The Frederick Mulder Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £725,000 (approx.)
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: £5,000 - £100,000
• Geographic Focus: UK (England and Northern Ireland) and 23 countries worldwide

Contact Details

Website: www.frederickmulderfoundation.org.uk

Email: bryn@frederickmulderfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 07958464373

Director: Bryn Higgs

Overview

Founded in 1986 by Frederick Mulder CBE as the Frederick Mulder Charitable Trust (renamed in 2014), the Foundation is funded by profits from Frederick Mulder Ltd, a private art dealership specializing in European printmaking. For the year ending March 2024, the Foundation had expenditure of £724,689. The Foundation envisions “a world which is fair, secure and environmentally sustainable” and focuses on climate change, global poverty, and social change philanthropy. The Foundation operates with three trustees (Frederick Mulder and his children Robin and Hannah) and supports organizations working to systematically address systemic issues. Frederick Mulder was awarded a CBE for services to philanthropy in 2012, founded The Funding Network (which has raised over £10 million), and was a finalist for the 2018 Olga Alexeeva Memorial Prize.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Climate Change - Supports three areas: directing financial flows away from fossil fuels; policy change; and natural climate solutions/rewilding. Grants typically £10,000 or less, with occasional awards of £30,000-£100,000.

Global Poverty - Addresses power disparities and institutional frameworks perpetuating poverty cycles. Focus on systemic solutions rather than direct service delivery.

Social Change Philanthropy - Increases philanthropic support for organizations driving systemic change, including support for giving circles and philanthropic infrastructure.

Special Interest - Small number of organizations in human rights and the arts reflecting trustees' values.

Application Method: Invitation-only. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and is currently reviewing grant-making policies (process expected to continue through end of 2025).

Priority Areas

• Organizations with entrepreneurial leaders challenging the status quo to bring lasting, systemic change
• Innovative projects that carry risk but have potential to attract larger institutional funding and scale quickly
• Organizations requiring unrestricted or core funding with discretion over deployment
• Small and grassroots organizations working on climate change and global poverty
• Projects focused on "the people you don't see" - marginalized communities and future generations
• Natural climate solutions, rewilding, and capital market transition to low-carbon economies
• Anti-corruption, transparency, and accountability in global development

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation operates invitation-only and does not accept unsolicited applications, so exclusions are not publicly detailed. However, their focus is explicitly on systemic change rather than direct service delivery.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Frederick Mulder CBE (Chair) - Born in Canada, educated at University of Saskatchewan (BA, English), Brown University (MA, PhD Philosophy), and Oxford University. World expert in 19th-20th century European prints. Founded The Funding Network in 2002 (Chair 2002-2012) which has expanded to Australia, Singapore, USA, Romania, and Turkey. Awards include Judges' Special Beacon Fellowship Prize (2004), SPEARS Lifetime Achievement Award in Philanthropy (2012-13), and CBE (2012).

Robin Mulder & Hannah Mulder - Frederick's children serving as fellow trustees.

Rhodes Mulder - Frederick's son based in US, serves as advisor.

Staff

Bryn Higgs (Director, appointed June 2019 part-time) - Oxford graduate, co-founded Latch (self-help housing for homeless youth in Leeds). Worked across Northern Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and Palestine on violence prevention and human rights. Former executive secretary of Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation (10 years). PhD from Bradford University on justice in violent conflicts (2016).

Key Quotes from Leadership

Frederick Mulder: "All my personal philanthropy has been devoted to the people you don't see – not only people in overseas communities, but also future generations because they get the least voice."

"If you don't leave the world in as good a state as you inherited it, you are stealing from future generations, and the environment isn't about hugging trees, it's about protecting the rights of future generations."

“I wanted to create a setting where ordinary people could see and hear about what needed to be done, and where together they could make the projects happen.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The Frederick Mulder Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. They operate through a proactive, invitation-only grantmaking model where they identify and approach potential grantees.

The Foundation is currently reviewing its grant-making policies, with this process expected to continue until the end of 2025.

Organizations interested in establishing a relationship with the Foundation should contact Director Bryn Higgs at bryn@frederickmulderfoundation.org.uk, though there is no guarantee of funding consideration.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed due to invitation-only model. Grant durations vary from one-off grants to multi-year commitments (examples include three-year grants).

Success Rates

Not applicable - as an invitation-only funder, traditional success rate metrics are not relevant.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only model, unsuccessful approaches should focus on relationship-building rather than formal reapplication.

Application Success Factors

What the Foundation Values

Entrepreneurial Leadership: “Entrepreneurial leaders who are seeking to challenge the status quo” to achieve lasting, systemic transformation.

Willingness to Take Risks: “Innovative projects that may come with risk” but demonstrate potential for scaling and attracting larger institutional funding.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Organizations willing to adapt when circumstances demand, recognizing that challenging work is unpredictable.

Systemic Focus: Organizations working on root causes rather than symptoms, addressing power disparities and institutional frameworks.

Core/Unrestricted Funding Needs: The Foundation “understands the need for unrestricted funds and for core funding, allowing grantees the discretion to use grants in the best way.”

Recent Grantee Examples

Climate Change: Beaver Trust (river restoration), Rewilding Britain (£20,000 annually for expanding rewilding networks), Coal Action Network (legal action to end coal use), Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty, Gallery Climate Coalition (visual arts sector emissions reduction)

Global Poverty: Give Directly (direct cash transfers), Global Witness (£105,000 over 2018-2023 for anti-corruption work), Incentives for Global Health (Health Impact Fund)

Social Change Philanthropy: The Funding Network UK, Black Funding Network, May Week Alternative, Roots and Wings Foundation (Hungary)

Relationship-Building Approach

The Foundation describes itself as aiming to “stand alongside” grantees, prioritizing the wellbeing of organizational leaders and staff as integral to shared mission success. They recognize that challenging work creates stress and aim to be supportive partners.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only model: You cannot submit an unsolicited application. Focus on relationship-building and visibility in your sector.
• Systemic change focus: Demonstrate how your work challenges root causes and power structures, not just symptoms.
• Risk tolerance: The Foundation values innovation and is willing to fund untested approaches with potential for scale.
• Unrestricted funding preference: They understand the value of core operating support and flexible funding.
• Small and grassroots priority: They explicitly target small organizations often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy.
• Long-term thinking: Founder emphasizes working “upstream” on issues affecting future generations rather than immediate visible impact.
• Multi-year thinking: Examples show three-year grant commitments, suggesting patience for systemic change.

References

• About Us/Our Approach page
• About Us/Our People page
• Climate Change grantees page
• Global Poverty grantees page
• Social Change Philanthropy grantees page

1. Charity Commission Register of Charities - THE FREDERICK MULDER FOUNDATION (296019) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/296019/charity-overview -

1. Alliance Magazine - "Meet Frederick Mulder, Funding Network – the second of this year's Olga Prize finalists" - https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/meet-frederick-mulder-funding-network-uk-another-years-olga-prize-finalists/ -

1. Coutts Million Dollar Donor Report - “DR FREDERICK MULDER CBE UK Case Studies” - https://philanthropy.coutts.com/en/reports/2014/united-kingdom/case-studies/frederick-mulder.html -

1. Inside Philanthropy - “Frederick Mulder Foundation” - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-m/frederick-mulder-foundation -

1. Philanthropy Impact - “Dr Frederick Mulder CBE” - https://www.philanthropy-impact.org/why-philanthropy-and-impact-investment/inspiring-stories/dr-frederick-mulder-cbe/ -