Laudes Foundation

Charity Number: CUSTOM_AD60DC11

Annual Expenditure: £63.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: EUR 63.3 million (2022)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (varies by grant size and approval level)
  • Grant Range: Under EUR 100,000 - EUR 2 million+
  • Average Grant: EUR 250,000
  • Geographic Focus: International - 56 countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa

Contact Details

Website: www.laudesfoundation.org

Phone: +41 (0)41 728 0000

Main Office:

Jachthavenweg 111, 5th floor

1081KM Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Switzerland Office:

Grafenauweg 10

CH-6300 Zug, Switzerland

Note: The foundation does not respond to unsolicited sponsorship requests or research applications. Initial contact should be made through the contact form on their website after reviewing their focus areas and Theory of Change.

Overview

Laudes Foundation launched in January 2020 as the successor to C&A Foundation, building on six generations of entrepreneurship, responsible business ownership, and private philanthropy. The foundation is a Swiss-registered charity (Stiftung, CHE-452.321.620) with offices across Europe and Asia. In 2022, the foundation made EUR 63.3 million in new grants, supporting 367 partners across 56 countries with an active portfolio totalling EUR 225.6 million. Laudes focuses on driving systemic change to accelerate the transition to a climate-positive and inclusive economy, addressing the defining challenges of climate change, nature loss, and social inequality. The foundation works through four key industries with outsized impact: built environment, finance and capital markets, fashion, and food. Laudes emphasizes trust-based philanthropy, offering longer-term, flexible partnerships with increasing emphasis on core support funding to give partners stability and flexibility to test ideas, take risks, and create impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Light Proposals (under EUR 100,000)

  • Streamlined application process
  • Reviewed by Management Team

Full Proposals (EUR 100,000 - EUR 500,000)

  • Detailed proposal required including initiative description, activity-based budget, Gantt chart, and Rubrics framework
  • Reviewed by Management Team
  • EUR 250,000+ reviewed with consultation of two external experts

Major Grants (EUR 500,000+)

  • Full proposal process
  • Requires Investment Committee approval
  • Can reach up to EUR 2 million
  • Average grant size: EUR 250,000

Application Method: Rolling basis - applications accepted at any time through contact form. Invitation-only proposal process (do not submit until invited and after speaking with foundation team).

Priority Areas

Built Environment

  • Building-level performance and whole life carbon emissions
  • Circularity and sufficiency
  • Social impacts connected to decarbonisation (labour rights, resident impacts)
  • Affordable housing within planetary boundaries
  • Focus on European Union, EEA, Switzerland, and UK

Finance and Capital Markets

  • Transforming the finance system
  • Mobilizing investment for just transition
  • Proxy voting and corporate influence on environmental/social issues
  • Focus on Europe

Fashion Industry

  • Materials innovation and landscape approaches
  • Next-generation circular materials
  • Waste reduction and disposal
  • EU policy implementation across global supply chains
  • Global initiatives with focus on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Brazil

Food Supply Chain

  • Worker rights and just transition impacts
  • Supply chain transformation

Cross-Cutting Approaches

  • Policy advocacy and capacity building
  • Transparency mechanisms and enforcement standards
  • Gender equity and social inclusion (GESI)
  • Systems change initiatives

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited sponsorship requests
  • Unsolicited research applications
  • Projects outside their four key industries (built environment, finance, fashion, food)
  • Initiatives not aligned with climate change, nature loss, or social inequality focus
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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Leslie Johnston - Founding CEO since January 2020. Brings over 20 years of management experience across business and philanthropy. Previously headed C&A Foundation as its first Executive Director, served as Executive Director of Argidius Foundation, Deputy Director for TechnoServe in Africa, and management consultant for McKinsey & Company.

Director of Effective Philanthropy: Lee Alexander Risby - Oversees foundation work in learning from impact and grant operations.

Head of Organisational Development & Inclusion: Andwele Bryan - Leads team supporting organisational strength and resilience of partners and integrating gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) across foundation work.

Head of Built Environment Programme: James Drinkwater - Supports transformation towards inclusive, climate and nature-positive industry. Co-founded Built by Nature and chairs its investment committee.

Head of Finance and Capital Markets Programme: Clare Murray - Leads Laudes' work to transform the finance system and mobilize investment for just transition.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Pre-application research: Review focus areas, eligibility criteria on programme pages, and Theory of Change on website. Ensure project aligns with mission and priorities.
  1. Initial contact: Submit project idea through contact form on website (www.laudesfoundation.org/contact). Applications accepted on rolling basis.
  1. Foundation review: Team reviews all grant requests regularly.
  1. Invitation to propose: If there's alignment with foundation's work, team will reach out. Do not submit proposal until invited and after speaking with foundation team.
  • Light proposal for grants under EUR 100,000
  • Full proposal for EUR 100,000+: detailed initiative description, activity-based budget, Gantt chart, Rubrics framework
  • Up to EUR 500,000: Management Team review (EUR 250,000+ also consulted with two external experts)
  • EUR 500,000+: Investment Committee approval required

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Timeline varies depending on grant size and approval level required.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis after initial contact, which suggests a more selective, relationship-driven approach rather than open competition.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Contact the foundation directly for guidance on reapplication after unsuccessful submission.

Application Success Factors

Foundation's Approach to Partnerships

Trust-Based Philanthropy: Laudes commits to “building trust-based, longer-term partnerships with mission-aligned organisations, allowing them more flexibility and stability.” The foundation has increased median grant size and average grant duration to reflect this commitment.

Core Support: “Core support grants give partners the ability to deploy funds wherever they see the most need for support, which builds strong, viable organisations, critical for the larger systems change they aspire to.” In 2020, 29% of grants were dedicated to core support.

Long-term Relationships: The foundation values “longer grants to ensure they have the flexibility and security to test ideas, take risks, and create the most impact.”

What They Look For

Deep Expertise: Laudes works “indirectly through its 50+ partners, each of whom bring deep expertise and gravitas.”

Systems Change Capacity: Projects should demonstrate potential for systemic transformation, not just isolated impact. Nearly 50% of active grants have impact beyond their home markets.

Strategic Alignment: Applications must clearly align with one or more of the four key industries and address climate change, nature loss, or social inequality.

Theory of Change Alignment: Their Theory of Change “guides their actions, shapes their decisions on partnerships, informs how they monitor and learn from existing relationships, and provides a framework for impact assessment.”

Recent Funded Projects Examples

  • Built by Nature (2021-2025): EUR 5.75 million commitment plus EUR 6.42 million in co-funding secured for scaling sustainable building materials
  • Oxford Climate Journalism Network (2024): £1 million over three years for climate journalism
  • Dark Matter Labs (2023): Grant to interrogate inclusive models in real estate
  • Urban Land Institute and BLOXHUB (2024): Coalition building focused on social equity in built environment
  • Institute for Human Rights and Business: Ongoing partnership across strategic programmes
  • Research partnerships: FSG report on Just Climate Transitions in Bangladesh; Rezonanz study on European pension funds' proxy voting

Strategic Considerations

Geographic Focus: While global in reach, built environment and finance work focuses on EU, EEA, Switzerland, and UK. Fashion work includes global initiatives with emphasis on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Brazil.

Multi-year Funding: The foundation prefers longer-term partnerships over one-off grants.

Flexibility: Proposals should demonstrate how flexible funding enables innovation and risk-taking.

Collaboration: Projects involving partnerships, coalitions, or sector-wide initiatives align well with their systems change approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Build the relationship first: Laudes operates on invitation-only basis. Do not submit proposals without first making contact and being invited. Take time to understand their Theory of Change and demonstrate clear alignment.
  • Think systems, not projects: Frame proposals around systemic transformation in one of their four industries. Show how your work influences policies, regulatory frameworks, or industry-wide practices rather than isolated outcomes.
  • Request appropriate funding: Don't shy away from requesting substantial, multi-year grants. Average grant is EUR 250,000. Demonstrate how longer-term, flexible funding enables greater impact.
  • Emphasize core support needs: The foundation values unrestricted/core support. If appropriate, request flexible funding and explain how it strengthens organizational capacity for systems change.
  • Demonstrate deep expertise: Laudes partners with organizations bringing “deep expertise and gravitas” in their sectors. Clearly articulate your organization's unique expertise and track record.
  • Show geographic and sectoral alignment: Ensure your geographic scope matches their regional priorities for your sector (Europe for built environment/finance; global with Asia/Brazil focus for fashion).
  • Highlight collaboration: Projects involving coalitions, partnerships, or sector-wide initiatives align with their approach. Show how you work with and through others for systems change.

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