Lifelines International Fund For Education

Charity Number: 1136839

Annual Expenditure: £0.6M
Geographic Focus: Hillingdon

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £591,231 (2024)
  • Annual Income: £790,751 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly specified (board review process)
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £15,000+ (based on documented examples)
  • Geographic Focus: UK and international (India, Kenya, Romania, Tanzania, Nepal, Peru)
  • Organizations Funded Since 2020: 18
  • Projects Initiated Since 2020: 23

Contact Details

Website: www.lifelines-international.org

Email: INFO@LIFELINES-INTERNATIONAL.ORG

Phone: 020 3869 5000

Registered Office: 76 Park Street, London, W1K 2JY

Charity Number: 1136839

Company Number: 06792434

Overview

Lifelines International Fund for Education was established in 2009 as a UK-registered charity focused on transforming lives through education-led empowerment. Founded by Rupin Vadera, who previously served as President and Trustee of Chinmaya Mission UK for 25 years, the organization has grown to become a strategic grant-making foundation supporting carefully vetted charities and NGOs. With total income of £790,751 and grant-making expenditure of £591,231 in 2024, Lifelines has funded 18 organizations across 23 projects since 2020, reaching 63,500 women, 25,000 children, supporting 1,000 schools, and saving 830 lives. The foundation dreams of “a world where all women and children are equipped with the education, self belief and local support systems, to achieve their full potential,” positioning itself as a builder of a “passion-driven network of charities” aligned with transformational impact. The organization operates with 5 trustees, 2 employees, and 2 volunteers, with no trustee remuneration.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Lifelines funds initiatives ranging from single emergency and disaster relief grants to long-term projects spanning multiple years. Documented grant examples include:

  • Bursary Funds: £5,000 per year over three years (£15,000 total) to Migrant Help for post-secondary education
  • Multi-year Program Support: Core funding and program-specific grants for established organizations
  • Pilot Projects: Initial funding for new initiatives with potential for long-term partnership
  • Emergency Relief: Single grants for disaster response

Priority Areas

Prospective partners must align with one or more of these charitable objectives:

  1. Women's Empowerment: Programs supporting female survivors of domestic abuse, vulnerable migrant women, and women experiencing homelessness
  2. Access to Education: Projects supporting disadvantaged children, literacy interventions, leadership development for young people, and education in rural or underserved areas
  3. Training & Skills Development: Vocational training, post-secondary education bursaries, employability programs
  4. Access to Primary Healthcare: Healthcare initiatives integrated with education and empowerment programs
  5. Disaster & Emergency Relief: Emergency grants and disaster response funding

Recent Grant Recipients Include:

  • Think Equal: Mental health first aid training for young people
  • Pratham: Hamara Gaon education program in rural India
  • Babylon Migrants Project: Supporting young refugees and migrants aged 16-30
  • Future Leaders Programme: Leadership development for Year 12/13 students across London (co-funded with Mayor of London's Shared Endeavour Fund)
  • Phola: Culturally sensitive mental health interventions
  • The Happy Baby Community Hub: Supporting migrant women and children in West London
  • CHUMS: Suicide response, babyloss, and disability friendship services in Bedfordshire
  • Crisis (Power Up!): Support groups for women experiencing homelessness
  • Migrant Help: Bursary fund for domestic abuse victims pursuing careers in support services
  • Pan Intercultural Arts: Creative programs for refugees and trafficking survivors
  • Future Living: Empowerment program for female domestic abuse survivors
  • Quest for Learning: Literacy support for disadvantaged children in Oxfordshire
  • Sense International: Inclusive education projects in Uganda and other countries (India, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania, Peru, Romania)
  • Satya Special School: Intervention services for children with disabilities

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly documented, the organization's focus areas suggest they prioritize:

  • Education-led transformation over capital projects
  • Organizations with track records of delivery over start-ups (though pilot funding is available)
  • Projects with clear pathways to sustainability over indefinite funding dependency
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Rupin Vadera (Founder & Trustee)

Kenyan-born entrepreneur who established successful property and financial advisory businesses in the UK. His “sustaining passion is supporting and building transformational education projects.” Served as President and Trustee of Chinmaya Mission UK for nearly 25 years, supporting projects for blind children, social-emotional learning, and educational initiatives. Involved with Lifelines since 2009.

Madhavi Vadera (CEO)

Chartered Accountant (FCMA) and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with over 40 years of professional experience spanning FMCG, defence, publishing, financial services, international public sector, and charity sectors. Currently serves as Finance Director of FII Ltd and NATO consultant. Board member of Sense International Romania. "Madhavi's passion is working with the charity sector, focussing on women and children from disadvantaged or deprived communities with a view to education-led transformation." Has led teams of student volunteers to teach in rural impoverished areas in India.

Pia Mandus (Trustee)

Business Management graduate from Haaga-Helia University with STEP Diploma and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Swiss and International Taxation. Senior Client Relationship Manager in Zurich, Switzerland. Foundation Council Member of UTIL Stiftung. Multilingual (Finnish, German, English, Swedish).

Darpan Patel (Trustee)

Chartered Accountant (CGMA) specializing in management consulting and business transformation for FTSE 100 and private equity-backed companies. Serves as school governor and works with Paralympic cyclist Karen Darke on youth empowerment initiatives.

The board is described as sharing “a passion for eradicating injustice and extending a lifeline to passionate enablers of change.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Lifelines International accepts applications on a rolling basis through a structured multi-stage process:

Step 1: Initial Screening

Review funding criteria and previously funded projects on their website to ensure alignment with their charitable objectives (women's empowerment, education access, training & skills, primary healthcare, disaster relief).

Step 2: Application Submission

Submit a comprehensive business case including:

  • Organization's mission and vision
  • Key outcomes achieved to date
  • Overview of organizational structure
  • Financial statements from the last two years
  • Quantitative and qualitative impact projections for the proposed project
  • Details of the project team and their expertise
  • Explanation of resources and expertise available
  • Clear path to self-sustainability (how the project will continue beyond grant funding)

Applications should be sent to INFO@LIFELINES-INTERNATIONAL.ORG

Step 3: Application Review

The Lifelines team reviews applications against three key evaluation factors:

  1. Alignment with Lifelines' vision: Does the project support women and children to achieve their full potential through education, self-belief, and local support systems?
  2. Strong funding case: Is there a well-defined need with clear impact projections?
  3. Robust governance and organizational longevity: Does the organization demonstrate track record and sustainability?

Step 4: Board Submission

Shortlisted applications are presented to the Board of Trustees for decision.

Step 5: Grant Funding

Successful applicants may receive funding for pilot projects initially, with potential for long-term partnership and relationship development.

Decision Timeline

Specific timeframes are not publicly disclosed. The process involves internal review followed by board submission, suggesting decisions likely take several weeks to months depending on board meeting schedules.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. With 18 organizations funded across 23 projects since 2020 and annual grant-making expenditure of £591,231, the foundation maintains a selective but active grant-making approach focused on long-term partnerships rather than high-volume grant distribution.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly documented. The foundation emphasizes building “relationships that evolve and deepen over time” and mentions funding ranging “from single emergency and disaster relief grants to long-term projects spanning years,” suggesting that unsuccessful applicants may reapply and that successful grantees can apply for continued or expanded funding.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Core Vision

Lifelines seeks organizations that share their vision of empowering women and children to become “beacons of change” in their communities. Applications should demonstrate how the project enables beneficiaries to achieve their full potential through education, self-belief, and sustainable local support systems—not just providing services but building capacity for long-term transformation.

Strong Partnership Potential

The foundation describes itself as creating a “passion-driven network of charities” and emphasizes that “the organisations we support are our charity partners.” They value “relationships that evolve and deepen over time.” Applications should demonstrate openness to collaborative partnership beyond financial support, including networking opportunities and shared learning forums.

Evidence of Track Record and Governance

Lifelines invests in “carefully vetted charities and NGOs that have a track record of delivering empowerment and transformation.” Applications must demonstrate robust governance, organizational longevity, and proven ability to deliver impact. Include concrete evidence of outcomes achieved to date with quantitative and qualitative measures.

Path to Sustainability

Applications must clearly articulate how the project will achieve self-sustainability. The foundation wants to see that their investment will create lasting change beyond the grant period. Explain resource mobilization plans, earned income strategies, or other funding streams being developed.

Organizational Values Alignment

Lifelines operates according to five core values:

  • Responsiveness: Swift action to emerging global needs
  • Inspiration: Projects that touch hearts and inspire change
  • Tolerance & Diversity: Inclusive policies not restricted by race, religion, or gender
  • Accountability: Transparent reporting and impact measurement
  • Sensitivity: Culturally appropriate solutions

Applications should demonstrate how these values are embedded in the proposed project and organizational culture.

Specific to Project Type

For Education Projects: Emphasize transformational education (building self-belief and skills for life) rather than just access to schooling. Projects in rural or underserved areas appear particularly aligned with founder Rupin Vadera's passion for “transformational education projects” in such contexts.

For Women's Empowerment: Projects supporting pathways from vulnerability to empowerment through counselling, training, volunteering opportunities, and skills development align well with Madhavi Vadera's focus on “women and children from disadvantaged or deprived communities with a view to education-led transformation.”

For Disability Services: The organization has funded multiple projects supporting people with disabilities (CHUMS Disability Friendship Scheme, Satya Special School, Sense International), suggesting receptivity to disability-focused proposals that align with education and empowerment objectives.

For Refugee and Migrant Support: Multiple grants to refugee and migrant organizations (Babylon Migrants, Migrant Help, Pan Intercultural Arts, The Happy Baby Community Hub) demonstrate strong interest in supporting these communities, particularly women and children.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Emphasize transformation over service delivery: Lifelines funds education-led empowerment that creates “beacons of change,” not just service provision. Show how beneficiaries will transform their own lives and communities.
  • Think partnership, not transaction: Position your application as the beginning of a long-term collaborative relationship. Lifelines values evolving partnerships and offers networking and shared learning opportunities beyond funding.
  • Demonstrate both heart and head: The foundation seeks projects that “touch hearts” while also showing robust governance, proven track record, and clear impact measurement. Balance inspiration with accountability.
  • Show sustainability planning: A clear path to self-sustainability is essential. Explain how the project will continue beyond grant funding and how Lifelines' investment will create lasting infrastructure or capacity.
  • Align with values: Explicitly connect your project to Lifelines' five core values (responsiveness, inspiration, tolerance & diversity, accountability, sensitivity) and demonstrate how these are embedded in your approach.
  • Provide comprehensive financial transparency: With two trustees having chartered accountancy backgrounds (Madhavi Vadera and Darpan Patel), expect thorough financial due diligence. Provide two years of financial statements and clear budget projections.
  • Consider pilot project approach: Lifelines mentions “grant funding for pilot projects,” suggesting you might propose a smaller initial project with potential for expansion if successful, rather than requesting maximum funding immediately.

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