The Genesis Charitable Trust (genem Foundation)

Charity Number: 1148643

Annual Expenditure: £1.0M

Stay updated on changes from The Genesis Charitable Trust (genem Foundation) and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ??1,022,792 (year ending June 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Rolling review throughout the year
  • Grant Range: Up to US$300,000 per project
  • Geographic Focus: International - Emerging Markets/developing countries
  • Total Funding to Date: US$15 million across 80 partners in 30+ countries

Contact Details

Website: https://genemfoundation.org/

Email: admin@genemfoundation.org

Phone: +44 (0)20 7201 7200

Address: Genesis Investment Management, LLP, 16 St James's Street, London SW1A 1ER, UK

Application Email: Send synopsis with subject line 'Project idea'

Overview

The Genesis Charitable Trust (charity number 1148643, now operating as GenEM Foundation) was established in 2012 by contributions from partners of Genesis Investment Management and became fully independent in 2023. The foundation drives sustainable income growth for people living in poverty across emerging markets through impact-first investments and grants that catalyze scalable enterprises. Since 2016, they have focused exclusively on sustainable livelihoods, initially funding grant projects and expanding to social investments in 2021. To date, they have funded 80 partners in over 30 countries with US$15 million in grants and social investments. Their strategic approach emphasizes commercial discipline, using repayable grants and revenue-based loans to help enterprises de-risk, gain momentum, and attract larger pools of commercial and impact funding.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Repayable Grants & Revenue-Based Loans: Generally up to US$300,000 per project

  • Impact-linked loans where financing costs are tied to verified environmental or social outcomes
  • Concessionary loans for processing infrastructure and value chain development
  • Working capital for enterprises serving marginalized communities
  • Revenue-based financing that recycles capital for sustained impact

Application Method: Rolling basis - preliminary applications accepted at any time via email synopsis

Priority Areas

Sustainable Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment

  • Agriculture and forestry enterprises (coffee cooperatives, non-timber forest products, regenerative farming)
  • Marine conservation-linked livelihoods (mangrove crab value chains, sustainable fisheries)
  • Processing infrastructure for smallholder farmers (virgin coconut oil, pineapple leaf vegan leather)
  • Artisanal and small-scale mining transformation
  • Skills training and education for marketable employment (coding schools for refugees and unemployed youth)

Climate Change & Transition to Sustainable Economies

  • Projects that share opportunities from transition to sustainable economies
  • Initiatives that mitigate impact of climate change
  • Enterprises incorporating satellite forest monitoring and regenerative practices
  • Ecologically sensitive value chains

Target Beneficiaries

  • Marginalized communities beyond reach of government or market-based solutions
  • Smallholder farmers and agricultural cooperatives
  • Artisanal miners and fisheries workers
  • Long-term unemployed, underemployed, refugees, and marginalized youth
  • Indigenous communities managing forest resources

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly detailed, the foundation restricts funding to:

  • Nonprofit organizations in eligible developing countries
  • Organizations associated with nonprofits from UK, US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or Singapore

Projects must demonstrate potential for long-term income generation and self-sufficiency, suggesting they likely exclude:

  • One-off humanitarian relief without sustainable income component
  • Projects in developed countries
  • Organizations without nonprofit status or nonprofit partnerships
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Genesis Charitable Trust (genem Foundation)?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Karen (Chair): Joined board in 2015, became Chair in 2020 after completing a 20-year investment career. Stepped up commitment following the foundation's independence in 2023.
  • Chris: Served as Trustee from 2015-2021 including a term as Chair, renewed commitment in 2024. Brings over 35 years of investment management experience across UK and Asia.
  • Xing: Joined as Trustee in 2021. Over ten years of investing experience, served as Portfolio Manager and Partner at Genesis from 2018-2023.
  • Mario: Joined as Trustee in 2021. Over twenty years of investing experience, led investments into Latin America and Southeast Asia at Genesis from 2014-2023.

Management:

  • Tom Hoyle: Has managed the Genesis Charitable Trust since 2016, leading its moves into social investment and ecologically sensitive value chains through 2023. Now advises GenEM Foundation.

The foundation benefits from deep investment management expertise through its trustees' backgrounds at Genesis Investment Management, bringing commercial discipline to philanthropic capital deployment.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Preliminary Application: Organizations meeting eligibility criteria whose projects match funding priorities should send a synopsis by email with 'Project idea' in the subject line to admin@genemfoundation.org.

Application Requirements:

  • Must be nonprofit organization in eligible developing country, OR
  • Associated with nonprofit from UK, US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or Singapore
  • Project must focus on sustainable, long-term income generation
  • Emphasis on marginalized communities beyond reach of traditional solutions

Review Process: Genesis reviews funding applications throughout the year and is open to:

  • Short pilots
  • One-off awards
  • Projects lasting approximately three years

Second Stage: Promising candidates are invited to second-stage screening involving:

  • Interview
  • Detailed financial review

Decision Timeline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year. Specific decision timeframes from initial submission to award are not publicly disclosed, though the two-stage process (initial synopsis review followed by interview and financial review) suggests a multi-month timeline for full due diligence.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. With 80 partners funded since 2012 and total funding of US$15 million, the foundation maintains a selective portfolio of high-impact investments.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly stated. The rolling application process suggests unsuccessful applicants may resubmit when projects better align with priorities or after addressing identified gaps.

Application Success Factors

Commercial Viability & Sustainability

The foundation explicitly states they “believe businesses built with commercial discipline and strong incentives can transform livelihoods sustainably over the long term.” Applications should demonstrate:

  • Clear path to financial sustainability
  • Business models with strong commercial incentives
  • Potential to attract follow-on commercial or impact investment
  • Ability to recycle capital for magnified impact

De-risking & Catalytic Potential

GenEM positions itself as taking on risk that traditional investors cannot, helping enterprises “de-risk, gain momentum, and attract more commercial investors.” Strong applications will show:

  • How concessionary capital fills a critical funding gap
  • Potential to crowd in larger pools of commercial funding
  • Clear theory of how grant/loan helps enterprise reach commercial viability
  • Plan for attracting subsequent investors

Impact Measurement & Verification

Portfolio examples show emphasis on measurable impact:

  • Impact-linked loans tied to verified outcomes (e.g., satellite forest monitoring)
  • Quantifiable benefits to marginalized communities
  • Job creation and income growth metrics
  • Environmental co-benefits (rainforest protection, regenerative agriculture)

Value Chain Development

Many successful projects focus on developing sustainable value chains:

  • Processing infrastructure that increases smallholder earnings
  • Export ventures that create market access
  • Equipment and expertise that transform artisanal practices
  • Integration of environmental stewardship with economic opportunity

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

  • Blue Alliance: Mangrove crab value chain in Verde Island Passage Marine Protected Area, Philippines
  • Cepro Yanesha: Coffee processing for organic cooperative stewarding 10,000 hectares of Peruvian Amazon rainforest
  • Pineapple leaf processing for vegan leather in Philippines
  • Virgin coconut oil processing for smallholders in Simeulue, Indonesia
  • Coding school providing tech skills to refugees and unemployed youth in Lebanon
  • Lake Victoria Gold Programme transforming artisanal mining in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Think beyond grants: GenEM prefers repayable grants and revenue-based loans that recycle capital. Applications should demonstrate readiness for financial instruments beyond traditional philanthropy.
  • Commercial discipline is essential: Frame proposals around sustainable business models with clear paths to profitability or self-sufficiency, not just social impact. The foundation's investment management background means they apply rigorous financial analysis.
  • Target the funding gap: Position your request as bridging the gap between traditional philanthropy (too risky) and commercial investors (returns too low). Show how concessionary capital enables eventual commercial viability.
  • Demonstrate scalability and catalytic potential: Emphasize how initial funding will attract larger follow-on investment and create demonstration effects for the sector.
  • Focus on marginalized communities: Projects must serve populations “currently beyond the reach of government or market-based solutions” with measurable income generation outcomes.
  • Keep initial application concise: The synopsis-based preliminary application suggests they value clarity and brevity. Focus on demonstrating fit with priorities and commercial potential.
  • Link environmental and economic outcomes: Portfolio examples show preference for projects combining ecological sustainability (forest protection, marine conservation, regenerative agriculture) with income generation.
  • Be patient with process: Two-stage review with interviews and detailed financial analysis indicates thorough due diligence. Build relationship during process and be prepared for rigorous financial scrutiny.

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References