Savannah Wisdom

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~£258,000 (FY 2024 expenditure)
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: £1,500 (individual hardship grants) to £500,000 (major initiatives)
• Geographic Focus: UK (primarily Greater Manchester), India, Africa

Contact Details

• Website: www.savannahwisdom.org
• Email: admin@savannahwisdom.org
• Phone: 0161 524 0240
• Registered Office: Suite 1.01 Westgate, 44 Hale Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 2EX

Overview

Savannah Wisdom is an independent charitable foundation established in 2011 by Shalni Arora OBE following the successful sale of her biotechnology company DxS Limited. The charity is registered in England and Wales (number 1141619) and operates as a “disruptive charity incubator” that partners with innovative organisations to tackle inequality and promote justice.

The foundation is funded by the Arora family, whose wealth derives from the B&M retail chain built by Simon and Bobby Arora. In FY 2024, the charity had income of £131,917 and expenditure of £258,363, indicating distribution of reserves to further its mission. The charity has three trustees: Shalni Arora OBE (CEO), Simon Arora (Chair of Manchester India Partnership), and Bobby Arora.

Shalni Arora has received numerous accolades for her philanthropic work including the Beacon Award for Philanthropy and a Medal of Honour from Manchester University for services to the City of Manchester.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Savannah Wisdom operates through strategic partnerships rather than traditional grant programmes:

• Social Justice & Legal Rights: Supporting organisations working on access to justice, particularly for vulnerable women in India
• Healthcare Corruption: Funding Transparency International's Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme
• Education & Skills: Partnership with Skills Builder supporting over 3,000 students and teachers in the Northwest
• Emergency Response: Manchester Cultural Sector Hardship Fund provided £500,000 during the pandemic (£1,500 individual grants)
• Conservation: Supporting wildlife and ecosystem protection through partnerships with organisations like Elephant Family

Priority Areas

• Social mobility and opportunity
• Peace and conflict resolution
• Healthcare system integrity
• Gender rights and violence prevention
• Community cohesion
• Conservation

What They Don't Fund

• Unsolicited grant applications are not accepted
• Projects that do not demonstrate innovative or “disruptive” approaches
• Organisations that do not align with their strategic focus areas

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Shalni Arora OBE (Appointed 21 June 2013) - CEO. Holds a Masters in Genetics from Cambridge University and a Masters in International Development from Manchester University. Vice-Chair of British Asian Trust, Founding Trustee of Belong Network, Non-Executive Director of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
• Simon Arora (Appointed 12 April 2011) - Former CEO of B&M Retail (FTSE 100), Chair of Manchester India Partnership. Also trustee of Arora Foundation.
• Bobby Arora (Appointed 12 April 2011) - Trading Director of B&M Retail.

No trustees receive any remuneration from the charity.

Key Quotes from Shalni Arora on Funding Priorities:

“We fund projects that are innovative in their thinking around protecting those that are vulnerable, for example access rights such as legal rights, corruption, peace and security.”

“We approach each grant in the same way we would a business proposal.”

“You cannot achieve change without effective communication and policy work. You also have to be ready to take risks, and support core funding around issues that may not seem attractive at first.”

“Where previous interventions have not worked we have to look for radical, new thinking and challenge the system.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Savannah Wisdom explicitly states they do not accept unsolicited grant applications. Grants are made through proactive identification of partners by the trustees, typically leveraging Shalni Arora's extensive network across philanthropy, healthcare, education, and social justice sectors.

The charity functions as a strategic partner and incubator rather than a traditional grant-maker, working closely with organisations where they feel they can add value beyond funding.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder, timelines are determined on a case-by-case basis through relationship building.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate an open application process.

Application Success Factors

Based on the organisations Savannah Wisdom has partnered with, successful recipients share these characteristics:

1. Disruptive and innovative approaches - The foundation specifically seeks “innovative and radical ideas that try to disrupt the traditional model for delivering change”
2. Focus on structural change - Projects that address root causes and influence policy, not just service delivery
3. Strong communication and policy work - As Shalni Arora states: “You cannot achieve change without effective communication and policy work”
4. Clear impact metrics - They approach grants “the same way we would a business proposal”
5. Alignment with geographic focus - Strong connections to Greater Manchester, India, or their strategic focus areas
6. Core funding needs - Willingness to “support core funding around issues that may not seem attractive at first”

Examples of funded organisations:

• Skills Builder Partnership (education and skills in Greater Manchester)
• British Asian Trust (development work in South Asia)
• Transparency International (healthcare corruption programme)
• Centre for Social Justice (policy research including Modern Slavery Bill)
• Manchester Museum South Asia Gallery (first philanthropic funder in 2017)
• Feed My City (emergency food charity in Greater Manchester)
• Belong - The Cohesion and Integration Network (social cohesion)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process - Savannah Wisdom does not accept unsolicited applications; all grants are made through proactive trustee identification
• Relationship-driven funding - The charity works in close partnership with its grantees rather than arms-length funding
• Focus on innovation - They explicitly seek “disruptive” approaches that challenge conventional thinking
• Policy and structural change - Strong preference for work that influences systems change, not just direct service delivery
• Strategic geographic focus - Priority given to Greater Manchester, India, and projects addressing global inequality
• Family foundation model - All three trustees are members of the Arora family, creating a unified decision-making structure
• Beyond funding - They seek to “add value” beyond financial support, suggesting hands-on engagement with partners

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Medlock Charitable Trust
• The Parivar Trust
• The Kiawah Charitable Trust
• The Monsoon Accessorize Trust
• The Savitri Waney Charitable Trust
• N AND R KARNANI TRUST
• Halcrow Foundation
• PS Foundation
• Jewish Child's Day (JCD Foundation)
• The Dewan Foundation Limited

References

• Charity Commission Register - Savannah Wisdom 1141619
• Savannah Wisdom Official Website
• Savannah Wisdom Projects Page
• Companies House - Savannah Wisdom
• British Asian Trust - Shalni Arora Profile
• British Asian Trust - 60 Seconds with Shalni Arora
• Mayfair Times - Charitable Champions: Shalni Arora
• Indiaspora - Simon and Shalni Arora
• Manchester City Council - Cultural Hardship Fund
• Skills Builder - Savannah Wisdom Partnership
• NGO Explorer - Savannah Wisdom

Information