The Global Fund For Children Uk Trust

Charity Number: 1119544

Annual Expenditure: £6.3M

Stay updated on changes from The Global Fund For Children Uk Trust 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: £6.3 million (2023 charitable expenditure)
  • Grant Range: £25,000 - £75,000 (typical, $USD equivalent)
  • Decision Time: 6 months (decisions made twice yearly in June and December)
  • Geographic Focus: Global (supporting UK organizations and international grassroots organizations)
  • 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 organization based in Washington, D.C. With an income of £9.5 million in 2023 and charitable expenditure of £6.3 million, the UK Trust has evolved from primarily a fundraising entity to an active grantmaker supporting community-based organizations 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 organizations across 90+ countries. The UK Trust has specifically awarded more than £2.6 million to community-based organisations in the UK alone. The organization focuses on small, innovative community-led organizations that work directly with marginalized and vulnerable children and youth, particularly those at early stages of development with annual budgets typically under $200,000.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Core Grantmaking Program

  • Grant Size: $25,000 - $75,000 USD (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)

UK-Specific Initiatives

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

Recent Strategic Initiatives (2023-24)

  • 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 - launched April 2024 for catalytic funding to strengthen global network

Priority Areas

The Global Fund for Children prioritizes organizations that:

Community-Led Leadership

  • Led by individuals who live and work in the community
  • Strong preference for leaders born and raised in the community
  • Organizations 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
  • Recognized and trusted in their communities
  • Operate with community input, involvement, and investment

Focus Populations

  • Marginalized and vulnerable children and youth
  • Trafficked children, refugees, child laborers
  • Children facing exploitation or discrimination

What They Don't Fund

Organizational Exclusions:

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

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:

  • Organizations 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
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Global Fund For Children Uk Trust?

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

UK Trust Board of Trustees (2024)

Officers:

  • Swatee Deepak - Co-Chair
  • Greg Wallig - Co-Chair
  • Lila Rymer - Treasurer
  • Chris Wolz - Secretary

Board Members:

  • Mete Coban MBE
  • Maulik Doshi
  • Jaclyn Foroughi
  • Ian Glasner
  • John Hecklinger
  • Nicole Kamaleson
  • Joan Lombardi
  • Stacey H. Mitchell

Recent Additions (2023):

  • Sonal Patel - joined 2023, bringing over 10 years of experience in community-led change at grassroots through GMSP Foundation
  • Kiran Moorthy and Muna Wehbe - elected 2022, with Muna bringing 20+ years of experience growing organizations and navigating strategic change

Staff

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

Application Process and Timeline

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
  • Organizations do not submit proposals directly
  • GFC prioritizes building meaningful relationships, often visiting organizations 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 organization meets these criteria:

Operational Requirements:

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

Program 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 Prioritizes (Funder-Specific Insights)

1. Community-Rooted Authenticity

GFC explicitly prioritizes “organizations 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 organization seeks partners that “tackle old problems in new ways, demonstrating innovation and creativity in their program strategies and approaches.” Simply replicating existing programs is less compelling than showing how you're approaching challenges differently.

3. Youth Agency, Not Charity

GFC prioritizes “organizations 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 programs, make decisions, and lead change—not just benefit from services.

4. Lived Experience Leadership

The funder is “especially interested in organizations 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 organization addresses, highlight this explicitly.

5. Sustainability Vision

Organizations should have “a strategy for ensuring the long-term sustainability of their programs, through donor diversification, mobilization 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 “organizations 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. First Institutional Funder Preference

In 2013, GFC was the first US-based institutional funder for 83% of its new grantees. This suggests they actively seek organizations at early stages that haven't yet attracted institutional funding—don't be deterred by being new or small.

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 organizations 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 organizations 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 organization 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: Organizations 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 organizations.
  • Leadership matters more than credentials: GFC explicitly prioritizes leaders who are from the community they serve and have lived experience. Emphasize personal connections to the work, not just professional qualifications.
  • Youth voice is non-negotiable: Show how young people actively shape your programs 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 programs. A small, innovative model with potential for adaptation elsewhere is more attractive than a large traditional program.
  • 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.
  • 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.

🎯 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