The Jmcmrj Sorrell Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,771,023 (FY ending April 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not specified (unsolicited applications reviewed on rolling basis)
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified (varied based on project scope)
• Geographic Focus: International (Brazil, Colombia, India, Italy, United States, and UK)

Contact Details

Email: CEO@JMCMRJ.org

Phone: 020 7408 2204

Website: Not publicly available

Registered Address: 19 Wilton Row, London, SW1X 7NS

Charity Number: 1118913

Important: Only electronic proposals will be considered for funding.

Overview

The JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation is a UK-registered charitable trust established in 2007 by the Sorrell family. With annual charitable expenditure of £1.77 million (as of April 2024), the foundation operates internationally across six countries: Brazil, Colombia, India, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The foundation's mission centers on providing grants for education, health, and alleviation of poverty worldwide, including religious and interfaith initiatives. Led by CEO Cristiana Falcone (Lady Sorrell) since 2006, the foundation has distributed substantial amounts to various causes supporting education, health, and interfaith dialogue. The foundation operates with a distinctive philanthropic philosophy emphasizing minimal constraints, risk-taking, and long-term trust-based partnerships with grantees. The foundation is chaired by Sir Martin Stuart Sorrell, with a board comprising family trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates a single grant-making program with broad discretionary powers. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis via electronic submission only. The trustees review unsolicited grant requests and evaluate them against the foundation's charitable objectives.

General Grant Program: Open range (project-specific amounts)

• Support for education initiatives
• Health and humanitarian relief programs
• Poverty alleviation projects
• Religious and interfaith dialogue initiatives
• Animal welfare (secondary focus area)

Priority Areas

Education: Projects that transform educational access and outcomes, particularly in underserved communities worldwide.

Health: Healthcare initiatives, humanitarian relief, and projects addressing health inequalities.

Poverty Alleviation: Programs empowering individuals and communities through entrepreneurship, skills development, and economic opportunity.

Interfaith Dialogue: Religious initiatives promoting understanding and cooperation across faith communities.

Geographic Priority: The foundation has established operations in Brazil, Colombia, India, Italy, and the United States, alongside UK-based projects.

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation has broad charitable objectives, specific exclusions are not publicly detailed. The foundation appears to focus primarily on established causes aligned with the trustees' strategic interests rather than responding to all unsolicited applications.

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Governance and Leadership

Chair: Sir Martin Stuart Sorrell

CEO and Trustee: Cristiana Falcone (Lady Sorrell)

Trustees: Jonathan Edward Hugh Sorrell, Mark Richard Antony Sorrell, Robert Alexander Sorrell

The foundation is structured as a family trust with no employees receiving benefits over £60,000 and no trustees receiving remuneration. This ensures that charitable expenditure is maximized for grant-making purposes, with a charitable spending ratio of 98.15%.

Leadership Philosophy: CEO Cristiana Falcone has articulated a distinctive approach to philanthropy, emphasizing what she calls "charity for charity's sake." In her writing for Alliance magazine, she states the foundation's approach is to “lean into uncertainty and risk” to create meaningful, long-term social impact. She emphasizes the importance of taking bigger risks than traditional funders, building trust with grantees, and investing in outstanding individuals with transformative vision.

Falcone brings extensive experience from her roles as Senior Adviser to the Executive Chairman and Founder of the World Economic Forum, and board positions with organizations including Internews, The Paley Center for Media, Viacom, Revlon, and the School of Nutrition and Feinstein Center for Humanitarian Affairs at Tufts University.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: Only electronic proposals will be considered.

1. Submit proposals electronically to: CEO@JMCMRJ.org
2. Ensure your proposal clearly aligns with the foundation's goals: education, health, poverty alleviation, or interfaith dialogue
3. The trustees receive and review unsolicited requests on a rolling basis
4. No formal application portal or structured deadlines exist

Decision Timeline

The foundation does not publish specific decision timelines. As trustees review unsolicited applications on a rolling basis and the foundation operates without formal deadlines, decision times likely vary significantly based on the strength of the proposal and strategic fit with current priorities.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available. Given the foundation's international scope and relatively modest annual giving (£1.77 million), the foundation appears to be highly selective in its grant-making.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. However, the foundation's emphasis on long-term trust-based partnerships suggests they favor sustained relationships with successful grantees over one-off funding.

Application Success Factors

Based on the CEO's public statements and the foundation's approach, the following factors appear critical:

Demonstrate Bold Vision: The foundation explicitly seeks “moonshot” and high-risk, high-reward initiatives. CEO Cristiana Falcone emphasizes the foundation's willingness to “lean into uncertainty and risk.” Applications should articulate transformative potential rather than incremental change.

Outstanding Leadership: The foundation invests in “outstanding individuals” who can create lasting community impact. Highlight the track record, determination, and vision of your organization's leadership.

Long-Term Impact: The foundation provides “stable, long-term funding” to enable partners to “think bigger and bolder.” Demonstrate how your project creates sustainable, transformative change rather than temporary relief.

Minimal Reporting Requirements: The foundation values trust over bureaucracy. This suggests they prefer working with established, credible organizations that can operate independently with minimal oversight.

Example Project: In her Alliance magazine article, Falcone describes supporting Nomonde Siyaka, a Cape Town restaurant owner, with a $30,000 grant that enabled professional kitchen expansion, food education training, and community entrepreneurship development. This example illustrates the foundation's interest in grassroots entrepreneurs creating multiplier effects in their communities.

International Scope: With operations in six countries, proposals from Brazil, Colombia, India, Italy, and the United States may receive particular attention alongside UK-based projects.

Strategic Alignment: While the foundation accepts unsolicited applications, alignment with the Sorrell family's known interests in media, business, humanitarian affairs, and interfaith dialogue may strengthen proposals.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Emphasize transformative vision: The foundation seeks “high-risk, high-reward” projects that think bigger and bolder than conventional approaches. Avoid incremental or safe proposals.

• Lead with leadership: Highlight the exceptional qualities of your organization's leaders. The foundation invests in outstanding individuals, not just programs.

• Demonstrate independence: With minimal reporting requirements, the foundation expects grantees to operate with autonomy. Show you have the capacity and credibility to deliver without extensive oversight.

• Think internationally: Geographic focus on six countries (Brazil, Colombia, India, Italy, United States, UK) means international projects may have an advantage.

• Build for sustainability: The foundation values long-term relationships and stable funding partnerships. Articulate how the grant creates lasting change beyond the funding period.

• Electronic applications only: Ensure your proposal is professionally prepared for electronic submission. No paper applications will be considered.

• Be selective in applying: With annual giving of £1.77 million spread globally and a highly selective approach, apply only if your project truly aligns with the foundation's strategic priorities and represents exceptional transformative potential.

References

• UK Charity Commission Register of Charities: The JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation, Charity Number 1118913. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=1118913

• Falcone, Cristiana. "Charity for charity's sake: the role of philanthropy in an uncertain world." Alliance magazine, available at: https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/charity-for-charitys-sake-the-role-of-philanthropy-in-an-uncertain-world/

• NGO Explorer: The JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation. Available at: https://ngoexplorer.org/charity/1118913

• The AIBs: Cristiana Falcone Biography. Available at: https://theaibs.tv/cristiana-falcone/

• World Economic Forum: Ms Cristiana Falcone. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/people/cristiana-falcone-sorrell/

• Tufts University Office of the Trustees: Cristiana Falcone Biography. Available at: https://trustees.tufts.edu/info/bios/falcone/