The Claude And Sofia Marion Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,407,552 (charitable activities, 2024)
• Total Income: £1,626,458 (primarily from investments, 2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: International (operates in 9 countries including UK, India, Portugal, Brazil, Kenya, Mozambique, Congo DR, Iraq, France, and USA)

Contact Details

Address: C/O Spinnaker Capital Limited, 6 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 4DJ

Alternative Address: 40 Queen Anne Street, London W1G 9EL

Phone: 020 7580 7313

Website: None publicly available

Charity Number: 1117282

Note: This foundation does not have a public application process and operates on a trustee-directed basis.

Overview

The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation was established in December 2006 as a private family trust. The foundation has distributed grants consistently since its inception, with charitable activities expenditure of £1,407,552 in the year ending December 2024. The foundation operates internationally across nine countries, with particular focus on healthcare projects in Portugal and education initiatives in India, including partnerships with the Salesians of Don Bosco. The foundation's broad charitable objects give trustees discretion to support causes they identify, rather than responding to unsolicited applications. The foundation is primarily funded through investment income and operated by seven family trustees who receive no remuneration for their service.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines or application deadlines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the Board of Trustees based on causes and organizations they identify.

Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Priority Areas

The foundation has historically supported:

• Education: Particularly education for young people at risk; multiple projects in India in partnership with the Salesians of Don Bosco
• Healthcare: Significant focus in Portugal, including COVID-19 testing initiatives in Cascais
• Environment and Sustainability: Projects supporting environmental conservation
• Culture and Arts: Cultural programs and heritage preservation
• Social Programs for the Poor: Poverty relief and community development initiatives
• Humanitarian & Disaster Relief: Emergency response and disaster recovery

Geographic Focus Areas:

• Portugal: Primarily healthcare initiatives
• India: Primarily education projects
• Additional countries: Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Iraq, Kenya, Mozambique, United States, and United Kingdom

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly disclosed. As a private foundation with no public application process, trustees determine which causes fall within their charitable interests on a case-by-case basis.

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Governance and Leadership

The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation is governed by seven trustees who serve without remuneration:

1. Claude Marcel Lucien Marion
2. Nicole Sofia Marion
3. Claude Miguel Marion
4. Pedro Paulo Alexandre Marion
5. Louis Antonio Maria Marion
6. Luana Dias Gomes
7. Pedro Miguel Duarte Rebelo de Sousa

The foundation has no employees earning over £60,000 and operates without trading subsidiaries. Sophie Marion has been identified as an active representative of the foundation, notably delivering remarks at a May 2020 COVID-19 testing initiative in Cascais, Portugal, which involved collaboration with City Hall, Roche Diagnostics, Germano de Sousa Laboratories, and Joaquim Chaves Saude to provide free testing for up to 5,000 people weekly.

How to Apply to The Claude And Sofia Marion Foundation

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation is a private family trust that operates on a trustee-directed basis. Grants are made to causes and organizations identified by the trustees rather than through an open application process. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or proposals from organizations seeking funding.

Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, who identify charitable projects that align with the foundation's broad charitable objects.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, they have demonstrated engagement in collaborative initiatives. The May 2020 COVID-19 testing program in Cascais, Portugal, showed the foundation's willingness to partner with:

• Local government entities (City Hall)
• Healthcare providers (Roche Diagnostics, Germano de Sousa Laboratories, Joaquim Chaves Saude)
• Community organizations addressing urgent needs

The foundation's partnership with the Salesians of Don Bosco for education projects in India suggests they work with established charitable organizations with proven track records in their focus areas.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As grants are trustee-directed rather than application-based, there are no published decision timelines or notification processes.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Important Note: This section is not applicable in the traditional sense, as the foundation does not accept applications. However, their funding patterns reveal the following characteristics:

Focus on Established Partnerships:

• Long-term relationships with organizations like the Salesians of Don Bosco in India
• Collaborative approaches involving multiple stakeholders (as seen in the Cascais COVID-19 initiative)

Geographic Priorities:

• Strong connection to Portugal, particularly for healthcare initiatives
• Sustained commitment to education in India and other emerging markets
• International reach across nine countries

Responsive Grantmaking:

• The 2020 COVID-19 testing initiative demonstrates willingness to respond to urgent community needs
• Support for vulnerable populations (young people at risk, the poor)

Broad Charitable Scope:

• Trustees exercise discretion across education, healthcare, environment, culture, and poverty relief
• Not limited to single-issue or single-geography funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is not an accessible funder for unsolicited proposals - the foundation operates exclusively on a trustee-directed basis and does not accept applications from organizations they don't already know
• The foundation's trustees identify and approach organizations rather than responding to requests for funding
• Historical funding patterns show commitment to education in emerging markets (particularly India) and healthcare in Portugal
• The foundation values collaborative approaches involving multiple partners, as demonstrated by their COVID-19 testing initiative
• Annual charitable expenditure of approximately £1.4 million is distributed across international projects in nine countries
• Organizations already working with the Salesians of Don Bosco or other established partners may have indirect connections to the foundation's network
• The foundation's focus areas are broad, giving trustees wide discretion to support various charitable causes
• Unless your organization has a pre-existing relationship with the Marion family trustees or their known partners, it is unlikely you will be able to access funding from this foundation

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Jmcmrj Sorrell Foundation
• The Neon Foundation
• Ida Davis Family Foundation
• The Breadsticks Foundation
• The Gaudio Family Foundation (uk) Limited
• T. & J. Meyer Family Foundation Limited
• The Edgware Foundation
• The South Street Green Room Foundation
• The Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe
• Ganco Charitable Foundation

References

• UK Charity Commission Register of Charities - The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation (Charity No. 1117282): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1117282&subid=0
• Find that Charity - GB-CHC-1117282 The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation: https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-1117282
• NGO Explorer - The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation: https://ngoexplorer.org/charity/1117282
• Getty Images - Sophie Marion delivers remarks during COVID-19 testing program launch, May 15, 2020: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/sophie-marion-of-the-claude-and-sofia-marion-foundation-news-photo/1225032691
• UK Charity Commission - Trustees information for The Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4028278/trustees