John Ellerman Foundation

NEW: We're very pleased to be able to share our IMPACT FRAMEWORK When John Ellerman Foundation launched our strategy for 2022-25, we committed to do more work on how we understand and articulate our impact and contribution within a wider ecosystem of funders. We spoke about the need to deepen our understanding of what we mean by wellbeing too, given that our organisational aim is to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world. We also wanted to design an Impact Framework that builds upon and complements our strategy and our Investment Policy, and supports us to become more accountable to those we work with, namely our grant-holders, applicants, sector membership bodies, peer funders and grantmakers, institutional and impact investors, and policymakers. We hope that our new Impact Framework, which you can read here achieves these aims: https://lnkd.in/gMn-etVd Our Impact Framework talks about what impact means to us, the ideas that inspired our thinking, as well as outlining four interdependent wellbeing themes (Community, Access, Sustainability and Equity), and the impact measures associated with each of these themes that will help us to assess the impact we are making through our funding offer (specifically our funding themes of Arts, Social Action and Environment) and our investing (specifically our work to be an ethical and responsible investor of our endowment). We also share some information on how the Impact Framework will be implemented. Primarily, we want to build on what we are already doing. It is also worth stating that we do not have any expectations that our applicants use the Impact Framework to develop their first and second stage applications to us. Applicants should continue using our funding guidelines only for this. The Impact Framework has very much been designed for us to use as a tool to apply to our work, as opposed to others feeling compelled to apply it to their work. We're thrilled to be at this point and could not have got here without the support and insights of all those we work with. Thank you! #Impact #Philanthropy #ImpactFramework #ImpactMeasurement #Accountability

**NEW BLOG - Updated Investment Policy ** Very pleased to share Alice Thornton's blog about the changes we have made this year to our Investment Policy at John Ellerman Foundation. The blog can be read here: https://lnkd.in/eHaTrpmU This year we have made several exciting changes, including: * Updating our approach to exclusions, including now excluding thermal coal, tar sands and new primary market capital for fossil fuel production and infrastructure * Updating our approach to responsible investing, in terms of taking a stewardship approach to producing sustainable financial, environmental and societal benefit, and emphasising again our determination to address the systemic impacts of the climate and nature crises * Updating our approach to social investing, including determining and agreeing our approach to making social investments within the next 12 months. We review our Investment Policy every year - building on what we have learned and achieved, and striving to set out clearly what we want to do next as part of our commitment to advance wellbeing with 100% of our assets (our grantmaking, our investing and our wider operations). You can read the full Investment Policy here: https://lnkd.in/e9QsAGmt

**NEW BLOG - Updated Investment Policy ** This month, Alice Thornton has written a blog on the key changes we have made to our Investment Policy this year. The blog can be read here: https://lnkd.in/e2T_ej4m We review our Investment Policy every year - building on what we have learned and achieved, and striving to set out clearly what we want to do next as part of our commitment to advance wellbeing with 100% of our assets (our grantmaking, our investing and our wider operations). This year we have made several exciting changes, including: * Updating our approach to exclusions, including now excluding thermal coal, tar sands and new primary market capital for fossil fuel production and infrastructure * Updating our approach to responsible investing, in terms of taking a stewardship approach to producing sustainable financial, environmental and societal benefit, and emphasising again our determination to address the systemic impacts of the climate and nature crises * Updating our approach to social investing, including determining and agreeing our approach to making social investments within the next 12 months. You can read the full Investment Policy here: https://lnkd.in/ezZCVajg

When you think about the UK’s biodiversity, what comes to mind? Hedgehogs? Red squirrels? Maybe an all-too rare turtle dove? Altogether there are about 90 species living in the UK and nowhere else, there are a further 3,300 endemic species in the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). That’s 94% of the UK’s unique biodiversity! Inspired by our new UKOTs learning series, our new blog explores some of the UK's most biodiverse regions, why they are at risk and why we need to protect them. With case studies about the amazing nature in St Helena and Montserrat, this piece will help funders understand how they can get involved. Read now: https://lnkd.in/eRvSXRN8 Want to get involved further? Join us for our next event in the UKOTs Learning Series, Funding the UK’s most biodiverse regions: what’s working and what isn’t? On Monday 9 September at 14:00-15:30 BST. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/enPvfdCz Thank you to Sarah Tulej for writing the blog and Sophia C. Cooke and James Goodman for their support. In partnership with John Ellerman Foundation. #UKOTs #UKOverseasTerritories #UKOT #Blog #Funders #funding #philanthropy

** Please do check out John Ellerman Foundation's Annual Report and Accounts for 2023/24 ** https://lnkd.in/eMht5fYg We recognise that we are writing this at a time when colleagues we work with are responding to the far right riots that took place earlier this month. However, we felt it was important to share this now, as it serves as a reminder of the potential for the work we do as charitable funders to work in solidarity with the important causes we fund. In a year where we saw a 29% increase in the number of applications received, and nearly double the number of applications compared to 2021/22, it is clear that our applicants and grant-holders are experiencing many pressures. We are humbled by their persistence and resilience. We cannot respond in full to the challenges faced by the sector, but we are committed to doing our bit. The Annual Report provides a report report on our progress against our strategy for 2022-25, which calls on us to deliver our aim to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world with 100% of our assets, i.e. our grantmaking, investing and wider operations. It also shares some key highlights from the last year, including publishing our Impact Framework, sharing more about our time horizon, completing an accessibility audit of our website, commissioning and publishing the findings from our second grant-holder and applicant perception audit, which was completed on our behalf by nfpResearch, and launching our inaugural Board Shadowing Scheme, which is aimed at individuals from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty to participate in our governance processes for six months. We also achieved an A rating for the second year in the Foundation Practice Rating, and published John Ellerman Foundation: A Historical Review, which shares in full the findings of our research into our history and the origins of our wealth. In the year ahead we will bring our current strategy to a close and set up our next strategy, which we hope will show our commitment to being a bold, ambitious and collaborative partner to the sector.

**Our latest Annual Report and Financial Accounts for the 12 months to 31 March 2024.** https://lnkd.in/eE8rwYQG We recognise that we are writing this at a time when colleagues we work with are responding to the far right riots that took place earlier this month. However, we felt it was important to share this now, as it serves as a reminder of the potential for the work we do as charitable funders to work in solidarity with the important causes we fund. In a year where we saw a 29% increase in the number of applications received, and nearly double the number of applications compared to 2021/22, it is clear that our applicants and grant-holders are experiencing many pressures. We are humbled by their persistence and resilience. We cannot respond in full to the challenges faced by the sector, but we are committed to doing our bit. This is our second year of using the Annual Report to report on our progress against our strategy for 2022-25. Our current strategy calls on us to deliver our aim to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world with 100% of our assets, i.e. our grantmaking, investing and wider operations. Over the last year, key highlights for the Foundation have included: * Developing, agreeing and then publishing our Impact Framework, which accompanies our current strategy and speaks to the way in which we define impact in relation to our funding and our investing. * Publishing an interim statement on our time horizon, as well as developing and publishing our first ever Recruitment and Complaints policies. * Completing an accessibility audit of our website, with the majority of the changes to the website being implemented by May 2024. * Commissioning and publishing the findings from our second grant-holder and applicant perception audit, which was completed on our behalf by nfpResearch. * Launching our inaugural Board Shadowing Scheme, which is aimed at individuals from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty to participate in our governance processes for six months. * Achieving for the second year an A rating (B, A, A for diversity, accountability and transparency respectively) in the Foundation Practice Rating. * Publishing John Ellerman Foundation: A Historical Review, which shares in full the findings of our research into our history and the origins of our wealth, as well as being a member of the Association of Charitable Foundation’s Origins of Wealth Reference Group. We have sought to remain a collaborative and outward-facing organisation: participating in discussions on investing and our funding categories and sharing our views through articles, blogs, and at conferences. In the year ahead we will bring our current strategy to a close and set up our next strategy, which we hope will show our commitment to being a bold, ambitious and collaborative partner to the sector.

All of us John Ellerman Foundation care deeply about supporting environmental work in the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). We want others to learn about why these places matter so much, which is why we have partnered with Environmental Funders Network to run a learning series on how funders can help conserve the UK’s most biodiverse areas 👇. 📌 This week's event titled ‘The Incredible Nature of the UK Overseas Territories’, included expert insights on the fascinating diversity of life and habitats present in the UKOTs. Thanks to Hugh Raven from Open Seas, Helena Bennett from the St Helena National Trust and Sarita Francis from the Montserrat National Trust. Catch up and watch the event back now: https://lnkd.in/ejqNPFpr 📌 Sign up to the next event on the challenges facing those working in conservation in the UKOTs on Monday 9 September at 14:00-15:30 BST, online: https://lnkd.in/eeeXNEHq #funding #trusts #foundations #UKOTs #UKOverseasTerritories #grantmaking #grants #GreenFunders #EnvironmentalFunding

Funding environmental work in the UK Overseas Territories matters... 🌿 Do you care about saving endemic species from extinction? 🌿 Do you want to protect vulnerable islands from climate change? 🌿 Do you believe in the need to preserve rich marine habitats? Then check out our new learning series we are running in partnership with Environmental Funders Network on the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs), focusing on how funders can help conserve the UK’s most biodiverse areas👇 📌 This week's event titled ‘The Incredible Nature of the UK Overseas Territories’, included expert insights on the fascinating diversity of life and habitats present in the UKOTs. Thanks to Hugh Raven from Open Seas, Helena Bennett from the St Helena National Trust and Sarita Francis from the Montserrat National Trust. Catch up and watch the event back now: https://lnkd.in/e7wCX2FT 📌 Sign up to the next event on the challenges facing those working in conservation in the UKOTs on Monday 9 September at 14:00-15:30 BST, online: https://lnkd.in/enPvfdCz All of us John Ellerman Foundation care deeply about work in the UKOTs, and hope that others will learn about why these places matter so much during the course of this learning series. #funding #trusts #foundations #UKOTs #UKOverseasTerritories #grantmaking #grants #GreenFunders #EnvironmentalFunding

*OUR NEW BLOG PAGE* Since 2020, John Ellerman Foundation has been sharing updates from the team that have been posted to the website at least once a month. As of today, we've set up a new blog that is searchable by the following categories: Arts, Museums and Galleries, Social Action, Environment, UKOTs (UK Overseas Territories), Staffing and Board updates, Reflections on philanthropy, Our impact, and Investing. https://lnkd.in/ey2spXt8 You can now share what we've written via social media. This month's blog is on #Diversity, #Equity and #Inclusion and what we have been working on in relation to DEI in the last 12 to 18 months in terms of our grantmaking, our investing and our wider operations. https://lnkd.in/eDtuZnpv Writing blog posts each month are an important way for us to share what we are working on to gain feedback and learn from others. It's one of the ways in which we try to be transparent, accountable and effective. Do check out our blog!

John Ellerman Foundation began exploring the idea of setting up a Board Shadowing Scheme in 2021, envisaging a six-month programme resulting in individuals from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty joining the Board as active observers. Sufina Ahmad MBE, John Ellerman Foundation, explores what happened next and the impact on the foundation in a recent Opinion. Read it here! https://bit.ly/3VvtxU0