.

• Connecting across our donor community and harnessing the passion and commitment of our wider supporters.

• Creating space for experimentation, iteration, and reflection — and learning together as we go.

Through this approach, our grants program becomes a catalyst for connection, collaboration, and community-led change.