Lseg Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £4.5+ million (£4,307,869 in 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation/partnership-based approach)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Varies by partnership type; not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: Global (strategic partners); International (regional partners based on LSEG office locations)
• Application Process: No public application process; partnership-based selection

Contact Details

Email: LSEGFoundation@lseg.com

Phone: 020 7797 1000

Address: LSEG, 10 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7LS

Website: https://www.lseg.com/en/about-us/lseg-foundation

Overview

The LSEG Foundation is an independent charitable entity (Charity Number 1182952) established to help people from underserved communities access economic opportunities and build financial independence. Founded as the foundation of the London Stock Exchange Group, it operates as a strategic grantmaker with a goal to positively impact 1 million lives by 2030. The Foundation receives funding through LSEG plc donations, London Stock Exchange fines, and corporate and colleague fundraising. Rather than operating as a traditional open-call grantmaker, LSEG Foundation delivers its mission through a carefully curated portfolio of charitable partners across three distinct pillars: strategic multi-year partnerships, regional community partnerships, and sustainable economy initiatives. The Foundation's approach emphasizes long-term impact, employee engagement, and accountability through rigorous impact measurement frameworks.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The LSEG Foundation operates three distinct grant streams:

1. Strategic Partners (Multi-year Partnerships)

• Room to Read: Supporting literacy and gender equality initiatives in low-income communities; recent work includes financial literacy interventions in Bangalore, support for girls during crises in Sri Lanka, and expansion in the Philippines
• Girls Who Code: Addressing the gender gap in technology and computer science, inspiring girls to become computer scientists and engineers
• Skills Builder: Expanding the Global Accelerator Programme to over 50 schools worldwide, integrating skills learning into national curriculums with direct local teacher support
• Women's World Banking: Expanding economic assets, participation, and power of low-income women and their households through access to financial services, knowledge, and markets
• UNICEF: Global charity partner with 22+ years of partnership; supports international humanitarian efforts

These are typically structured as multi-year, high-impact partnerships with joint governance arrangements, knowledge sharing, employee volunteerism, and collaborative programme development.

2. Regional Partners (Annual Grants)

The Foundation provides annual project and volunteering grants to regionally selected charities in communities where LSEG operates. Regional partners identified include:

• Crée Ton Avenir (France)
• CAF Onlus (Italy)
• SLAPSW (Sri Lanka)
• School-Home-Support (United Kingdom)
• City Harvest (USA)
• Amigos Dos Bem (Brazil)
• Beyond Conflict (UK, supporting mental health initiatives in the Middle East)

Regional grants are allocated through employee-led regional charity committees and community action teams using a scorecard approach for decision-making.

3. Sustainable Economy Partners

Non-commercial initiatives focused on unlocking finance to drive a just transition to a net-zero economy. Notable example: Chapter Zero's Transition Plan Toolkit (supported at COP28).

Priority Areas

• Education & Literacy: Supporting literacy skills development and educational access in low-income communities
• Financial Literacy: Developing financial literacy interventions at scale
• Employment & Skills: Building employment skills and creating pathways to employment
• Gender Equality: Promoting gender equality in technology, education, and economic participation
• Entrepreneurship: Supporting enterprise and economic empowerment programs
• Disaster Relief: Crisis response and community recovery initiatives
• Climate Transition: Supporting finance mechanisms for net-zero transition

What They Don't Fund

LSEG Foundation does not operate an open grants program and does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations not already in their partner network. They do not provide grants on a project-by-project basis outside their established three-pillar structure.

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Governance and Leadership

Governance Structure: The LSEG Foundation is governed by a Board comprising 8 trustees (6 internal and 2 independent trustees). No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Key Leadership:

• Head of Foundation: Luke Manning (also Head of Sustainability at LSEG) - brings extensive experience in communications, sustainability, and community investment strategy
• Chair: Balbir (Executive Sponsor of BEING network at LSEG)
• Notable Trustee: Abha Thorat-Shah (Executive Director of Social Finance, founding member of British Asian Trust)

Luke Manning has directed the Foundation's evolution from a traditional grant-maker toward a strategic partnership model. He is recognized for developing measurable approaches to community investment that align with LSEG's broader sustainability strategy.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The LSEG Foundation does not have a public application process. This is not a traditional open-call grantmaker.

Instead, the Foundation operates through:

1. Strategic Partner Selection: Strategic partnerships are identified through LSEG's strategic planning process and board-level decisions. These are typically multi-year commitments with established, internationally recognized organizations.

• Employee-led regional charity committees
• Community action teams within LSEG offices
• Recommendations from these committees based on community needs
• A scorecard-based evaluation approach

• Application and due diligence process
• KYC (Know Your Customer) compliance screening
• Grant agreement execution (outlining scope, expectations, and engagement requirements)
• Submission of invoice/donation request letter
• Provision of proof of bank account details

Getting on Their Radar

LSEG Foundation Employee Network: The most significant pathway to Foundation awareness is through LSEG's employee base. LSEG employees serve on regional charity committees and community action teams that actively identify and recommend partner organizations. If your organization operates in communities where LSEG has a significant presence (London, other UK locations, France, Italy, Brazil, USA, Asia), building relationships with LSEG employees who support your cause can increase visibility.

Geographic Alignment: The Foundation prioritizes charities in regions where LSEG operates. Regional partnerships are specifically selected to address “the issues that matter most in the communities where we operate.” Having local impact in LSEG office locations makes organizations more visible to regional committees.

Disaster Response Opportunities: The Foundation has demonstrated willingness to fund crisis-response initiatives during emergencies. Organizations working in crisis management or disaster relief should monitor LSEG's response announcements.

Strategic Partnership Characteristics: While rare, strategic partnerships are reserved for internationally recognized organizations demonstrating:

• Significant scale and global reach (Room to Read, Girls Who Code operate in multiple countries)
• Clear alignment with economic empowerment mission
• Track record of measurable impact
• Capacity for multi-year engagement and reporting

Direct Engagement: Organizations in LSEG's priority sectors (education, employment, financial inclusion, gender equality in STEM, sustainable finance) operating in LSEG locations can inquire directly about partnership possibilities by contacting LSEGFoundation@lseg.com.

Decision Timeline

The Foundation does not disclose formal application timelines, as partner selection is ongoing through employee committees and internal strategic planning rather than fixed application cycles.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed, as the Foundation operates through partnership identification rather than competitive application processes.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as organizations are identified by the Foundation rather than applying directly. However, regional committees conduct annual reviews of current partnerships for renewal or continuation.

Application Success Factors

LSEG Foundation's Specific Preferences

Impact Measurement Capability: The Foundation requires all partners to participate in its impact measurement framework. Partner organizations must:

• Complete annual impact questionnaires
• Participate in annual interviews/assessments
• Demonstrate measurable outcomes contributing to the Foundation's 1 million lives by 2030 goal

Organizations with strong monitoring and evaluation systems and clear, quantifiable impact metrics are more attractive to the Foundation.

Economic Empowerment Focus: While the Foundation funds across education, employment, and enterprise, the connecting thread is economic empowerment. The most successful partners directly help beneficiaries access economic opportunities or build financial independence. Project proposals or organizational missions that explicitly connect programming to economic opportunity have stronger appeal.

Employee Alignment: Regional committees are staffed by LSEG employees. Organizations that can demonstrate how their work aligns with employee values, interests, and expertise, or that offer meaningful volunteer opportunities for employees, are more likely to receive attention.

Established Track Record: The Foundation works with partners to achieve “high-impact” outcomes. Organizations should demonstrate:

• Years of operational experience
• Proven effectiveness in their chosen field
• Clear governance and financial management
• Ability to scale programming

Long-term Partnership Readiness: Unlike transactional grants, LSEG partnerships assume ongoing engagement. Organizations should be prepared for:

• Multi-year funding relationships
• Active engagement with Foundation staff and potentially LSEG volunteers
• Annual reporting on impact and outcomes
• Collaborative program development where appropriate

Examples of Recent Funded Work

Recent examples of LSEG Foundation-supported initiatives include:

• Room to Read Expansion: Financial literacy interventions in Bangalore and crisis support for girls in Sri Lanka demonstrate Foundation interest in education access and gender equality combined with economic literacy.

• Skills Builder Global Accelerator: Expansion to 50+ schools with national curriculum integration shows Foundation preference for sustainable, scalable education partnerships.

• Beyond Conflict Mental Health Initiatives: 2024-2025 funding for mental health programming in Israeli and Palestinian communities demonstrates openness to social cohesion and community healing work.

• Chapter Zero Transition Plan Toolkit: Sustainable economy partnership supporting climate finance mechanisms shows emerging interest in enterprise-level sustainability initiatives.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Not a Traditional Grant Program: LSEG Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. This is a relationship-based, partnership-driven funder. Grant writers cannot apply directly; instead, organizations must become visible to the Foundation through employee networks or strategic relationships.

• Employee Network is Key: Regional charity committees staffed by LSEG employees actively identify partners. Organizations in LSEG office locations (particularly UK) should consider building relationships with LSEG employees and making their work visible to the company's workforce.

• Emphasis on Economic Empowerment: All three funding pillars connect to economic opportunity. Position your organization's work as enabling underserved communities to access economic opportunities, build skills, or achieve financial independence.

• High-Impact, Long-term Partnerships: LSEG Foundation invests in long-term partnerships with organizations capable of demonstrating substantial impact. If approached by the Foundation, expect deep engagement, measurement requirements, and multi-year commitment.

• Geographic Strategy Matters: Regional partnerships prioritize LSEG operating locations. Organizations in France, Italy, Brazil, USA, and UK have better visibility to regional committees. Global organizations are rarely selected unless their work is exceptional (as with Room to Read).

• Strong Evaluation Capability Required: The Foundation conducts rigorous impact measurement. Organizations must have or develop capacity for annual impact reporting, data collection, and outcome measurement against Foundation frameworks.

• Strategic Partnerships Are Rare: The four major strategic partners (Room to Read, Girls Who Code, Skills Builder, Women's World Banking) represent the highest tier of engagement. These partnerships are reserved for organizations of significant scale and proven global impact. Most organizations partnering with the Foundation do so through regional grant programs.

References

1. LSEG Foundation Official Website - https://www.lseg.com/en/about-us/lseg-foundation

1. UK Charity Commission - LSEG Foundation (Charity Number 1182952) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1182952&subid=0

1. LSEG Sustainability Report 2024 - https://www.lseg.com/content/dam/lseg/en_us/documents/reports/lseg-sustainability-report.pdf (Referenced November 2024)

1. LSEG Foundation - Charity Commission Trustees Information - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5131729/trustees

1. Room to Read & LSEG Foundation Partnership Announcement - https://www.roomtoread.org/the-latest/room-to-read-and-lseg-foundation-ring-in-expanded-partnership-for-global-education-support/

1. Women's World Banking Funding Partners - https://www.womensworldbanking.org/about-us/our-funding-partners/

1. Beyond Conflict & LSEG Foundation Funding Partnership - https://beyond-conflict.co.uk/mediahub/blog/london-stock-exchange-group-foundation-renews-beyond-conflict-funding/

1. Bean Research - LSEG Foundation Evaluation Partner - https://www.beanresearch.co.uk/project/lseg-foundation-2/

1. SSE Initiative - LSEG Foundation Supporter Profile - https://sseinitiative.org/supporter/lseg-foundation

1. Luke Manning - LinkedIn Profile and LSEG Foundation Role - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lukemanning

1. Girls Who Code - Strategic Partners - https://girlswhocode.com/get-involved/partner

1. The Giving Department - London Stock Exchange Group Profile - https://www.thegivingdepartment.com/corporate/london-stock-exchange-group/