The Kensington And Chelsea Foundation

Charity Number: 1125940

Annual Expenditure: £1.9M
Kensington And Chelsea

Contact Info

Website:www.thekandcfoundation.com

Phone:020 7229 5499

Email:team@thekandcfoundation.com

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,660,000 (2023-24)
  • Total Raised Since Inception: £20 million (15 years)
  • Decision Time: 3 months (for major grant programmes)
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £30,000 per year
  • Geographic Focus: Kensington and Chelsea borough only
  • Projects Funded Annually: 106+ projects
  • Beneficiaries Supported: 23,300+ residents (2023-24)

Contact Details

Website: www.thekandcfoundation.com

Email: team@thekandcfoundation.com

Phone: 020 7229 5499

Pre-Application Support:

  • Email [email protected] to discuss applications
  • Join mailing list at [email protected] for funding announcements

Overview

The Kensington and Chelsea Foundation was established in 2008 as an independent place-based charity dedicated to addressing local hardship and exclusion. Over 15 years, the Foundation has raised £20 million, with £1.66 million raised in 2023-24 alone. Led by Director Victoria Steward Todd, the Foundation takes a distinctive participatory grant-making approach, recruiting and training local residents with lived experience to design criteria and make funding decisions. The Foundation identifies and supports projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the borough, with current strategic focus on improving mental health, skills and employment, and education opportunities. In 2023-24, the Foundation funded 106 projects supporting over 23,300 of the borough's most disadvantaged residents.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Voluntary Sector Support Fund (Small Grants)

  • £5,000 - £30,000 per year for three years
  • Currently closed (2024-27 cohort selected)
  • For registered charities with income under £100,000 and CICs limited by guarantee
  • Grants toward core costs
  • Participatory grant-making approach with community panel making decisions

Community Spirit Small Grants Fund

  • Up to £1,000
  • Rolling basis (no fixed deadline)
  • For one-off and short-term events (maximum 6 weeks duration)
  • Must comprise at least 25% of total project cost
  • Cannot guarantee review if applying fewer than 6 weeks before project start

Priority Areas

Children and Young People: Supporting organisations that provide hope, raise aspirations and nurture skills to ensure brighter futures

Skills and Employment: Partnering with community groups and businesses to help unemployed residents into work, and supporting those in precarious employment across tech, hospitality, construction and property sectors

Mental Health: Supporting mental health initiatives and addressing isolation and loneliness

Special Interests:

  • Projects in the south of the borough
  • Grassroots organisations working with minoritised or excluded communities
  • Community-led initiatives that recognize valuable contributions from local residents

What They Don't Fund

  • Ongoing core, day-to-day organisational work (except through specific core costs grants)
  • Organisations with income over £100,000 (for VSSF)
  • Projects where fewer than 50% of beneficiaries are Kensington and Chelsea residents
  • Organisations not based within the borough

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Chair: Richard Briance - Merchant banker and trustee of other organisations

Trustees:

  • Abdi Aden - Youth and community work professional, Centre Manager at Earls Court Youth Club
  • Claire Bruce - Lawyer, former trustee at Citizens Advice Kensington and Chelsea
  • Clare Ferguson - Former city lawyer who runs her own charity
  • Willie Gething - Entrepreneur in residential property
  • Tom Holland-Hibbert - Corporate finance professional with charitable experience
  • Richard Humphreys - Advertising agency founder and media company advisor
  • Martin Morgan - Former CEO of DMGT
  • Abdurahman Sayed - CEO of Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre Trust
  • Peter Winslow - Commercial professional with mental health charity involvement
  • Gigi Yacoub - Local resident who works at Westway Trust
  • Jeremy Raphaely - Founder of the K+C Foundation, local resident since 1974

Staff Team

Victoria Steward Todd - Director (appointed December 2019)

  • 20 years' experience in fundraising and senior charity management
  • Former Deputy Director at The One Foundation
  • Former Director of Fundraising at Young Women's Trust
  • Quote on partnerships: "Cadogan has been a long-term supporter of the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation and we're grateful for both its financial backing and its advocacy with the wider business community."

Team Members:

  • Cathy Bickham - Operations Manager
  • Brooke Dobbyn - Community Engagement Manager
  • Jon Fryer - Community Engagement + Grants Manager
  • Catherine Watling - Corporate Partnerships Manager
  • Morag Smith - Major Gifts + Events Manager

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Community Spirit Small Grants Fund:

  • Rolling basis with online application form
  • Email [email protected] with questions
  • No fixed deadline, but allow at least 6 weeks before project start

Voluntary Sector Support Fund:

  • Currently closed (2024-27 cohort selected)
  • Join mailing list at [email protected] for future opportunities
  • When open, applications assessed by trained community panel

Decision Timeline

  • Small Grants Fund: Applications reviewed on rolling basis
  • Major Grant Programmes: Approximately 3 months from application opening to decision announcement (based on VSSF 2023 timeline: applications opened September, decisions announced December)

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. The 2024-27 VSSF awarded grants to 9 organisations from a competitive process.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated in public materials. Contact the Foundation directly for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Participatory Grant-Making Approach

The Foundation uses a distinctive community-led model where local residents with lived experience of social issues are trained to design criteria and make funding decisions. Applications are assessed by diverse resident panels who bring insights about what will make a real difference in the community.

What They Look For

Evidence-Based Applications: Applicants must demonstrate:

  • At least 50% of beneficiaries are Kensington and Chelsea residents
  • Organisation is local and based within the borough
  • Clear evidence of positive social impact in the community
  • Value for money

Core Values Alignment:

  • Flexibility and responsiveness to changing community needs
  • Bold and imaginative solutions
  • Transparency in processes and partnerships
  • Collaboration with beneficiaries, partners, and stakeholders
  • Championing the voice of the most vulnerable

Examples of Recently Funded Projects

Mental Health: Minds United FC - Weekly football sessions for adults in North Kensington with mental health issues, including participation in mental health league and minibus transport (£25,408/year)

Green Space & Health: SPID Theatre Company - Free weekly gardening sessions, supporting 250 hours of communal gardening for 200+ local people

Youth Development: Fit for Life Youth CIC - Youth sports and development programmes (£30,000/year)

Community Support: WAND UK - Community support programmes (£30,000/year)

Education & Skills: The Clement James Centre - Community gardening project with nutrition and gardening courses for 250 participants

Strategic Guidance

For Community Spirit Small Grants:

  • Focus on bringing “joy, hope and healing” to the community
  • Consider projects in south of the borough (priority area)
  • Grassroots organisations working with minoritised communities are especially encouraged
  • Projects must be short-term (max 6 weeks) and distinct from core operations

For Major Grants:

  • Core costs funding available - the Foundation recognizes the value of sustainable organisations
  • Demonstrate community collaboration and beneficiary involvement
  • Show how the work helps make Kensington and Chelsea “a fairer borough”
  • Highlight how you nurture resident talents and help them reach full potential

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Community voice is paramount: The Foundation's participatory model means applications are assessed by residents with lived experience. Write in accessible language that resonates with community members, not just funders.
  • Local focus is non-negotiable: You must prove that at least 50% of beneficiaries are borough residents and that your organisation is locally based. Don't apply if you can't meet these criteria.
  • Align with strategic priorities: Focus applications on mental health, skills and employment, or education opportunities for disadvantaged residents. Other areas are harder to fund.
  • Think core costs: The Foundation values sustainable organisations and offers core cost funding - this is relatively rare and should be leveraged.
  • Join the mailing list early: Major grant programmes open infrequently. Email [email protected] to ensure you don't miss opportunities.
  • Allow time for community decision-making: The participatory model means decisions take approximately 3 months. Plan accordingly and don't expect quick turnarounds.
  • Small grants available year-round: The Community Spirit Fund (up to £1,000) offers rolling opportunities for short-term community events and activities.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

References

  • The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation official website (www.thekandcfoundation.com)
  • "Trustees' Report and Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 March 2024," The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, 2024
  • Charity Commission Register, Charity No. 1125940
  • “Community Spirit Small Grants Fund,” The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation website
  • “Voluntary Sector Support Fund,” The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation website
  • “Our Team,” The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation website
  • “Our Trustees,” The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation website
  • “Working with the community to design, develop and decide small grants funding,” The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation news article
  • “New Director at the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation,” London's Giving
  • Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, “Funding awarded through 2021-24 VSSF grants,”
  • Victoria Steward Todd quotes from Cadogan partnership announcement and COVID-19 appeal communications