Raise Your Hands

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £757,557 (2024)
• Total Distributed Since 2015: Over £3.25 million
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation/nomination only)
• Decision Time: Annual cycle (proposals reviewed throughout year)
• Grant Range: Varies (unrestricted, ongoing support in perpetuity)
• Geographic Focus: UK-wide
• Number of Charities Supported: 17 small charities

Contact Details

Address: c/o Bowmer & Kirkland, 21 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XP

Phone: 07967 039743

Email: info@raiseyourhands.org.uk

Website: www.raiseyourhands.org.uk

Overview

Raise Your Hands was founded in 2014 by Ed Wethered and Chris Kirkland to provide sustainable funding for exceptional small charities working with children and young people. With total assets generating over £962,000 in annual income (2024), the organization operates a unique donor membership model where individuals contribute £10 per month, with 100% of donations passed to supported charities. Since 2015, they have distributed over £3.25 million in unrestricted grants to small UK charities. Their approach centers on long-term partnerships, supporting charities “in perpetuity” until they outgrow the program (exceeding £2 million turnover), experience organizational changes, or their impact diminishes. The organization prides itself on making 100% of member donations available to charities, with operational costs covered by separate patron funding.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Perpetual Unrestricted Funding

• Ongoing unrestricted grants distributed twice annually (January and June)
• No fixed grant amounts (varies based on annual fundraising and member voting)
• Provides sustainable, predictable income to allow capacity building
• Support continues indefinitely until charity outgrows the program or other exit criteria met

Application Method: Invitation only - members nominate charities, which then undergo due diligence. No unsolicited applications accepted.

Priority Areas

Who They Support:

• Small charities (turnover under £2 million) working with children and young people in the UK
• Organizations that are “not household names”
• Charities demonstrating proven impact and innovative approaches
• Organizations with capable leadership and sound governance
• Charities working in specialist fields where they can be responsive without bureaucracy

Current Portfolio Areas Include:

• Children's mental health and wellbeing
• Support for young carers
• Children in care and care leavers
• Literacy and education
• Children affected by parental imprisonment or mental illness
• Youth violence prevention
• Support for children living with HIV
• Leadership development for girls and young women
• Children affected by domestic violence
• Anti-bullying initiatives
• Disability inclusion through arts
• Environmental conservation for young people
• Prison rehabilitation for young adults
• Children's hospice care
• Nature-based therapy for vulnerable children

What They Don't Fund

• Charities with turnover exceeding £2 million
• Well-known/household name charities
• Organizations not working with children or young people
• Charities operating outside the UK
• Organizations without proven impact or robust leadership

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Governance and Leadership

Founders:

• Ed Wethered - Co-founder
• Chris Kirkland (Chairman) - Co-founder with background in real estate and construction, focuses on wider strategy and fundraising

Management Team:

• Slaney Wright (CEO) - Over 20 years in the charity sector, co-founded Switchback (criminal justice charity). Wright stated: “Our mission is to provide a sustainable source of funding for exceptional small charities. Our focus is small charities working with young people.”
• Rose McCarthy (Head of Communications and Development) - 15+ years in communications and strategy, joined 2024
• Madelaine Jones (Head of Partnerships) - Manages charity portfolio and partnership relationships
• Maria Serna (Digital Marketing Manager) - 15 years of digital marketing experience
• Jake Parke (Fundraising and Insights Officer) - Focuses on data-driven fundraising strategies

Trustees:

• Federica Cucè - Over 25 years in finance across M&A, private equity, public equities, and hedge funds
• Nick Burlington - Private equity expert
• Adam Lawrenson - Creative director
• Rossa Shanks - Marketing executive

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications from charities. Instead, they operate a closed nomination model where:

1. Only existing Raise Your Hands members/supporters can propose charities for consideration
2. Members submit proposals via online form (requiring: proposer details, charity name, website, and reason for support)
3. Proposed charities must meet basic eligibility: UK-based, working with children/young people, turnover under £1.5 million (note: this appears to be the threshold for proposals, while supported charities can remain until £2 million)
4. Raise Your Hands conducts due diligence on proposed charities
5. If approved after due diligence, charity may receive support starting the following year

Key Statement: "We no longer accept unsolicited applications for funding. However, if you're a Raise Your Hands supporter and would like to propose a new charity, you can get in touch."

Getting on Their Radar

Become Known to Current Members:

The only pathway to Raise Your Hands funding is through nomination by an existing member/supporter. Therefore:

• Build relationships with individuals who might be Raise Your Hands members (professional networks in finance, real estate, and business sectors)
• Focus on demonstrating impact to your existing donor base who might propose you
• Note that members can propose charities “for us to support. This is good because as a community, we should be able to give more to your favourite charity than you might be able to raise by yourself”

Demonstrate the Right Profile:

When someone considers proposing your charity, ensure you clearly demonstrate:

• Turnover under £1.5 million
• Specialist focus on children/young people in UK
• Not a household name
• Proven impact with robust measurement
• Strong leadership and governance
• Innovative approaches in your field

Decision Timeline

• Proposals accepted throughout the year
• Due diligence conducted on rolling basis with “stringent five-stage application process”
• Successful charities typically join the portfolio the following year
• Funding distributed twice annually: January and June installments
• Annual monitoring reports required from all portfolio charities

Success Rates

Not applicable - this is a nomination-based model rather than competitive application process. Success depends entirely on:

1. Being nominated by an existing member
2. Passing the five-stage due diligence process
3. Alignment with their criteria for small, impactful children's charities

Reapplication Policy

Since there is no open application process, traditional reapplication doesn't apply. However:

• Multiple members can propose the same charity
• If a charity is initially declined after due diligence, the specific resubmission policy is not documented
• Charities remain in the portfolio “in perpetuity” until they outgrow £2 million turnover, experience concerning organizational changes, or impact diminishes
• When charities graduate by exceeding turnover threshold, this is celebrated as success (example: Grief Encounter passed £1.5 million in 2020 and “happily parted ways”)

Application Success Factors

What Raise Your Hands Values (Based on Their Selection of Current Portfolio)

Specialist Expertise: Their 17 current charities each work in highly specialized fields - from surf therapy (The Wave Project) to supporting children of imprisoned parents (Storybook Dads) to boxing-based youth work (Empire Fighting Chance). They value organizations that are experts in a particular niche rather than generalists.

Proven Innovation: Founder Chris Kirkland highlighted support for “innovative initiatives” when describing their early portfolio. Current examples include surf therapy for mental health, nature-based therapy at Dandelion Time, and creative arts empowerment through Create and Go Live Theatre Projects.

Impact Measurement: Their due diligence examines "the organisation's impact goals and measurement processes" - having clear, measurable outcomes is essential.

Strategic Management: They assess “internal strategic goals and their management structure” - small size doesn't excuse poor governance or planning.

Responsive Service Delivery: They emphasize charities that “work quickly and responsively to needs without the bureaucracy and politics of larger organisations” - demonstrating agility is valuable.

Recent Funded Charity Examples

Their current 17-charity portfolio includes:

• The Literacy Pirates (literacy improvement)
• MYTIME Young Carers (supporting young carers)
• Become (children in care advocacy)
• Jessie May (children's hospice at home)
• Empire Fighting Chance (boxing for disadvantaged youth)
• Action for Conservation (young conservationists)
• Switchback (prison rehabilitation - co-founded by their CEO)
• Happy Baby Community (women and children fleeing violence)
• StreetDoctors (youth violence prevention through first aid training)

Demonstrating Alignment

For Supporters Considering Proposing a Charity:

The proposal form asks for “reason for supporting the charity” - this is your opportunity to articulate:

• The charity's specialist expertise and innovation
• Evidence of measurable impact
• Why they deserve support as a “not household name” doing exceptional work
• How they fit the under-£1.5 million, children/young people, UK-focused criteria

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No direct application possible - you cannot apply; you must be nominated by a Raise Your Hands member. Focus energy on building relationships with potential nominators rather than application preparation.

• Membership networking is critical - your path to funding runs entirely through their member base. Understand that members pay £10/month and want to support charities they believe in deeply enough to propose.

• Sub-£1.5 million sweet spot - while they support charities up to £2 million turnover, the proposal threshold appears to be £1.5 million. Position yourself clearly within this range.

• Specialist beats generalist - their portfolio shows preference for organizations with deep expertise in specific niches (surf therapy, storybook recording, HIV support) rather than broad children's services.

• Perpetual partnership model - if selected, this isn't a one-off grant but potentially years of unrestricted funding. They're looking for long-term relationships, not short-term projects.

• Unrestricted funding philosophy - they specifically provide unrestricted grants “so charities can build capacity and focus on what they do best.” If seeking project funding, this may not be the right fit.

• Governance and impact rigor required - despite supporting small charities, they expect “stringent five-stage application process” standards. Having strong systems for impact measurement and governance is non-negotiable.

References

1. UK Charity Commission Register - Raise Your Hands (Charity No. 1174956)

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1174956&subid=0

- Financial data, governance information

1. Raise Your Hands Official Website - About Us

https://raiseyourhands.org.uk/about-us/

- Mission, funding model, selection criteria

1. Raise Your Hands Official Website - Who We Are

https://raiseyourhands.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/

- Leadership team, trustees, founder information, key mission quote

1. Raise Your Hands Official Website - Our Charities

https://raiseyourhands.org.uk/our-charities/

- Current portfolio of 17 supported charities

1. Raise Your Hands Official Website - Propose a Charity

https://raiseyourhands.org.uk/for-individuals/propose-a-charity/

- Nomination process, eligibility criteria (under £1.5m turnover)

1. Civil Society - Meet the Funder: Raise Your Hands

https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/fundraising/meet-the-funder-raise-your-hands.html

- Historical giving figures (£190,000 in 2015, £150,000 in 2016), founder quote: "We're offering a different solution that allows people to support small, effective charities on terms that suit the donor"

1. Create Arts - Raise Your Hands selects Create as long-term partner

https://createarts.org.uk/raise-your-hands-selects-create-as-long-term-partner/

- Example of charity selection announcement