The Kurt And Magda Stern Foundation

Charity Number: 1168201

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £185,000 - £223,000
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Website: https://kurtandmagdastern.org

Email: info@kurtandmagdastern.org

Phone: 3330062299

Address: Third Floor, 95 The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HH

Important Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or inquiries about funding.

Overview

The Kurt and Magda Stern Foundation was established in 2016 by Tamsin Hoare, granddaughter of Kurt and Magda, to honor their legacy as refugees who fled persecution and conflict. The foundation is an independent charitable foundation (registered charity number 1168201) that does not raise funds from the public. With annual expenditure ranging from £185,000 to £223,000 in recent years, KMSF supports innovative and transformational projects, pilots, and research across England and Wales. The foundation focuses on early intervention and addressing root causes to create real change in lives and systems. Operating with three female trustees and no staff, KMSF takes a proactive approach to identifying and partnering with organizations, emphasizing collaboration and strategic risk-taking where transformation is possible.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with set application cycles. Instead, they proactively identify and approach potential partners for funding. Their approach emphasizes long-term partnerships with organizations working on innovative solutions.

Application Method: Invitation only - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications

Priority Areas

KMSF supports work across multiple sectors with particular focus on:

  • Refugee and asylum seeker support: Organizations supporting young refugees and asylum seekers (ages 11-25) through casework, youth activities, and advocacy
  • Domestic abuse: Both victim support and perpetrator programs addressing root causes of domestic abuse
  • Criminal justice: Projects addressing the root causes of criminality and supporting people to rebuild their lives
  • Immigration detention: Medical justice and documentation of torture evidence
  • Early intervention for children and young people: Programs preventing children from becoming trapped in broken systems, particularly those at risk or with traumatic pasts
  • Human rights and systemic change: Research, policy work, and strategic litigation to create lasting change

Core Themes:

  • Early intervention over eventual rescue
  • Addressing root causes rather than symptoms
  • Centering voices of lived experience
  • Innovation and transformation
  • Research and evidence-based practice

What They Don't Fund

Based on their stated priorities, the foundation appears not to fund:

  • Organizations without a focus on systemic change or root causes
  • Projects that do not incorporate voices of lived experience
  • Non-innovative or purely service-delivery approaches
  • Work outside England and Wales
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The foundation has three trustees, all female, with an age range of 48-53 years. None of the trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Chair: Sarah Tamsin Hoare (appointed 2015)

KMSF describes their ideal trustees as “curious, compassionate individuals, who are open to new, and possibly disruptive, ways of doing things.”

Leadership Philosophy

The foundation was created to reflect Kurt and Magda's experiences as refugees, with founder Tamsin Hoare stating she “wanted to build a legacy for them that would reflect their early experience as refugees fleeing persecution and conflict.”

The foundation emphasizes that “the most important voices in any conversation about systemic change are the voices of people with first-hand experience.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The foundation explicitly states: “Please note, we do not accept unsolicited applications for funding.”

Instead, KMSF operates through proactive grantmaking, where they:

  • Research and identify potential partners across England and Wales
  • Approach organizations directly when they believe there is alignment
  • Initiate conversations with organizations doing innovative work in their priority areas

Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees based on their research and identification of promising projects and partners.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation publishes information about their current and previous partners on their website (https://kurtandmagdastern.org/our-partners/), which demonstrates the types of organizations and projects they support. Organizations working in their priority areas should:

Demonstrate alignment with KMSF values:

  • Show innovation and ambition in addressing long-standing problems
  • Center voices of lived experience in organizational structure and approach
  • Focus on early intervention and root causes
  • Pursue systemic change rather than symptomatic relief

Increase visibility in relevant sectors:

  • The foundation conducts proactive research to find partners, so maintaining a strong online presence and clear communication of innovative approaches may help them discover your work
  • Publish case studies and research demonstrating transformational impact
  • Participate in 360Giving and other transparency initiatives if you are a funder, as KMSF values this approach

Note: While there is no guarantee of being approached, organizations that exemplify the foundation's values and work innovatively in their priority areas are most likely to be identified through their research process.

Application Success Factors

Given KMSF's proactive approach, organizations cannot directly apply. However, based on their stated values and partner selection criteria, organizations most likely to be approached demonstrate:

1. Voices of Lived Experience at the Heart

The foundation explicitly seeks “innovative, ambitious partner organisations, with voices of experience at their heart.” This is not tokenistic involvement but meaningful integration of lived experience in governance, program design, and delivery.

2. Innovation and Ambition

KMSF looks for organizations willing to try new approaches: “They are able to take risks where they feel they could lead to positive transformation, championing new ways to tackle long-standing problems.”

3. Focus on Root Causes and Early Intervention

The foundation believes “early intervention is preferable to eventual rescue” and seeks partners addressing systemic issues rather than symptoms.

4. Commitment to Systemic Change

All current and previous partners work toward changing systems, not just providing services within broken systems. This includes research, policy work, strategic litigation, and evidence-building.

5. Collaborative Approach

KMSF is “eager to collaborate with the partners they fund as they research and develop creative solutions.” They offer more than money, providing “knowledge, skills and experience” to partnerships.

6. Openness to Risk and Disruption

Both trustees and partner organizations should be “open to new, and possibly disruptive, ways of doing things.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - organizations cannot submit applications to this funder
  • Proactive identification model - KMSF researches and approaches potential partners directly based on their own priorities and research
  • Lived experience is central - organizations must meaningfully integrate voices of people with direct experience of the issues they address
  • Innovation over replication - the foundation seeks transformational approaches, not standard service delivery
  • Root causes and early intervention - focus must be on preventing problems and addressing systemic issues, not just treating symptoms
  • England and Wales only - geographic restriction is firm
  • Long-term partnerships - the foundation values ongoing collaboration and offers expertise beyond funding
  • Transparency commitment - KMSF publishes grant data through 360Giving, demonstrating commitment to open philanthropy

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