Gower Street

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Approximately £870,000 (based on 216 grants totaling £6.97M over 6 years)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (unsolicited applications not accepted)
• Decision Time: 2 months (trustees meet bi-monthly)
• Grant Range: £150 - £420,000
• Geographic Focus: UK (climate work) and Ghana (education)
• Spend Down: Dispersing all funds by 2030

Contact Details

• Website: https://www.gowerstreet.org/
• Email: admin@gowerstreet.org
• Program Contacts: sally@gowerstreet.org or tessa@gowerstreet.org
• Address: 57 South Hill Park, London NW3 2SS
• Phone: +44 (number not publicly listed)

Overview

Gower Street (formerly The Marple Charitable Trust) is a small family foundation established in 2007 by Nick and Sophie Marple. Originally focused on education work in the UK and Ghana, the trust pivoted in 2018 to direct the majority of its funds toward addressing the climate crisis. In recognition of the urgency of climate action, the trustees decided to spend down the entire fund by 2030. As of 2025, they are beyond the halfway point of this journey, with the vast majority of funding allocations already made. The trust has made 242 grants totaling approximately £7 million since December 2018. Gower Street focuses on supporting small organizations working on transformational systems change, providing multi-year core funding rather than restricted grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Climate Fund

• Focus on small organizations with annual income below £500,000
• Typically provides 10-30% of annual income for UK organizations
• Up to 80% of annual income for Ghana-based organizations
• Multi-year core (unrestricted) funding preferred

Ghana Education Fund

• Three work strands: Life in a Changing Landscape, Complementary Climate Education, and Energy Transition
• Focus on improving school education outcomes
• Support for girls' education initiatives

Priority Areas

Climate Emergency:

• Energy Transition: Organizations addressing the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy
• Social Movements: Mobilizing citizens from all walks of life as a force for change
• Land Use: Supporting sustainable land management and nature-friendly farming
• Climate Media: Organizations like On Road media working on climate communications
• Climate Advocacy: Groups such as Breathe, Uplift, Green New Deal, Teach the Future, and Nature Friendly Farming Network

Ghana Education:

• Girls' education programs
• System change work in education
• Climate education initiatives

What They Don't Fund

• Large organizations (generally those with income above £500,000)
• Restricted/project-specific funding (preference for core funding)
• Work outside climate emergency and Ghana education
• New partnerships in 2025 onwards (fund is in spend-down phase)

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Governance and Leadership

Founders/Trustees:

• Sophie Marple: Co-founder with background in strategic philanthropy. Sophie emphasizes seeing “philanthropic money as risk capital” and believes that “charities are the experts in their field.”
• Nick Marple: Co-founder who spent time in Ghana and initiated the trust's education focus

Co-Directors (Job Share):

• Sally Vivyan: Joined Autumn 2021. Background in smaller NGOs with 20 years' experience in fundraising, grant making, and governance. Holds a PhD in the leadership of small charities.
• Tessa Durham: Joined Autumn 2021. Holds a Master's in Sustainable Development from Sussex University.

Key Philosophy Quotes:

• Sophie Marple: "What you spend now is worth so much more than what you spend in 10 years' time" (on climate urgency)
• “Charities know more about their field than funders” (on trust-based approach)

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: Unsolicited applications are not formally accepted. However:

• Organizations that closely align with funding priorities may submit a one-pager (12 pt, double-spaced)
• Send to: sally@gowerstreet.org or tessa@gowerstreet.org
• Outline: what you do and why Gower Street should fund you
• The team will contact you if interested; do not chase for responses
• Note: As of 2025, capacity for new partnerships is extremely limited due to spend-down phase

Decision Timeline

• Trustee meetings: Every 2 months
• Process: Initial review by Co-Directors, then trustee approval at bi-monthly meetings
• Typical timeline from submission to decision: approximately 2 months minimum

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The trust operates on an invitation/alignment basis rather than open competitive applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not specified, though given the spend-down timeline and limited capacity for new partners, reapplication opportunities are minimal.

Application Success Factors

What Gower Street Values:

1. Size and Stage: Small organizations (under £500,000 income) working on transformational systems change
2. Alignment: Clear connection to either climate emergency work or Ghana education outcomes
3. Validation Stage: Organizations looking to “scope and validate their ideas” before approaching larger funders
4. Flexibility: Organizations that can benefit from unrestricted core funding
5. Learning Orientation: Partners willing to learn and adapt together with funders

Their Approach:

• Trust-based funding: “Going on the journey with their grantees and learning as they learn”
• Core funding preference: Recognizing the increased value unrestricted funding offers
• Low bureaucracy: Regular check-in calls instead of written reports
• Multi-year commitments: Supporting organizations over time rather than one-off grants
• Risk capital mindset: Willing to fund innovative, unproven approaches

Standing Out:

• Demonstrate transformational potential, not just incremental change
• Show how you reframe complex issues in hopeful ways
• Be clear about needing support to validate ideas before scaling
• Emphasize your expertise in your field
• Align with the specific climate or Ghana education work strands

Recent Examples:

Organizations supported include On Road media, Breathe, Uplift, Green New Deal, Teach the Future, and Nature Friendly Farming Network.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Limited Current Opportunity: Gower Street is in spend-down phase with most allocations made through 2030. New partnership opportunities are extremely limited.

1. One-Pager Only: If applying, keep it to one page (12pt, double-spaced) focused on alignment and why you fit their specific criteria.

1. Core Funding Focus: Only approach if you can benefit from unrestricted, multi-year funding. They don't do project grants.

1. Size Matters: Target organizations are small (under £500,000 income) doing transformational, systems-change work.

1. Don't Chase: Submit only if closely aligned, then wait. Following up is discouraged.

1. Climate or Ghana Only: Must fit within either climate emergency work (energy transition, social movements, land use, media) or Ghana education focus.

1. Trust-Based Partnership: They're looking for learning partners, not just grant recipients. Expect minimal reporting but regular relationship-building calls.

References

• Gower Street Official Website: https://www.gowerstreet.org/
• 360Giving GrantNav - Gower Street: https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1183461
• Charity Commission Register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1183461
• Beacon Collaborative - Sophie Marple Strategic Climate Philanthropy: https://www.beaconcollaborative.org.uk/story/from-girls-education-to-climate-funding-sophie-marples-giving/
• Giving is Great Donor Profile: https://givingisgreat.org/donor-detail/?donorID=GB-CHC-1183461
• Grant Advisor - Gower Street: https://www.grantadvisor.org.uk/latest-reviewed-funders/gower-street/