The Jabbs Foundation

Charity Number: 1128402

Annual Expenditure: £5.5M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5,500,000 (approximate)
  • Total Donated (Last Decade): £30,000,000+
  • Future Commitment: £10,000,000 over next 5 years
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: £60,000 - £7,200,000+ (varies by program type)
  • Geographic Focus: National (UK-wide) with emphasis on Birmingham, Dudley, and Sandwell
  • Application Type: Proactive/Strategic partnerships (appears to be by invitation)

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 16067, Birmingham, B32 9GP

Email: admin@thejabbsfoundation.co.uk

Phone: 0121 428 2593

Website: https://jabbswomenandgirls.org.uk/

The Foundation does not appear to have a public online application portal. Contact the Foundation directly to discuss potential partnerships.

Overview

The JABBS Foundation was founded in 2009 by Barbara (a former magistrate and published scientist with a PhD in Immunology from the University of Birmingham) and Jo, who were inspired to create a fairer criminal justice system for women and girls. Over the last decade, the Foundation has donated more than £30 million to address vital social issues, with a major focus on supporting women and girls at risk of falling into or caught in the criminal justice system due to systemic disadvantage.

The Foundation has committed a further £10 million over the next 5 years (as of 2024) to supporting women, girls, their families, and their communities. JABBS has funded and partnered with over 30 organisations, helping thousands of women lead safer, happier, and healthier lives through specialist and holistic support. The Foundation's impact comes through three main approaches: grants to direct support services, generation of new evidence and research around effective support for women, and strengthening influential partnerships for long-term change.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation operates through strategic partnerships and multi-year grants rather than open competitive grant rounds. Recent major grants include:

  • Effective Women's Centres Partnership: £7,200,000 (February 2023 - Autumn 2026) - Partnership with seven women's centres and the University of Birmingham to evidence the effectiveness of women's centres in holistically addressing the needs of criminal justice-involved women
  • Anawim Dawn House: £2,400,000 (seven-year project) - Residential centre for women leaving prison in Birmingham
  • Centre for Justice Innovation: £767,000 (April 2025 - April 2028) - Creating and convening two national networks (community rehabilitation/diversion network and problem-solving court network)
  • Corston Independent Funders Coalition: £60,000 (co-funded with Barrow Cadbury Trust) - Supporting trauma-responsive approaches to diverting women from crime
  • National Women's Justice Coalition: Multi-year core cost grant (amount undisclosed) - Supporting core operational and staff costs
  • Positive Futures Fund: Administered through Heart of England Community Foundation - Supporting organisations in Birmingham and the Black Country providing innovative activities to inspire young people and keep them out of the criminal justice system

Priority Areas

The Foundation's work focuses exclusively on:

  • Women and girls in the criminal justice system: Supporting those at risk of falling into or already caught in the system due to systemic disadvantage
  • Trauma-responsive and gender-responsive interventions: Research shows these are up to 42% more effective than gender-neutral approaches in reducing reoffending
  • Women's centres: Community-based alternatives to custody providing holistic support
  • Research and evidence generation: Funding research that demonstrates effectiveness of interventions (e.g., Women's Risk Needs Assessment tool used with 2,000+ women)
  • Problem-solving courts: Innovative court approaches that address root causes of offending
  • Policy influence: Supporting coalitions and networks that advance systemic change
  • Core costs and multi-year funding: JABBS recognizes the importance of sustainable organizational support

Key beneficiary profile: 4 in 5 women involved in criminal justice have experienced abuse; 63% are survivors of childhood sexual abuse; highest needs include physical abuse, mental health issues, PTSD, and employment/financial issues.

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation's objectives are technically “to advance for the public benefit any purpose which is exclusively charitable at law,” but in practice, all current funding is focused on women and girls in the criminal justice system. The Foundation does not appear to fund:

  • Projects unrelated to women and girls
  • Projects outside the criminal justice reform sphere
  • Short-term or one-off projects (preference for multi-year strategic partnerships)
  • Organizations without clear alignment to their gender-responsive, trauma-informed approach
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Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership

Barbara (Co-Founder): Inspired by her experiences as a magistrate, Barbara initiated and continues to spearhead the work of JABBS, striving for a fairer criminal justice system for women and girls. She is a published scientist with a PhD from the University of Birmingham's Department of Immunology.

Dr Tom McNeil (Chief Executive Officer): Tom is The JABBS Foundation's CEO and has been appointed to the Ministry of Justice Women's Justice Board. He started as a commercial lawyer before becoming a charity and social enterprise specialist. As West Midlands' Assistant Police & Crime Commissioner, he initiated innovative projects including one of the UK's first women's problem-solving courts. He has a Social Policy & Criminology PhD from the University of Birmingham and holds policy fellowships at the University of Cambridge and York University.

Robin Daniels (Director): Robin has led the work of The JABBS Foundation since it was founded in 2009. He brings financial and governance experience from his undergraduate studies at University of Birmingham and 23 years as a Corporate Banker with NatWest Group.

Chloé Geoghegan (Deputy Director): Works on partnerships, public affairs, and effective storytelling.

Trustees

The Foundation currently has three trustees (a small number noted as a governance concern by charity evaluators). Specific trustee names are registered with the Charity Commission.

Leadership Insights

According to one grantee: “JABBS are open to genuine dialogue, deeply understands the challenges we face and context that we are working in.”

Tom McNeil, as Chair of the Corston Independent Funders Coalition, is working to advance trauma-responsive approaches to diverting women from crime at a national policy level.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The JABBS Foundation does not appear to have a public open grant application process. The Foundation operates through:

  • Strategic partnerships: The Foundation proactively identifies and approaches organizations aligned with their mission
  • Invitation-based funding: Evidence suggests grants are awarded through strategic relationships rather than competitive applications
  • Direct contact: Organizations interested in partnership should contact the Foundation at admin@thejabbsfoundation.co.uk or 0121 428 2593

The Foundation's website states they “enter into partnerships nationally and in Birmingham to bridge short-term funding gaps or innovative ways of working, for initiatives supporting women and girls.”

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Multi-year grants suggest thorough due diligence and relationship-building processes.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. The Foundation has partnered with 30+ organizations over its history.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed, though the Foundation's preference for multi-year strategic partnerships suggests they build long-term relationships with grantees rather than one-off grants.

Application Success Factors

Given the Foundation's strategic approach, organizations seeking funding should consider:

Evidence-Based Approaches

The Foundation prioritizes interventions with demonstrated effectiveness. Their own research shows gender-responsive interventions are up to 42% more effective than gender-neutral ones in reducing reoffending. Projects should be able to demonstrate or rigorously evaluate their impact.

Alignment with Foundation Values

From their website: “We strive for a world where all women and girls lead free, safe and flourishing lives within a fair society, emphasizing the strengths and abilities of women and girls, enabling them, their families and communities to realise their full potential.”

Partnership Approach

The Foundation values “rich and diverse partnerships and perspectives” and aims to be “stronger together in realising shared goals.” They appreciate organizations open to genuine dialogue and collaborative working.

Trauma-Responsive and Gender-Responsive Practice

All funded work must demonstrate understanding of trauma-informed, gender-responsive approaches that address the distinct needs of women in the criminal justice system.

Long-Term Commitment

The Foundation favors multi-year funding arrangements and sustainable approaches. They recognize “the complexity of disadvantage” and aim to “be hopeful and courageous while taking bold steps to deliver meaningful impact.”

Core Costs and Capacity Building

Recent grants to National Women's Justice Coalition and Corston Independent Funders Coalition show willingness to fund core operational costs, not just project-specific work.

Systems Change and Policy Influence

Projects that contribute to evidence generation, policy development, and systemic change appear particularly valued (e.g., Women's Risk Needs Assessment tool, national networks, problem-solving courts).

Geographic Connection

While national work is funded, the Foundation has particular ties to Birmingham and the West Midlands, reflecting Barbara's original work as a magistrate in the region.

Recent Funded Project Examples

  • Women's centres providing holistic, trauma-responsive support
  • Residential provision for women leaving prison
  • Research partnerships evidencing effectiveness of interventions
  • National networks convening practitioners and policymakers
  • Funder collaboratives advancing systemic change
  • Problem-solving courts offering alternatives to custody

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. This is not an open grant program: JABBS operates through strategic partnerships and appears to proactively identify organizations rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Building relationships with the Foundation over time is crucial.
  1. Focus exclusively on women and girls in criminal justice: Despite broad charitable objects, all current funding supports women and girls at risk of or involved in the criminal justice system due to systemic disadvantage.
  1. Evidence and research are central: The Foundation values rigorous evaluation and evidence generation. Projects should demonstrate measurable outcomes or include robust research components.
  1. Think multi-year and strategic: JABBS prefers substantial, multi-year commitments that address root causes rather than short-term interventions. Core funding and capacity building are on the table.
  1. Embrace trauma-informed, gender-responsive approaches: These principles are non-negotiable and reflect the Foundation's understanding that gender-responsive interventions are up to 42% more effective than generic approaches.
  1. Policy influence matters: The Foundation values work that generates evidence to influence policy and practice at local and national levels. Leadership sits on government advisory boards and chairs key coalitions.
  1. Partnership and collaboration are valued: JABBS sees itself as a collaborative partner, not just a funder. They value “genuine dialogue” and understanding of organizational context. Projects involving partnerships across multiple organizations appear particularly attractive.

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