The Firebird Foundation

Charity Number: 1197535

Annual Expenditure: £1.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,150,250 (charitable activities expenditure, year ending March 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only funding)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: England, Wales, and Scotland

Contact Details

Address: C/O Fladgate LLP, 16 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5DG

Phone: 020 3036 7331

Email: contact@firebirdfoundation.co.uk

Website: www.firebirdfoundation.co.uk (redirects to firebirdcollective.co.uk)

Note: Firebird proactively identifies initiatives and organisations they wish to partner with and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Firebird Foundation was established in 2021 by Olivia Hall and registered as a UK charity (number 1197535) in January 2022. With total income of £1,296,379 and charitable expenditure of £1,150,250 in the year ending March 2024, the foundation operates as part of the Firebird Collective ecosystem, which also includes Firebird Impact (investment management) and The Firebird Collection (art by women). The foundation's mission is to accelerate equality and justice for women and children by bringing people, ideas, and funding together. It employs a distinctive mission-aligned approach that transcends traditional philanthropy by integrating grants, venture capital, and investment capital to achieve systemic change. The foundation applies a racial and gender equity lens to all its work, focusing on organisations that demonstrate high standards of collaboration, fairness, and accountability.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through strategic grant-making as part of a broader portfolio approach that includes:

  • Strategic Grants: Part of an integrated funding model combining grants with equity investments and fund investments
  • Application Method: Invitation-only; the foundation proactively identifies and reaches out to potential partners rather than accepting open applications

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on five core areas:

  1. Violence & Abuse: Reducing abuse and promoting equal rights for women and children globally through policy reform, grassroots services, healthcare, and education; specific focus on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
  1. Justice: Promoting a fairer justice system for women and children
  1. Finance: Advancing gender equity across asset classes and financial systems
  1. Sport: Using sport to unlock potential in young people, breaking cycles of disadvantage and supporting their journey into adulthood; significant focus on women's sport as a vehicle for change
  1. Art: Using art as a tool to educate, inspire, and rehabilitate, creating environments where survivors can be safe, recover, and learn new skills; developing collections of art by women

What They Don't Fund

  • The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Organisations that do not demonstrate high standards of inclusion, collaboration, fairness, and accountability
  • Projects that do not align with their core mission of equality and justice for women and children
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Governance and Leadership

Founder: Olivia Hall - After a 20-year career in the corporate world, Olivia established Firebird in 2021. She sets the strategic direction and is “determined to demonstrate that financial value and social impact go hand-in-hand” with ambitions to align all of Firebird's resources with the issues it cares most about.

Key Leadership:

  • Jo Wells, CEO, Firebird Foundation - Leader in social justice and philanthropy with over 20 years of experience in social purpose organisations, including 10 years as CEO of a pioneering charitable foundation. She is “committed to transformative governance that incentivizes a more collaborative sector and centering lived experience” in their work.
  • Gudrun (Guddy) Burnet, Programme Director - Violence Against Women and Girls - Expert practitioner in the women's sector with 15 years in the domestic abuse sector, including serving as CEO of Standing Together.
  • Isabel Newman, Investment Director, Firebird Impact - Specialist in venture and impact investing. Newman states: "Women's sport is an incredible vehicle for change“ and focuses on demonstrating ”how mission-aligned investment can work in practice."
  • Emily Bushby, CFO/COO, Firebird Collective - Experienced business leader in social impact.
  • Tasha Cowperthwaite, Programme Lead, Firebird Foundation - Skilled advocate for children and young adults.
  • Elizabeth Corrado, Consultant - Experienced gender lens investor and founding director of Impulse Impact, advises family offices and foundations on impact investment strategies.

Governance: The charity has 4 trustees and 2 employees. No trustees receive remuneration. The corporate trustee is Walgate Family Office (part of Fladgate LLP).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Firebird Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation proactively identifies initiatives and organisations they wish to partner with and reaches out to potential grantees directly.

If your organisation aligns with their mission and focus areas, you may:

  • Build visibility through strong work in the sector
  • Network within the women's rights, children's services, and social justice communities
  • Ensure your organisation demonstrates the values Firebird prioritizes

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed due to the invitation-only model.

Success Rates

Not applicable given the invitation-only funding approach.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable; the foundation operates on a proactive identification basis rather than through open application rounds.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature of Firebird's funding, organisations cannot directly apply. However, understanding what Firebird values can help position organisations favorably should they be approached:

Key Values:

  • Honesty, inclusion, bravery, and collaboration: The foundation explicitly states these as core values
  • High standards of operation: Organisations must demonstrate excellence in collaboration, fairness, assessment, and opportunity in both their charitable work and team employment practices
  • Lived experience: Firebird values lived experience as “vital to solutions” and centers it in their work
  • Real impact and accountability: Partners must “deliver real impact and put accountability at their core”
  • Racial and gender equity: The foundation employs a racial and gender equity lens to all their work
  • Overlooked causes: They support causes that have been "overlooked or underestimated and advocate for groups who can't drive change themselves"

Strategic Approach:

  • The foundation seeks organisations operating at the intersection of impact and innovation
  • They value partners who understand that structural barriers need to be removed to achieve progress
  • Mission alignment is paramount - the foundation asks “What if we only invested in things that are aligned to one purpose and mission?”

Example Investment: Firebird has supported Women's Sport Trust as part of a deliberately diverse women's sport portfolio, demonstrating their holistic approach that combines grants with equity investments and fund investments.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: You cannot submit an unsolicited application; focus on building sector visibility and demonstrating excellence in your work
  • Mission alignment is critical: Every aspect of your organization must align with advancing equality and justice for women and children
  • Values-driven selection: Demonstrate honesty, inclusion, bravery, collaboration, and accountability in all aspects of operations
  • Holistic partnership approach: Firebird seeks partners for long-term, strategic relationships rather than one-off grant transactions
  • Lived experience matters: Center the voices and experiences of those you serve in your work and governance
  • Systemic change focus: Show how your work addresses structural barriers and creates lasting change, not just temporary relief
  • Integration of impact and return: If applicable, demonstrate how your work can achieve both social impact and sustainability/financial viability

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