Hoping Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £211,569 (2024 expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly specified
• Grant Range: Up to $5,000 (approximately £4,000)
• Geographic Focus: Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West Bank, and Gaza

Contact Details

• Website: www.hopingfoundation.org
• Email: hoping@hopingfoundation.org
• Phone: 020 3137 6188
• Applications: Submit completed application forms to hoping@hopingfoundation.org
• Application Materials: Available in both English and Arabic on their website

Overview

The HOPING Foundation (Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation) was established in 2006 by fashion designer Bella Freud and Oxford academic Dr. Karma Nabulsi. Registered as charity number 1121024, the foundation supports Palestinian refugee children and their families by providing grants to grassroots community projects focused on improving children's lives through education, art, music, social and sporting activities, and health initiatives. In 2024, the foundation had a total income of £218,918 and total expenditure of £211,569. The foundation operates with minimal overheads, having only one staff member and four unpaid trustees, ensuring donations go directly to projects on the ground. In 2006, HOPING formed a special alliance with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) to raise awareness about Palestinian refugee children in the UK.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Small Grants Programme: Grants of up to $5,000 (approximately £4,000) provided on a rolling basis
• Applications accepted in both English and Arabic
• Application forms and guidelines available on their website

Priority Areas

The foundation supports community projects focused on:

• Education: Scholarships, “back to school” bag programmes, and educational infrastructure
• Arts & Creative Expression: Theatre workshops, photography, film, music, dance programmes, and media training
• Sports & Recreation: Rugby clubs, sporting activities that encourage engagement with education
• Health: Psycho-social support programmes, emergency medical facilities
• Infrastructure: Repairs and improvements to community centres and local activity centres damaged by conflict
• Relief: Emergency support in response to military actions and humanitarian crises

Key Principle: The foundation's application procedure ensures that Palestinians themselves identify their needs and design the activities. This community-driven approach is central to their grant-making philosophy.

Geographic Scope

• Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon
• Syrian refugee camps hosting Palestinians
• Jordan refugee camps
• West Bank (occupied Palestinian territory)
• Gaza

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation focuses exclusively on projects benefiting Palestinian refugee children and their families. Projects outside this geographic and demographic scope would not be eligible.

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Co-Founders:

• Bella Freud (Director since 30 October 2006): British fashion designer, great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud. Freud launched her eponymous fashion label in 1990 and is renowned for her signature slogan knitwear worn by celebrities including Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.

• Dr. Karma Nabulsi (Director since 30 October 2006, Chair of Trustees): Fellow and Tutor in Politics at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, and Associate Professor at the Department of Politics and International Relations. Author of Traditions of War: Occupation, Resistance, and the Law (Oxford University Press, 2005). Winner of the 2017 Guardian Higher Education Inspiring Leader Award and Arab Woman of the Year Award in Education. Her research focuses on Palestinian refugees and representation, and she directed civic voter registration for Palestinian refugees to their national parliament (2011-2016).

Additional Trustees:

• James Lyttleton Fox (Director since 24 November 2008): British journalist and author best known for White Mischief and co-authoring Life, the bestselling memoir of Keith Richards.

• Dr. Sudhir Hazareesingh (Director since 24 November 2008): Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Balliol College, Oxford since 1990. British-Mauritian historian specializing in modern political history, author of Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture (shortlisted for the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize) and Fellow of the British Academy.

Governance Notes:

• No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity
• The foundation has only one member of staff, keeping overheads minimal

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through the Small Grants Programme:

• Small grants introduction
• Small grants guidelines
• Small grants project report template

1. Review the foundation's Safeguarding Policy before submitting

1. Submit completed application forms to: hoping@hopingfoundation.org

1. Applications appear to be accepted on a rolling basis (no fixed deadlines specified)

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly specified. Applicants should contact the foundation directly for information about review periods.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. Organizations are encouraged to contact the foundation for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated priorities and funded projects, successful applications demonstrate:

Community-Driven Design: The foundation emphasizes that “it is the Palestinians themselves who identify their needs and design the activities we support.” Applications should clearly demonstrate that the project is conceived and led by Palestinian community members, not externally imposed.

Focus on Children and Youth: Projects must directly benefit Palestinian refugee children and their families. Recent funded examples include:

• Theatre workshops for children suffering trauma from military occupation
• Media training programmes for young girls and boys
• Rugby clubs giving children a sense of purpose and encouraging educational engagement
• Psycho-social support programmes for children in refugee camps
• “Back to school” bag programmes

Holistic Child Development: The foundation values projects that improve children's lives through education, art, music, social and sporting activities, and health—demonstrating they look for well-rounded approaches rather than single-focus interventions.

Practical and Direct Impact: Funded projects range from scholarships to creative workshops to basic infrastructure repairs. Applications should clearly articulate tangible outcomes for refugee children.

Emergency Responsiveness: The foundation has shown flexibility in responding to urgent needs, such as funding emergency medical rooms in Tulkarm refugee camp and repairs to community centres damaged during raids.

Grassroots Organizations: The foundation explicitly supports “grassroots community associations working with young people in the refugee camps,” suggesting preference for local, community-based organizations over larger international NGOs.

Geographic Reach: While the foundation works across multiple countries (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West Bank, Gaza), projects should be located in or directly serve Palestinian refugee camps.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Emphasize community ownership: Demonstrate that Palestinians themselves have identified the need and designed the project. The foundation's core philosophy is supporting Palestinian-led initiatives.

• Keep requests modest: With grants up to $5,000 (approximately £4,000), focus on specific, achievable projects rather than large-scale programmes. The foundation supports “a wide range of activities, from scholarships, to creative workshops and basic infrastructure.”

• Focus on children: All projects must directly benefit Palestinian refugee children and their families. Demonstrate clear child-focused outcomes.

• Leverage their UNRWA partnership: If your organization works with or is recognized by UNRWA, mention this relationship as the foundation has a formal alliance with UNRWA.

• Apply in the appropriate language: The foundation provides materials in both English and Arabic—apply in whichever language best serves your organization.

• Minimal overheads mean maximum impact: The foundation operates with only one staff member and no trustee remuneration. They value efficiency and direct project delivery—emphasize how funds will go directly to beneficiaries.

• Be prepared to report: Review the small grants project report template before applying to understand what information you'll need to provide after receiving funding.

References

• UK Charity Commission Register, HOPING Foundation (Charity Number 1121024), accessed 28 December 2025: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4034233/charity-overview

• Companies House, HOPING FOUNDATION Officers, accessed 28 December 2025: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05982629/officers

• ReliefWeb, “UNRWA and the Hoping Foundation sign agreement to benefit Palestine refugee children,” 25 November 2006: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/unrwa-and-hoping-foundation-sign-agreement-benefit-palestine

• HOPING Foundation website (www.hopingfoundation.org), including pages on grants, projects, and about the foundation, accessed 28 December 2025

• Getty Images, “Co-Founders of The Hoping Foundation Bella Freud and Karma Nabulsi,” accessed 28 December 2025

• University of Oxford profiles for Dr. Karma Nabulsi and Dr. Sudhir Hazareesingh, accessed 28 December 2025

• Bella Freud biography (www.bellafreud.com) and Wikipedia entry, accessed 28 December 2025

• James Fox (journalist) Wikipedia entry, accessed 28 December 2025