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The Cornerstone Fund

The Cornerstone Fund aims to bring about systemic change, enabling civil society support organisations to work in partnership with others to achieve the goal of a thriving civil society

Tower Bridge

The Cornerstone Fund is an ongoing, collaborative funding programme developed in 2017 to bring about systemic change, enabling civil society support organisations to work in partnership with others to achieve the goal of:

A thriving civil society that is adaptable, resilient, collaborative, sustainable and driven by communities, with a focus on tackling deep seated structural inequalities to improve outcomes for Londoners.”

The Cornerstone Fund progresses and builds on the ambitions of The Way Ahead, a joint initiative by civil society, public sector bodies and funders in London which aimed to enable a thriving civil society, with London’s communities at the heart of the way we all work.

Round one of the Cornerstone Fund ran between 2019 and 2022. Round two is ongoing.

The Cornerstone Fund is not open to new applications.

Round One of the Cornerstone Fund

Round One of the Cornerstone Fund took place between 2019 and 2022. Ten partnerships received funding over 2–3 years, to test and develop approaches to long-term systemic change in their field.

Five funders were involved in Round One: City Bridge Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, Trust for London, John Lyon’s Charity and the Greater London Authority.

Four institutions provided in-kind support: London Funders, London Plus, London Councils and The Mercers Company.

Round One lead partners and partnership/​project names, where applicable

  • Race On the Agenda — CREME (Communicating Race Equality Messages Effectively)
  • Superhighways — Datawise London
  • H4All Hillingdon – Stronger Together
  • London Village Network
  • HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network — NetEquality
  • The Winch — North Camden Zone Community Action Initiative
  • The British Refugee Council — Refugee Advocacy Forum
  • Partnership for Young London — Setting the research agenda with, and for, young Londoners
  • Sheila McKechnie Foundation — Bringing Lived Experience into Social Change Journeys
  • Community Links Bromley — London VCSE Health and Wellbeing Transformation

Cornerstone Fund Round One: learning and reports


Round Two of the Cornerstone Fund

Round Two of the Cornerstone Fund began in 2021, with the same focus on long-term systemic change and with a strengthened focus on equity.

The second round of the Cornerstone Fund brings together three funders: City Bridge Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund and Trust for London. In-kind support is provided by London Funders, London Plus, London Councils and the Greater London Authority.

Twelve partnerships have received funding over 2–3 years.

Round Two lead partners and partnership/​project names

  • Advice UK — Supporting Whole Person, Whole Community Advice
  • Africa Advocacy Foundation (on behalf of One Voice Network) — Unheard Voices
  • BME Health Forum — Health Inequalities: System Change in NW London
  • Bridge Renewal Trust/​Haringey Giving — Giving Together
  • Global Black Thrive CIC — No Wrong Door
  • High Trees Community Development Trust — Building Young Brixton
  • Inclusion London / Inclusion Barnet — Reframing the Disability Narrative
  • London Youth — Cornerstone Croydon
  • Spectra CIC — Trans Learning Partnership
  • Superhighways @ Kingston Voluntary Action — Datawise London
  • Tower Hamlets CVS — Tower Hamlets Equalities Partnership
  • Volunteer Centre Camden — North Central London Volunteering PLUS Partnership

Cornerstone Fund Round Two: interim learning report

Cornerstone Fund Final Learning Report: Round 2