Mission44

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £5,597,241 (recorded period)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (mostly invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Up to 3 months
• Grant Range: Up to £540,000+ (largest known grant to date)
• Geographic Focus: UK, US, Brazil (global foundation with UK base)

Contact Details

Address: 81 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY

Phone: 020 3984 4750

Email: info@mission44.org

Website: https://mission44.org

Media Enquiries: media@mission44.org

For grant enquiries: Organizations can submit unsolicited enquiries through the online form on their website, though proposals are mostly by invitation only.

Overview

Mission 44 is a charitable foundation established in July 2021 by seven-time Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, with a personal pledge of £20 million to fund the foundation through its first years. The foundation exists to drive change so that every young person can thrive in school and access great careers in STEM. Through grant-making, research, and advocacy, Mission 44 focuses on building a more inclusive education system, supporting progression into STEM careers and the creative industries, and empowering young people to be changemakers. The foundation has grown from one grantee to supporting 33+ organizations across the UK, reaching approximately 300,000 young people. Mission 44's work is grounded in evidence-led decision making and focuses on initiatives with the ability to drive systemic change.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Mission 44 offers both restricted and unrestricted grants organized around specific strategic initiatives:

1. Preventing Exclusions Fund (in partnership with Sky - £1 million+)

• £450,000 grants to Multi-Academy Trusts (Co-op Academies Trust and Oasis)
• Focus: Pilot innovative approaches to reducing school exclusions, particularly for Black Caribbean students who face exclusion rates twice that of their peers
• Application: By invitation or through specific open calls

2. Diversity in Education Fund

• Supports organizations working to increase representation of ethnically diverse teachers
• Four-year partnerships with six organizations including Chartered College of Teaching and National Institute of Teaching
• Recent grants include £280,000 combined investment to The Black Curriculum and CAPE Mentors
• Application: Periodic open calls with detailed guidance published on website and social media

3. Inclusive Education Programme

• Grants supporting systemic change in education
• Recent recipients include organizations focused on curriculum provision and mentoring
• Application: Primarily by invitation

4. STEM and Motorsport Careers

• Partnership with Teach First: £540,000 to recruit and train 150 Black STEM teachers over two years (first and largest grant to date)
• Note: Does NOT sponsor individual students seeking to enter motorsport

5. Innovation Fund (Launching)

• Supporting new models that reimagine the purpose and delivery of education
• Details to be announced

Grant Decision-Making Structure

• Up to £75,000: Decided by CEO with Youth Advisory Board consultation
• £75,001 - £200,000: Decided by Impact Committee
• Over £200,000: Decided by Board of Trustees

Priority Areas

Mission 44 organizes work around three strategic pillars:

1. Representation: Supporting access to and progress in spaces, professions, and sectors with poor diversity for young people from underrepresented groups

2. Progression: Developing better pathways for underrepresented young people to achieve and thrive, focusing on those most at risk of being left behind

3. Empowerment: Working with young people to be agents of change

Target Population:

• People under age 27 who face barriers to success
• Young people from low-income backgrounds
• Young people of color

Geographic Focus: Currently operating in UK, US, and Brazil

What They Don't Fund

• Individual sponsorships, specifically individuals seeking to enter motorsport
• For-profit organizations (though for-profits may participate as part of wider partnerships with eligible lead organizations)
• Work that doesn't align with their focus on young people under 27 from underrepresented backgrounds
• Organizations without proper governance structures (board of trustees or similar)

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Governance and Leadership

Founder

Sir Lewis Hamilton - Seven-time Formula One World Champion who pledged £20 million to establish the foundation based on his first-hand experience of an education system that worked against him.

Hamilton's vision: “Supporting the ambitions of underrepresented young people has always been important to me and Mission 44 represents my commitment to create real change within this community. In my early life, I experienced first-hand how coming from an underrepresented background can affect your future but, luckily for me, I was able to overcome those odds through opportunity and support. I want to ensure that other young people from similar backgrounds are able to do the same.”

Senior Leadership Team

Jason Arthur - Chief Executive Officer

Former teacher in East London with leadership roles at Teach First, #iwill campaign, and Youth Futures Foundation. Education: BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford, Masters in Education from Cambridge.

Key quote: "Mission 44's role is ultimately to act as an enabler – our role is to empower transformative organisations and leaders. To truly drive systemic change, our partners, young people and funders have consistently encouraged us to be bold and disruptive."

Cara Cinnamon - Chief Impact Officer

Former CEO of youth justice charity, previously at Procter and Gamble. Leads grantmaking, research, evaluation, and advocacy work.

Jamie Elfenbein - Chief Growth Officer

Former teacher and school leader in Houston, with leadership roles at Robin Hood Foundation and Teach For America. Leads global expansion and fundraising efforts.

Rob Luke - Chief Operating Officer

Former diplomat with service in Brazil, France, and Malta. Passionate about enabling organizations to maximize positive social and environmental impact.

Board of Trustees

• Baroness Valerie Amos - Master of University College Oxford
• Natacha Minniti - Managing Director at J.P. Morgan
• Aziza Ajak - Principal of The Grange Academy in Bushey
• Dawid - Co-Founder of Redington, Mallowstreet, and 10,000 Black Interns

Youth Advisory Board

Newly established to provide input at every step of grantmaking decisions, reflecting Mission 44's commitment to participatory grantmaking.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Primary Route: Invitation Only

Mission 44 identifies potential delivery partners through research, networks, and input from experts and collaborators. The majority of proposals are by invitation.

Unsolicited Enquiries

Not-for-profit organizations can submit unsolicited requests through the enquiries form on the Mission 44 website. However:

• Mission 44 will only invite applications where there is strong alignment with funding priorities AND available budget
• Enquiries are reviewed on a monthly basis
• Mission 44 will only respond to organizations where there is strong alignment and budget available

Open Calls

Mission 44 occasionally runs open calls for specific funding programmes (e.g., Diversity in Education Fund). These are publicized through:

• Social media channels
• Partner networks
• Mission 44 website with detailed guidance

Application Method: Online portal or by invitation (varies by programme)

Decision Timeline

• Review of unsolicited enquiries: Monthly
• Decision timeframe: Aim to provide decision within 3 months for invited applications
• First payment: Typically within 1 month of signed grant agreement
• Note: Two-stage application processes may extend the final funding decision beyond three months

Success Rates

Mission 44 does not currently publish success rate data because the majority of funding is through invitation only. They plan to publish success rates as they expand to include more open funding programmes.

Known statistics:

• In a recorded period, 39 donations totaling £5,597,241 were made to 28 organizations
• Mission 44 was the sole supporter for 36% of grants by number and 39% by value
• Currently supporting 33+ organizations
• Prepared to support unregistered organizations

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy or waiting period is publicly documented. Given the invitation-only nature of most funding, unsuccessful applicants should focus on building alignment with Mission 44's priorities and maintaining engagement through their networks.

Application Success Factors

What Mission 44 Looks For

Strategic Alignment:

• Organizations supporting young people from underserved backgrounds
• Partners historically underfunded
• Potential to catalyze innovation and drive systemic change
• Evidence-led approaches
• Alignment with one or more of their three pillars: Representation, Progression, Empowerment

Organizational Characteristics:

• “Innovators and system-changers” that help young people thrive
• Organizations described as “brilliant organisations... breaking down barriers and creating opportunities”
• Proper governance structures (board of trustees or similar)
• Capacity for collective action and collaboration

Advice from Leadership

Jason Arthur, CEO: "Young people faced with exclusion are often very vulnerable learners, having to overcome a range of disadvantages and discrimination. We're proud to be partnering with two organisations that are doing such inspiring work to build a more inclusive education system."

The foundation values:

• Bravery: Being bold and disruptive in approach
• Evidence: Decisions informed by research and data
• Youth Voice: Young people involved at every step through Youth Advisory Board
• Transparency: Open about grantmaking through 360Giving platform

Examples of Funded Projects

Education & Exclusions:

• The Difference and Just for Kids Law: Preventing school exclusions
• Co-op Academies Trust and Oasis: £450,000 each for innovative exclusion reduction approaches
• The Black Curriculum: Expanding curriculum provision and teacher training
• CAPE Mentors: Scaling support for vulnerable learners across London

Teacher Diversity:

• Teach First: £540,000 for recruiting 150 Black STEM teachers
• Chartered College of Teaching (with Being Luminary and Chiltern Learning Trust)
• National Institute of Teaching (with Mindful Equity UK and Now Teach)

Language and Terminology

Mission 44 uses specific terminology that applicants should understand:

• “Underserved backgrounds” / “underrepresented backgrounds”
• “Systemic change” and “system-changers”
• “Inclusive education system”
• “Vulnerable learners”
• “Achievement gaps”
• “Participatory grantmaking”
• “Evidence-led”

Standing Out

1. Demonstrate systemic impact: Show how your work changes systems, not just individuals
2. Center young people: Demonstrate meaningful youth involvement in design and delivery
3. Evidence your approach: Use data and research to support your model
4. Show collaboration: Mission 44 values collective action and partnership
5. Address specific gaps: Focus on Black Caribbean students, ethnic minority teachers, STEM access
6. Be innovative: They're launching an innovation fund specifically to support new models

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Invitation-only is the norm: Build relationships and visibility in the sector rather than waiting for open calls. Engage with Mission 44's networks and events.

1. Youth voice is essential: Mission 44 involves their Youth Advisory Board at every decision-making step. Applications should demonstrate meaningful youth participation, not tokenism.

1. Think systemic, not individual: Mission 44 funds organizations that change systems and structures, not programs supporting individual participants. Focus on policy change, sector transformation, and scaling impact.

1. Evidence matters: All decisions are evidence-led. Applications need strong data backing the problem, the solution, and the potential impact.

1. Alignment is everything: With unsolicited enquiries reviewed monthly but only strong alignments receiving responses, ensure your work clearly maps to one of their three pillars (Representation, Progression, Empowerment) and serves young people under 27 from underrepresented backgrounds.

1. Be bold and disruptive: Leadership explicitly encourages brave, innovative approaches. Safe, incremental programs are less likely to succeed than transformative models.

1. Three-month patience required: Plan fundraising timelines to accommodate a 3-month decision process, potentially longer for two-stage applications.

1. Partnership opportunities exist: Major corporate partnerships (Sky, Mercedes, HP, Qualcomm) suggest opportunities for collaborative funding models.

References

1. Mission 44 Official Website - Our Grantmaking Approach: https://mission44.org/our-grantmaking-approach/

1. Mission 44 FAQ Page: https://mission44.org/faqs/

1. Mission 44 Grant Making Policy: https://mission44.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Grant-Making-Policy-Sept-2023.pdf

1. UK Charity Commission Register - MISSION44 (Charity No. 1199596): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5193984

1. Giving is Great - MISSION44 Charity Factsheet: https://www.givingisgreat.org.uk/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=1199596

1. Mission 44 - People (Leadership Team): https://mission44.org/people/

1. Mission 44 - Jason Arthur CEO Blog: https://mission44.org/jason-arthur-ceo-blog/

1. Mission 44 - School Exclusions Grants Announcement: https://mission44.org/mission-44-announce-school-exclusion-grants/

1. Mission 44 - Diversity in Education Fund Launch: https://mission44.org/mission-44-launches-diversity-in-education-fund/

1. Mission 44 - Inclusive Education Grants Announcement: https://mission44.org/mission-44-announces-three-grants-as-part-of-its-inclusive-education-programme/

1. Sky Press Release - £1m Partnership with Mission 44: https://www.skygroup.sky/article/sky-donates-over-1million-to-sir-lewis-hamilton-s-foundation-mission-44

1. Sky Sports - Lewis Hamilton launches Mission 44 with £20m pledge: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24181/12365284/lewis-hamilton-launches-mission-44-charitable-foundation-with-personal-pledge-of-20m

1. Mission 44 Annual Report 2023/24: https://mission44.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mission_44_Annual_Report_2023-24.pdf

1. 360Giving GrantNav - Mission 44: https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1199596