Working to reduce inequality and grow stronger, more resilient and thriving communities across Greater London
We are London’s largest independent charitable funder, and our vision is for London to be a city where all individuals and communities can thrive, especially those experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation.
Our mission is to reduce inequality and grow more cohesive communities for a London that serves everyone.
Our Bridging Divides funding strategy outlines our approach, using all of our knowledge, networks and assets to champion London’s biggest asset — our people. The City of London Corporation (CoLC) is our trustee, and supports us to serve Londoners and the communities they are part of. We make connections directly, as well as through civil society, local, regional & national Government, the private sector and the wider funding ecology.
Once the charity has met its responsibilities of managing and protecting the five bridges, we are able to distribute the surplus income for charitable purposes benefiting the people of Greater London.
We award over £30 million a year to charities across London, and support over 500 organisations at any one time.
As a funder working in London, we support organisations to do great work in pursuit of our vision, ambitions and values. Our aspiration is to support work that enables individuals and communities to thrive and we do this through:
Responsive grant making: Having committed exceptional levels of funding to London’s charitable sector until 2026, we closed our rolling grants programmes to new applications on Tuesday, 8 October 2024 for one year. This will allow us to manage our existing grants and pre-closure applications, while reviewing and developing our new funding policy, launching in autumn 2025
Funder collaborations: Partnerships, collaborations and one-off programmes that increase the reach and impact of grant-making, enhance London’s voluntary and community sector, and make support available to those that need it most.
We provide accessible, long-term, and flexible finance for social change. We invest in a diverse range of organisations which tackle disadvantage and marginalisation across London.
Our trustee, the City of London Corporation, has a strong track record of charitable giving over many centuries. Together, we reach far beyond the Square Mile’s boundaries and across the private, public and charitable community sectors.
The Central Funding and Charity Management Team are responsible for managing the grant-making within the City Corporation and work closely with our funding team, ensuring together we practise philanthropic excellence.
The Central Grants Programme has three funding areas:
