Nilo Foundation

Charity Number: 1195271

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M
Geographic Focus: Throughout England And Wales, France

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £187,107 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not specified
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: Europe and UK (also operates in France)
  • Founded: 2021

Contact Details

Website: https://www.nilofoundation.org

Email: marie@nilofoundation.org / info@nilofoundation.org

Phone: 07891 803708

Address: 25 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1JF

Overview

NILO Foundation is a relatively young charitable company, registered in July 2021, that practices systems-change philanthropy through long-term, trust-based partnerships. With annual expenditure of £187,107 (2024), the foundation offers regenerative solutions to complex world issues, focusing on developing human potential, building community, and transitioning towards a just and sustainable economy. The foundation operates through an invitation-only model, proactively seeking organizations that align with their mission rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Their distinctive approach emphasizes “evergreen funding” and strategic support to enhance capacity building, working at the intersection of wellbeing, social cohesion, and sustainability across Europe and the UK.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

NILO Foundation does not operate traditional grant programs with fixed application cycles. Instead, they build a portfolio of partners through proactive outreach and relationship-building. Their funding approach includes:

  • Long-term Partnership Funding: Evergreen funding (unrestricted, long-term grants) to support sustained organizational development
  • Capacity Building Support: Strategic support alongside financial resources to enhance organizational effectiveness
  • Systems Change Funding: Grants to frontline charities, advocacy groups, think-tanks, and mission-led businesses

Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on underfunded yet critical issues at three intersecting themes:

Education for 21st Century Skills

  • Educational systems development
  • Social and emotional learning programmes
  • Skills for contemporary challenges

Social Cohesion

  • Community building initiatives
  • Strengthening social bonds
  • Addressing division and inequality

Wellbeing Economy & Sustainability

  • Economic structures that respect people and planet
  • Environmental sustainability initiatives
  • Regenerative solutions to complex challenges

The foundation takes a systemic approach, identifying root causes and structural issues, and funding networks, infrastructure organizations, research, and advocacy in addition to frontline programmes.

What They Don't Fund

Given their proactive approach, NILO Foundation:

  • Does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Does not operate open grant rounds
  • Focuses specifically on their identified priority themes at the intersection of wellbeing, social cohesion, and sustainability
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Bertrand Perrodo (Chair, appointed April 2021) - President of the foundation, French national based in England
  • Aurelia Kassatly (Trustee, appointed April 2021) - Principal at Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) with an MBA from University of Cambridge, advising private clients on impact and philanthropy since 2018
  • Natalie Rowena Amy Teall (Trustee, appointed February 2025)

Key Staff:

  • Marie Paglinghi (Director) - Worked closely with the founder from day one to establish the foundation. Manages thematic research, thought-leadership, grant-making strategy, deal sourcing, partner engagement, monitoring/evaluation/learning, communications, and board engagement. She describes her work as "Systems-change & Trust-based Philanthropy“ and believes philanthropy, ”when done collaboratively, with strategic and systems thinking, courage and care - can solve real structural issues and address power imbalances."

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The foundation maintains policies on financial controls, risk management, safeguarding, and conflicts of interest.

How to Apply to Nilo Foundation

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

NILO Foundation operates through an invitation-only model. According to their stated approach, “due to the nature of their work and their proactive sourcing of partners, they do not consider uninvited funding proposals.”

The foundation proactively seeks out organizations that align with their mission and values, building close, long-term relationships while keeping partners' expertise and autonomy at the center of the process. They conduct in-depth research, connect with experts, and build a portfolio of partners among frontline charities, advocacy groups, and think-tanks to act on different levers of their chosen ecosystems.

For inquiries: Organizations wishing to discuss ideas or understand the foundation's grant-making strategy better may contact info@nilofoundation.org, though this does not constitute a formal application process.

Getting on Their Radar

Specific intelligence about how organizations come to the foundation's attention is limited, but their documented approach suggests:

  • Research-driven identification: The foundation conducts in-depth thematic research to identify organizations working on their priority issues
  • Expert networks: They connect with sector experts who may recommend aligned organizations
  • Portfolio building strategy: They deliberately build balanced portfolios across frontline delivery, advocacy, and research/think-tank organizations within their priority themes
  • Direct engagement: Marie Paglinghi (Director) manages deal sourcing and partner engagement, suggesting organizations may come to their attention through her networks in systems-change and trust-based philanthropy circles

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given their relationship-based approach, the timeline from initial contact to funding partnership likely varies significantly based on organizational fit and timing.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional success rates cannot be calculated.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since NILO Foundation operates through invitation rather than application, “success factors” relate more to organizational characteristics that attract their attention:

Strategic Alignment:

  • Organizations working at the intersection of wellbeing, social cohesion, and sustainability
  • Those addressing underfunded yet critical issues
  • Charities, advocacy groups, think-tanks, and mission-led businesses

Systems-Change Orientation:

The foundation explicitly seeks organizations that work on systemic issues rather than just symptoms. As their approach states, they focus on “identifying root causes and structural issues” and support “networks, infrastructure organisations, research and advocacy in addition to frontline programmes.”

Geographic Focus:

Organizations must operate in Europe and the UK (with specific mention of operations in France and throughout England and Wales).

Readiness for Long-term Partnership:

The foundation's model of “evergreen funding and strategic support” requires organizations ready for sustained engagement, not just one-off grants. They emphasize “building relationships of trust” over time.

Capacity for Collaboration:

The foundation seeks organizations that can work collaboratively within their portfolio approach, as they build networks of partners acting on different levers within an ecosystem.

Organizational Values:

Marie Paglinghi's statement about solving “real structural issues and address[ing] power imbalances” suggests they seek partners with progressive values around equity and social justice.

Mission and Beneficiary Focus:

The foundation's charitable purposes explicitly mention advancing education (particularly social and emotional learning), suggesting educational organizations may be particularly well-aligned. Their beneficiaries include children/young people, other charities, and the general public.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited applications: This is not a funder you can apply to directly. Focus instead on becoming visible in their priority areas through excellent work, sector networks, and thought leadership
  • Systems-change focus: They fund across multiple organizational types (frontline, advocacy, research) within an ecosystem - position your organization's work in relation to broader systems change
  • Long-term commitment: They offer “evergreen funding” and expect sustained partnerships, not short-term project grants
  • Thematic priorities: Work must sit at the intersection of wellbeing, social cohesion, and sustainability - single-issue organizations outside this nexus are unlikely to align
  • Geographic specificity: Europe and UK focus (particularly England, Wales, and France) - organizations outside these regions are out of scope
  • Capacity building orientation: They provide strategic support alongside funding - demonstrate readiness to engage in organizational development
  • Relationship-led: With Marie Paglinghi managing partner engagement, connecting through trust-based philanthropy and systems-change networks may be the most viable pathway to their attention

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