The Global Fund for Children UK Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £6.6 million (2024 charitable expenditure)
• Grant Range: £4,000 - £15,000 (typical annual grant amount)
• Decision Time: 6 months (decisions made twice yearly in June and December)
• Geographic Focus: Global (supporting UK organisations and international grassroots organisations)
• Application Method: Rolling basis (Letter of Inquiry/Expression of Interest)

Contact Details

Address: Work.Life, 4 Crown Place, London EC2A 4BT, United Kingdom

Email: uktrust@globalfundforchildren.org

Telephone: +44 2081 642428

Website: https://globalfundforchildren.org

Charity Number: 1119544

Overview

The Global Fund for Children UK Trust was established in 2006 as a UK registered charity working closely with the main Global Fund for Children organisation based in Washington, D.C. With an income of £9.5 million in the year ending June 2024 and charitable expenditure of £6.6 million, the UK Trust has evolved from primarily a fundraising entity to an active grantmaker supporting community-based organisations both in the UK and globally. Since its inception, the broader Global Fund for Children network has invested more than $79 million in over 1,300 grassroots organisations across 90+ countries. The UK Trust has specifically awarded more than £2.6 million to community-based organisations in the UK alone. The organisation focuses on small, innovative community-led organisations that work directly with marginalised and vulnerable children and youth, particularly those at early stages of development with annual budgets typically under $200,000.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Core Grantmaking Programme

• Grant Size: $5,000 - $20,000 USD per year (typical range)
• Duration: Multi-year partnerships (3-6 years typical)
• Application: Rolling basis via Letter of Inquiry/Expression of Interest
• Decisions: Twice yearly (June and December)
• Grant Growth: Grants typically start at the lower end of the range and grow in size and scope over the course of the funding relationship

Note on Organisational Budgets: While GFC's grants typically range from $5,000-$20,000 annually, the organisation specifically seeks partners whose total annual budgets fall in the $25,000 to $75,000 range, with a maximum budget of $200,000 (with rare exceptions). This reflects GFC's focus on supporting small, early-stage grassroots organisations.

UK-Specific Initiatives

• Between July 2021 and June 2022, awarded approximately £154,000 to UK organisations
• Recent focus on youth social action in England, including Bradford-based organisations funded through the #iwill Fund partnership

Recent Strategic Initiatives

• Addressing the Root Causes (ARC) Initiative in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal) - preventing child and youth exploitation
• U Muuk'il Xch'úupalo'ob/Strength of Girls Initiative in Yucatán, Mexico - multi-year flexible grants with feminist, intersectional approach
• Mark McGoldrick Futures Fund - established in memory of the founding Chair of the UK Trust, providing catalytic funding to strengthen global network

Priority Areas

The Global Fund for Children prioritises organisations that:

Community-Led Leadership

• Led by individuals who live and work in the community
• Strong preference for leaders born and raised in the community
• Organisations led by people with lived experience, including young people
• Aim to change unjust systems and create new opportunities

Demonstrated Innovation and Impact

• Tackle old problems in new ways
• Demonstrate sustained, meaningful improvement in children's lives
• Generate models and methodologies that can be adapted to other communities

Youth Participation

• Engage children and youth as active participants in their own development
• Not passive recipients of services
• Increasingly enabling young people to direct GFC's funding through participatory grantmaking

Community Recognition

• Locally embedded with strong understanding of community challenges
• Recognised and trusted in their communities
• Operate with community input, involvement, and investment

Focus Populations

• Marginalised and vulnerable children and youth
• Trafficked children, refugees, child labourers
• Children facing exploitation or discrimination

What They Don't Fund

Organisational Exclusions:

• Groups engaged exclusively in advocacy or research (though they support organisations that combine advocacy with direct service)
• Local offices or affiliates of national or international organisations
• Organisations seeking start-up funding for new organisations
• Organisations involved in or supporting violent activities or criminal behaviour

Budget Restrictions:

• With rare exceptions, annual budgets should not exceed $200,000
• Most new grantee partners have budgets in the $25,000-$75,000 range

Other Requirements:

• Organisations must work directly with children and youth
• Must be registered with local/national government as nonprofit
• Must promote equality and not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation

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Governance and Leadership

UK Trust Board of Trustees

Chair:

• Mark Wilson - Chair, Goldman Sachs & Company

Note: Mark McGoldrick served as the founding Chair of the UK Trust. The Mark McGoldrick Futures Fund was established in his memory to provide catalytic funding to strengthen GFC's global network.

The UK Trust has its own board of trustees and governing charter, separate from the main Global Fund for Children board in Washington, D.C. The complete current board composition can be found on the organisation's website at globalfundforchildren.org/boards/.

Staff

The UK Trust employs 16 staff members working across fundraising, grantmaking, and organisational support.

How to Apply to The Global Fund For Children Uk Trust

How to Apply

The Global Fund for Children accepts applications on a rolling basis through a two-stage process:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI) or Letter of Inquiry

• Submit at any time during the year
• Straightforward process that does not involve lengthy application forms
• Used to determine basic eligibility and fit with selection criteria
• No fees associated with applying

Stage 2: Full Proposal (By Invitation Only)

• If EOI aligns with GFC's priorities, they will follow up requesting a full proposal
• Organisations do not submit proposals directly
• GFC prioritises building meaningful relationships, often visiting organisations in person

Important Note: GFC simplifies the application process by focusing on building meaningful relationships with potential partners rather than requiring formal proposals upfront. Due to the volume of submissions, not all applicants will receive a response. However, if your profile aligns with GFC's funding priorities, the team will reach out for further discussion.

Decision Timeline

Decision Frequency: Grantmaking decisions are made twice a year (June and December)

Application to Decision: Approximately 6 months (depending on when inquiry is submitted relative to decision cycles)

Process Steps:

1. Submit Expression of Interest (any time)
2. Initial review by GFC team
3. Invitation for full proposal (if aligned with priorities)
4. Potential site visit or relationship-building conversations
5. Final decision at June or December board meeting
6. Notification and grant agreement

Eligibility Requirements

Before applying, ensure your organisation meets these criteria:

Operational Requirements:

• Registered with local/national government as a nonprofit organisation
• Basic accounting and reporting systems in place
• Phone and email access
• Systems for responsible financial management

Programme Requirements:

• Works directly with children and youth (not exclusively advocacy/research)
• Led by individuals who live and work in the community
• Annual budget typically between $25,000-$200,000 (with rare exceptions)
• Demonstrates innovation, community trust, and meaningful impact

Values Alignment:

• Promotes equality
• Does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation
• Engages children/youth as active participants

Application Success Factors

What GFC Prioritises (Funder-Specific Insights)

1. Community-Rooted Authenticity

GFC explicitly prioritises “organisations that are rooted in their community and operate with community input, involvement, and investment, embracing the community as an integral part of their success.” Your application should demonstrate deep community ties and trust, not just service delivery.

2. Innovation in Approach

The organisation seeks partners that “tackle old problems in new ways, demonstrating innovation and creativity in their programme strategies and approaches.” Simply replicating existing programmes is less compelling than showing how you're approaching challenges differently.

3. Youth Agency, Not Charity

GFC prioritises “organisations that engage children and youth as active participants in their own growth and development, rather than as passive recipients of services.” Show how young people shape your programmes, make decisions, and lead change—not just benefit from services.

4. Lived Experience Leadership

The funder is “especially interested in organisations led by people with lived experience, including young people, that aim to change unjust systems and create new opportunities.” If your leadership has personal experience with the challenges your organisation addresses, highlight this explicitly.

5. Sustainability Vision

Organisations should have “a strategy for ensuring the long-term sustainability of their programmes, through donor diversification, mobilisation of government funding, community investment, income-generating activities, and other creative measures.” GFC wants partners who will outlast their grants.

6. Scalable Models

The funder values “organisations that generate models, methodologies, and practices that can be adapted and applied to similar issues and challenges in other communities.” Show how your approach could inform others' work.

7. Early-Stage Organisation Focus

GFC actively seeks organisations at early stages that haven't yet attracted institutional funding—don't be deterred by being new or small. The organisation specifically targets groups with budgets under $200,000, with most new partners having budgets in the $25,000-$75,000 range.

8. Relationship Over Paperwork

GFC “simplifies the application process by focusing on building meaningful relationships with potential partners, rather than requiring formal proposals.” They note they “visit organisations in person and build relationships, getting to know possible new partners when they have raised funds.” Be prepared for genuine relationship-building, not just form-filling.

UK-Specific Examples

GFC has funded organisations in Bradford, England working on youth social action, including:

• BEAP Community Partnership - community-based group in Manningham engaging young people in social action through sports, serving the local Bangladeshi community
• Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy (TKBA) - empowering boys and young men from deprived urban communities using boxing, mentoring, and personal development
• West Bowling Youth Initiative - 30+ years supporting youth volunteering and leadership opportunities
• Worth Valley Young Farmers Club (WVYFC) - voluntary, youth-led organisation in rural Worth Valley region

These examples show GFC supports diverse approaches—sports-based, rural/urban, culturally-specific, and volunteer-led models.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Start small, think relationship: GFC's Expression of Interest process is designed to be accessible. Don't overthink the initial submission—focus on clearly articulating your community roots, innovation, and youth engagement.

• Budget sweet spot: Organisations with annual budgets of $25,000-$75,000 are in GFC's primary target range. If you're larger than $200,000, you'll likely fall outside their focus on early-stage grassroots organisations.

• Leadership matters more than credentials: GFC explicitly prioritises leaders who are from the community they serve and have lived experience. Emphasise personal connections to the work, not just professional qualifications.

• Youth voice is non-negotiable: Show how young people actively shape your programmes and decision-making. Passive beneficiary language (“we serve children”) is less compelling than agency language (“young people lead our community campaigns”).

• Innovation trumps scale: GFC seeks creative approaches to entrenched problems, not necessarily large-scale programmes. A small, innovative model with potential for adaptation elsewhere is more attractive than a large traditional programme.

• Plan for the long game: This is a multi-year partnership funder (3-6 years typical). Applications should demonstrate sustainability planning and vision beyond the grant period.

• Understand the grant trajectory: Grants typically start at $5,000-$20,000 annually and grow over time as the partnership develops. Don't expect large grants immediately—GFC invests in long-term relationships with modest but increasing support.

• Be patient and persistent: With decisions twice yearly (June and December) and a relationship-building approach, this is not a quick-turnaround funder. Submit your EOI and be prepared to wait several months while building relationships with the team.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Ubs Optimus Foundation Uk
• Children On The Edge
• The Save The Children Fund
• Belron Ronnie Lubner Charitable Foundation
• The Carmela & Ronnie Pignatelli Foundation
• The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust
• Anglo American Foundation
• Marr-munning Trust
• We Are Purposeful
• The Jephcott Charitable Trust

References

• Global Fund for Children official website: https://globalfundforchildren.org
• Charity Commission register entry for The Global Fund for Children UK Trust (1119544): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1119544
• 360Giving GrantNav database entry for The Global Fund for Children UK Trust: https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1119544
• Global Fund for Children Annual Report 2023-24: https://reports.globalfundforchildren.org/annual-report-2023-24
• Global Fund for Children “Investing in Youth Social Action in England” initiative page: https://globalfundforchildren.org/initiative/investing-in-youth-social-action-in-england/
• Global Fund for Children Boards page: https://globalfundforchildren.org/boards/
• FundsforNGOs grant information pages for Global Fund for Children: https://www.fundsforngos.org/foundation-funds-for-ngos/ngos-focused-on-children-can-apply-for-grant-from-global-fund-for-children/
• Opportunities for Youth “Become a Partner of the Global Fund for Children” page: https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/2025/05/28/become-a-partner-of-the-global-fund-for-children-gfc/
• Global Fund for Children “Addressing the Root Causes of Exploitation in South Asia (ARC)” page: https://globalfundforchildren.org/initiative/addressing-the-root-causes-of-exploitation-in-south-asia/
• Global Fund for Children “Mark McGoldrick Futures Fund” page: https://globalfundforchildren.org/mark-mcgoldrick-futures-fund-2/