Ea Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ??600,000+ (September 2024 round)
• Success Rate: ~4% (18 awards from 450+ applications)
• Decision Time: Approximately 8-12 weeks per funding round
• Grant Range: ??20,000 - ??50,000 (average)
• Duration: 12-24 months (typical)
• Geographic Focus: Low to middle-income countries (primarily international)

Contact Details

• Website: ea-foundation.org.uk
• Email: info@ea-foundation.org.uk
• Phone: 020 3322 4100
• Address: c/o Energy Aspects Ltd, 25 North Colonnade, London E14 5HZ

Note: The Foundation now operates on an invitation-only basis. Interested organisations are encouraged to use the 'Contact Us' form on their website to introduce their work and ask questions about potential collaboration.

Overview

EA Foundation was established in 2021 by the co-founders of Energy Aspects, a UK-based data and intelligence company. The foundation is an independent charitable organisation registered in England and Wales (Charity Number: 1194169). To date, the foundation has received over ??5 million in donations, which it plans to distribute over the coming years. Led by Director Georgina Awoonor-Gordon, the foundation has rapidly scaled its grant-making activities, awarding over ??600,000 to 18 partners in September 2024 alone. The foundation has made 88 total grants to 50 recipients since its inception. EA Foundation focuses on supporting the most marginalised communities on underserved issues, funding projects in education, poverty reduction, basic services, and sustainable development worldwide. The foundation is also committed to emergency response work addressing suffering from conflict, health crises, natural disasters, and other emergencies. The foundation has been recognised as a founding member of UK for UNHCR's Emergency Fund, demonstrating its commitment to supporting refugee and displaced communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

EA Foundation operates invitation-only funding rounds, typically held twice per year (historically in March and September). Applications are no longer accepted through open calls.

Grant Characteristics:

• Average grant size: ??20,000 - ??50,000
• Typical duration: 12-24 months
• No specified upper or lower limits to budget requests
• Follow-on funding available for existing partners demonstrating strong impact

The foundation has distributed grants totaling ??613,155 in their September 2024 round across 18 partners.

Priority Areas

• School infrastructure and teacher accommodation
• Educational access programmes
• Leadership development for community educators

1. Basic Services & Infrastructure: Improving access to healthcare, clean water, electricity, and other essential services for disadvantaged communities

1. Poverty Relief: Supporting people in reduced circumstances or experiencing times of need, including those facing disability or other forms of disadvantage

• Fuel-efficient stove programmes
• Sustainable agriculture and livelihoods (e.g., olive oil industry revival, goat rearing projects)
• Climate resilience initiatives

• Support for refugees and internally displaced people
• Humanitarian appeals

Geographic Focus: The foundation now focuses work primarily in low to middle-income countries, in areas which clearly demonstrate the most significant disparities and marginalisation of communities at risk. Any work outside of these geographies will be by invitation only.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation:

• Does not accept open applications (invitation-only model)
• Does not fund work in higher-income countries except by specific invitation
• Primarily works through UK-based organisations (though welcomes collaborations with partners in target geographies)
• Only provides grants to registered charities or registered charitable companies (including Charitable Incorporated Organisations/CIOs)

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

The foundation is governed by six Trustees who bring diverse expertise:

• Richard Bronze - Chair of the Board of Trustees (Co-founder of Energy Aspects)
• Four additional founders who established the foundation to consolidate their private giving
• Two independent Trustees recruited to ensure balance and objectivity

Founders: Amrita Sen, Fredrik Fosse, Richard Bronze, and Trevor Sikorski - driven by their commitment to addressing inequities faced by marginalised communities globally.

Board Meeting Schedule: The Board meets a minimum of four times per year to shape strategic direction, with two meetings per year dedicated specifically to grant award decisions.

Senior Leadership

Georgina Awoonor-Gordon - Foundation Director

Georgina leads the organisation as it scales up grant-making activities and capacity. She joined from the Vision Foundation where she was Director of Grants and Impact. Her prior experience includes senior positions at Chance for Childhood, Crown Agents, and Comic Relief, as well as running several smaller charities dedicated to supporting Sierra Leone.

Leadership Quote: "It's inspiring to see our grants portfolio expand as we increase our investment into projects making a tangible impact in the lives of some of the most marginalised communities globally." - Georgina Awoonor-Gordon

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Current Status: The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis for all funding streams.

Process:

1. Organisations cannot submit unsolicited applications
2. The foundation identifies potential partners and invites them to apply
3. A “pipeline” list is maintained of organisations identified during previous rounds
4. Interested organisations can use the 'Contact Us' form on the website to introduce their work and ask questions

Eligibility:

• Must be a registered charity or registered charitable company (including CIOs)
• Primarily works through UK-based organisations
• Welcomes collaboration with multiple partners based in target geographies
• Overseas organisations or private companies should contact the foundation to discuss proposals before applying

Decision Timeline

Funding Rounds: Historically held twice per year (March and September)

Assessment Process:

1. Applications are initially assessed by the foundation's team
2. Guided by grant-making criteria and wider due diligence checks
3. All final decisions made by the Board of Trustees
4. Decision timeline: Approximately 8-12 weeks from submission to decision notification

Approval Criteria: The Board approves funding for work that demonstrates a mix of:

• Tightest fit to strategy
• Highest impact
• Value for money

Success Rates

September 2024 Round:

• Applications received: 450+
• Grants awarded: 18
• Success rate: ~4%

This extremely competitive success rate reflects the foundation's highly selective approach and focus on supporting only the most underserved issues and marginalised communities.

Reapplication Policy

Strict reapplication policy: Resubmissions are by invitation only. The foundation explicitly advises that organisations should not resubmit previously unsuccessful applications unless specifically invited to do so.

Data Retention: Unsuccessful applications will be deleted two years after completion of the application assessment process, though basic details (applicant's name, project title, and geography) may be retained.

Application Success Factors

What the Foundation Looks For

Based on recent grants awarded and foundation priorities, successful applications demonstrate:

• Refugees and internally displaced people
• Children with disabilities and their families
• Remote or hard-to-reach communities

1. Clear Evidence of Marginalization: Work in areas which clearly demonstrate significant disparities and marginalisation of communities at risk

1. Community-Centered Approaches: Organisations that “place communities at the heart of their work”

1. Tangible Impact: Projects making measurable, tangible impact in beneficiaries' lives

1. Strategic Fit: Strong alignment with one or more of the four funding pillars (education, basic services, poverty relief, sustainable development)

Recent Funded Projects (September 2024 Examples)

• Able Child Africa (??49,084): Testing a new approach focusing on parents of children with disabilities to address barriers in Kenya
• ADD International (??35,000): Global Disability Leadership Academy for young disabled people in Uganda and Bangladesh
• Afrikids (??27,867): 'Every Child in School' programme in Ghana
• Zimbabwe Educational Trust (??30,000+): Addressing Zimbabwe's birth registration crisis
• Shivia (??35,000): Goat rearing project in Bihar, India
• Vita (??50,000): Fuel-efficient stoves programme
• Mercy Hands Europe with IACO (??100,000): Reviving Al-Bab District's extra virgin olive oil industry in Syria
• Savannah Education Trust (??45,000): Teacher accommodation in Ghana

Standing Out

Given the 4% success rate and invitation-only model:

1. Build Relationships Proactively: Use the contact form to introduce your organisation before funding rounds open
2. Demonstrate Work on Underserved Issues: Focus on issues and communities that receive limited attention from other funders
3. Show Community Leadership: Evidence of community-owned solutions and local leadership development
4. Prove Value for Money: Clear demonstration of cost-effectiveness and impact per pound
5. Focus on LMICs: Prioritise work in low to middle-income countries with clear evidence of marginalisation
6. Environmental Focus: Recent rounds have emphasised environmental sustainability and climate challenges
7. Multiple Partner Collaborations: The foundation welcomes applications involving UK organisations partnering with local organisations in target geographies

Common Success Factors

• Follow-on funding is available for existing partners with proven impact
• Projects addressing multiple priorities (e.g., education + disability inclusion)
• Innovation in approach to longstanding problems
• Response to emergency humanitarian needs

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Invitation-Only Model: Do not attempt to submit unsolicited applications. Instead, use the contact form to introduce your organisation and express interest in future collaboration.

1. Extremely Competitive: With a ~4% success rate, only the most compelling applications aligned with underserved communities and issues will succeed.

1. Focus on LMIC Work: The foundation has explicitly shifted focus to low and middle-income countries. UK domestic work is unlikely to be funded except by specific invitation.

1. Build Long-Term Relationships: The foundation maintains a “pipeline” list and offers follow-on funding to successful partners, suggesting they value ongoing relationships.

1. Emphasise Underserved Communities: Success requires demonstrating work with the most marginalised communities on issues that receive limited attention from other funders.

1. Environmental Sustainability: Recent rounds have emphasised environmental challenges - consider how your work addresses climate, sustainability, or environmental justice.

1. Value for Money is Critical: With limited resources (??5 million total to distribute), the Board explicitly seeks high-impact, cost-effective projects.

References

1. EA Foundation official website - ea-foundation.org.uk
2. UK Charity Commission Register - EA Foundation (Charity Number 1194169), https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1194169
3. EA Foundation Grant Making FAQs - https://www.ea-foundation.org.uk/grant-making-FAQs
4. “EA Foundation awards over ??600,000 in funding to 18 partners” - https://www.ea-foundation.org.uk/ea-foundation-awards-over-600-000-in-funding-to-18-partners
5. Supporting Communities, “EA Foundation Offers Funding to Improve Lives of Disadvantaged Communities”, https://supportingcommunities.org/funding-news-1/2023/10/12/ea-foundation-offers-funding-to-improve-lives-of-disadvantaged-communities
6. 360Giving GrantNav - EA Foundation, https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1194169
7. Find that Charity - EA Foundation (GB-CHC-1194169), https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-1194169
8. UK for UNHCR, "Q&A with the EA Foundation: supporting the most underserved communities through UK for UNHCR's Emergency Fund", https://www.unrefugees.org.uk/learn-more/news/qa/interview-ea-foundation-philanthropy/
9. EA Foundation LinkedIn company page - https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ea-foundation
10. Georgina Awoonor-Gordon LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-a-aa58a06/