Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation

Charity Number: 1110266

Annual Expenditure: £0.5M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ??400,000 - ??500,000
  • Success Rate: Not published
  • Decision Time: Quarterly trustee meetings
  • Grant Range: ??1,500 - ??120,000 (first-time applicants limited to ??10,000)
  • Geographic Focus: UK and Ireland
  • Total Distributed Since 2005: ??6.4 million

Contact Details

Website: www.sodexo.co.uk / uk.stop-hunger.org

Email: stophunger@sodexo.com / StopHunger.UKandIE@sodexo.com

Phone: 020 7404 0110

Address: One Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA

Grant Application Contact: https://uk.stop-hunger.org/home/contact-grants.html

Overview

The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation was launched by Sodexo UK & Ireland in 2005 as an independent national grant-making trust (Charity No. 1110266) with the mission to fight food insecurity and build a better tomorrow. Over its 20-year history, the Foundation has supported more than 9.6 million beneficiaries through 230 charity partners across over 56 cities and regions. In recent years, the Foundation has donated ??400,000-??500,000 annually to 26+ charities. Thanks to Sodexo's support, 100% of funds raised go directly to charity partners. The Foundation has significantly evolved its approach, dedicating 56% of its funding to projects targeting the root causes of food insecurity rather than just immediate food aid. In 2024, the Foundation positively impacted over 2.8 million people and redistributed more than 160,000 meals. In 2025, the Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary and received the Grand Prix accolade at the Corporate Engagement Awards, demonstrating its recognised excellence in the sector.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation offers flexible grant support through rolling applications with no fixed deadlines:

  • First-Time Applicants: Up to ??10,000
  • Previous Grant Recipients: Can apply for higher amounts (up to ??120,000)
  • Grant Range: ??1,500 - ??120,000
  • Grant Types: Project grants and core-cost grants
  • Multi-year Grants: Available (Foundation has increased multi-year and core cost funding)
  • Application Method: Rolling basis via online contact form - applicants must complete initial contact form, then trustees meet quarterly to consider applications

Priority Areas

Primary Focus: Tackling food insecurity and its root causes in the UK and Ireland

What They Actively Fund:

  • Emergency food aid and food redistribution programmes
  • Projects addressing root causes of food insecurity (56% of funding allocation)
  • Skills development and education programmes (cooking skills, job skills, mentoring)
  • Women's empowerment initiatives (significant strategic priority)
  • Financial literacy and confidence-building programmes
  • Mental health support related to food insecurity
  • Community-based food projects (community farms, local food initiatives)
  • Support for refugees and homeless populations
  • Educational programmes that address food insecurity causes
  • Capacity-building grants for charities

Key Areas of Work:

  • Food redistribution and emergency food packages
  • Cooking and nutrition education
  • Employment skills and mentoring
  • Women's empowerment (recognised as key to eliminating hunger)
  • Building sustainable, long-term solutions
  • Community empowerment projects

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. Based on their charitable objectives, the Foundation focuses exclusively on:

  • Food insecurity and hunger-related causes
  • Projects in the UK and Ireland
  • Registered charities and social enterprises

Applicants outside these parameters should contact the Foundation directly.

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Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership (2025)

Chair of Trustees: Patrick Forbes, MD of Tech & Services at Sodexo UK & Ireland (appointed January 2025)

First Patron: Asma Khan, renowned chef and restaurateur (appointed January 2025)

Trustee Composition: Senior employees from various functions across Sodexo UK & Ireland

Former Chair

Gareth John served as Chair from 2016 until his retirement in January 2025. He was European Director of Sodexo Legal Affairs.

Leadership Quotes and Priorities

Patrick Forbes on the Foundation's mission:

"As we celebrate 20 years of the Stop Hunger Foundation, it's truly inspiring to look back at how far we've come and even more exciting to see the momentum we're building for the future. This Foundation matters. The work it supports is changing lives, creating stronger communities, and laying the groundwork for sustainable solutions to food insecurity."

On women's empowerment priority:

"Asma's passion for empowering women, using her well-respected position in the global culinary community to effect real change, makes her the perfect choice to be patron of the Stop Hunger Foundation. We know that improving the social situation of women plays a significant role in the fight against food insecurity and this has been a long-term guiding principle of the charity."

Asma Khan on collaboration:

“It is an honour to collaborate with the Stop Hunger Foundation, an organisation whose mission deeply resonates with me. The fight against food insecurity has been a cause close to my heart for as long as I can remember. I look forward to working alongside the Foundation, its partners, and the dedicated team at Sodexo to support causes that matter profoundly to me.”

“This is not just about feeding people. It is about changing systems, empowering women and building something that lasts. Our missions are aligned. In every home touched by hunger, women are the first to sacrifice.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Initial Contact: Complete the online contact form at https://uk.stop-hunger.org/home/contact-grants.html
  2. No Fixed Deadlines: Applications accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year
  3. First-Time Limit: First-time applicants are restricted to a maximum of ??10,000
  4. Previous Recipients: Can apply for larger grants (up to ??120,000)
  5. Email Contact: StopHunger.UKandIE@sodexo.com for queries

Decision Timeline

  • Trustee Meetings: Quarterly (four times per year)
  • Review Process: Trustees meet to consider applications and decide on funding allocations
  • Notification: Applicants are contacted following trustee decisions
  • Typical Timeframe: Expect 3-4 months depending on when application is submitted relative to quarterly meeting schedule

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly published. However, the Foundation supported:

  • 26 charities with grants in the most recent financial year
  • Works with 106 charities total (includes ongoing partnerships and volunteer support)
  • 70 charities and social enterprises received support through financial grants in the year to August 2023

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation welcomes previous successful applicants to reapply for additional funding, with no published restrictions on reapplication. Previous grant recipients can apply for amounts exceeding the ??10,000 first-time limit. No specific information is available about reapplication timelines for unsuccessful applicants - contact the Foundation directly for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment

The Foundation has shifted focus significantly:

  • 56% of funding now targets root causes rather than immediate food aid
  • Strong preference for projects that build long-term capacity and sustainable change
  • Emphasis on women's empowerment as a key strategy to eliminate hunger
  • Interest in multi-year partnerships and core-cost funding for established partners

Types of Projects Recently Funded

National Partners:

  • FareShare (food redistribution): ??10 enables delivery of food for 40 meals
  • The Trussell Trust (food bank network)
  • SSAFA Armed Forces Charity (??500,000 total funding including support for Homelessness Fund)
  • Chapter One (online reading programme) - expanded from helping 10 children to over 100 children over three years

Local/Regional Partners:

  • Made in Hackney (cooking skills and community empowerment)
  • The Bread and Butter Thing (food waste and food insecurity)
  • CoFarm (community farm providing local produce)

Project Examples Funded:

  • Redistribution of surplus food
  • Vegan meal programmes
  • Food vouchers for families
  • Cooking and nutrition skills training
  • Refugee support programmes
  • Homelessness initiatives
  • Education for women and young people
  • Financial literacy programmes
  • Confidence-building activities
  • Mentoring schemes

Application Terminology

Use language that resonates with the Foundation's mission:

  • “Root causes of food insecurity”
  • “Building capacity”
  • “Sustainable change”
  • “Empowering communities”
  • "Women's empowerment"
  • “Long-term impact”
  • “Food insecurity and its root causes”
  • “Entrepreneurial action to improve livelihoods”

Additional Value: Volunteering

Beyond grants, the Foundation offers:

  • Skills-based volunteering (over 11,400 hours in 2023-24)
  • Hands-on volunteering from Sodexo employees
  • Potential access to Sodexo's network of clients and suppliers

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Root Causes Priority: With 56% of funding dedicated to addressing root causes rather than emergency food aid, applications should demonstrate how projects tackle underlying issues like skills gaps, employment, education, and empowerment - not just food distribution.
  1. Women's Empowerment Essential: The Foundation has made women's empowerment a “long-term guiding principle.” Applications that demonstrate how they support and empower women will be particularly competitive, as leadership explicitly states this is key to eliminating hunger.
  1. Long-term Relationships Valued: The Foundation has increased multi-year grants and core-cost funding. First-time applicants should view the ??10,000 limit as an opportunity to build a relationship - successful projects can access significantly larger grants (up to ??120,000) in subsequent applications.
  1. Entrepreneurial and Sustainable Solutions: Reference the Foundation's interest in “entrepreneurial action” and projects that “empower people to improve their livelihoods in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way” - demonstrate innovation and sustainability.
  1. Rolling Applications Require Quarterly Planning: With no fixed deadlines but quarterly trustee meetings, time your application strategically. Consider the quarterly cycle and plan for a 3-4 month decision timeline from submission.
  1. Beyond Money - Leverage Volunteer Support: Mention how your organisation could benefit from skills-based or hands-on volunteering from Sodexo employees and their extensive network - this adds value beyond the financial ask.
  1. Demonstrate Capacity for Impact: The Foundation supported only 26 charities with grants last year from a wider pool of 106 charity relationships. Show strong organisational capacity, track record, and ability to deliver measurable outcomes to stand out.

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