Ghana International Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £50,000-£150,000
• Total Distributed (Since Inception): £1.75 million
• Geographic Focus: Ghana (especially remote rural areas)
• Grant Focus: Capital projects
• Application Method: Invitation/discretionary (no public application process evident)

Contact Details

Address: 67 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6AZ, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7653 0393

Email: janet.mbu@ghanabank.co.uk

Charity Number: 1083550

Overview

Ghana International Foundation was established in 2000 by Ghana International Bank plc as a UK-registered charitable trust. Sponsored entirely by Ghana International Bank, the Foundation receives annual donations based on the bank's pre-tax profits. Since inception, it has distributed £1.75 million across health, education, and poverty relief projects in Africa, with particular emphasis on Ghana's remote rural areas. The Foundation is controlled by six trustees based in London, comprising the bank's CEO, Deputy CEO/COO, and independent non-executive directors. Day-to-day administration is handled by Ghana International Bank staff on a voluntary basis. The Foundation has reported varying levels of activity, with 2021 seeing significantly fewer grants due to applications not aligning with its grant-making policy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation does not operate formal grant programmes with published application rounds. Instead, trustees make grants based on discretionary decision-making aligned with their grant-making policy.

Funding Allocation:

• Education: 51% of total grants
• Health: 24% of total grants
• Poverty Relief: 25% of total grants

Priority Areas

Geographic Focus: Remote rural areas of Ghana (primarily), with broader consideration for Africa

Type of Support: Capital projects rather than revenue/operational funding. The Foundation prefers specific capital projects undertaken alongside local fundraising efforts.

Eligible Organisations:

• Registered charities
• NGOs (incorporated and unincorporated)
• Community-based projects

Key Criteria: Organisations whose activities and goals align with providing relief to persons in Africa (especially Ghana) from conditions of need, hardship, or distress, and furthering health and education.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation has rejected applications that:

• Do not align with its charitable objects
• Fall outside the scope of its Grant Making Policy
• Are not focused on capital projects
• Do not target areas of genuine need

In 2021, five out of six applications received were rejected, primarily because requests did not align with the Foundation's objects or fell outside the grant-making policy scope.

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Governance and Leadership

Board Composition: 6 trustees (all London-based)

• Dean Adansi (CEO, Ghana International Bank)
• Raymond J Bakary Sambou (Deputy CEO/COO, Ghana International Bank)
• Independent Non-Executive Directors (at least 3, including one appointed March 2022)

Remuneration: No trustees receive remuneration or benefits from the charity.

Volunteers: 6 volunteers support administrative activities including screening funding requests, policy development and maintenance.

Decision-Making: Trustees make decisions through email exchanges and meet at least annually.

Monitoring Approach: The Foundation monitors funded projects through:

• Annual trustee visits to Ghana
• Regular project update reports with photographs from recipients
• Periodic visits by Ghana-based representatives of Ghana International Bank

The trustees have noted that where funds have been used to maximum effect, they are “well disposed to making further financial assistance available to these organisations.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Ghana International Foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than open calls for applications. While the Foundation states that “applications are invited from organisations comprising registered charities, NGOs and community-based projects,” there is no publicly available application form, portal, or published application deadline information.

Grants appear to be awarded on a discretionary basis by trustees, who review requests against the Foundation's Grant Making Policy. Day-to-day screening of funding requests is delegated to Ghana International Bank staff who work on a voluntary basis.

Given the contact details provided (janet.mbu@ghanabank.co.uk), initial enquiries about potential funding should likely be directed to Janet Mbu, who serves as the Bank's Company Secretary and Head of Legal.

Decision Timeline

No specific decision timeline is publicly available. The Foundation's trustees meet at least once annually, with ongoing decision-making occurring through email exchanges throughout the year.

Success Rates

Available data shows very low success rates:

• 2021: 6 requests received, 5 rejected (approximately 17% success rate)
• The low success rate in 2021 was attributed to applications not aligning with the Foundation's objects or falling outside the Grant Making Policy scope

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. However, the Foundation has indicated a willingness to provide “further financial assistance” to organisations that have previously demonstrated effective use of funds.

Application Success Factors

Based on the limited public information available, organisations seeking funding from Ghana International Foundation should note:

Alignment is Critical: The very high rejection rate (83% in 2021) emphasizes the importance of ensuring your project precisely aligns with the Foundation's objects - health, education, and poverty relief in Ghana's remote rural areas.

Capital Projects Preferred: The Foundation explicitly states it “generally aims to direct donations towards specific capital projects, often hand in hand with local fund raising, rather than revenue funding.”

Geographic Focus: Priority is given to “certain projects located in remote rural areas of Ghana where funds are desperately needed.”

Demonstrate Impact: The trustees monitor projects closely and are “well disposed to making further financial assistance available” to organisations that demonstrate effective use of funds. Include plans for reporting with photographs and evidence of impact.

Local Partnership: Projects that incorporate local fundraising alongside foundation support appear to be viewed favourably.

Connection to Ghana International Bank: Given the Foundation's sponsorship structure and the role of bank staff in screening requests, there may be value in understanding the bank's broader corporate social responsibility priorities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Foundation operates on a trustee-discretionary basis with no public application process; initial contact should be made via email to explore potential alignment
• Capital projects in remote rural Ghana focusing on health, education, or poverty relief have the strongest chance of consideration
• Success rates are very low (approximately 17% based on 2021 data), emphasizing the need for exceptional alignment with stated priorities
• Revenue/operational funding is generally not supported; focus proposals on specific capital investments
• Organisations that demonstrate effective use of funds may receive repeat funding
• Applications must precisely align with the Foundation's grant-making policy to avoid rejection
• The Foundation is small-scale with annual giving of £50,000-£150,000, suggesting individual grants are likely modest in size

References

• UK Charity Commission Register, Ghana International Foundation (Charity No. 1083550): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1083550
• Charity Choice, Ghana International Foundation profile: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/ghana-international-foundation-68316
• Ghana International Bank, Corporate Social Responsibility page: https://www.ghanabank.co.uk/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/
• Ghana International Foundation Report and Financial Statements (various years), UK Charity Commission
• Ghana International Bank, About Us page: https://www.ghanabank.co.uk/about-us/