The Lightbulb Trust

Charity Number: 1187551

Geographic Focus: Throughout England

Stay updated on changes from The Lightbulb Trust and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Founded: 2019
  • Annual Giving: Data not publicly available
  • Decision Time: 14 days (from completion of due diligence)
  • Grant Range: Information not publicly disclosed for grant-making; Impact investments: £5,000 - £100,000 (average £40,000)
  • Geographic Focus: England & Wales, with higher priority for West London
  • Application Method: Invitation-only (Greenlight); Partnership-based for grant-making

Contact Details

  • Website: www.lightbulbtrust.org
  • Email: info@lightbulbtrust.org
  • Phone: 020 7348 0395
  • Registered Charity Number: 1187551

Overview

The Lightbulb Trust was founded in 2019 by Salome and Ben Holden, a married couple from West London, with the goal of providing enhanced life chances to children growing up nearby who are less advantaged than their own. The Trust operates as a family foundation using a dual approach: grant-making and impact investing. Their charitable purpose is to advance such charitable purposes as the trustees see fit, particularly improving the lives of young people and vulnerable adults through education, literacy, and training, as well as arts initiatives, by making grants, social investments, and programme-related investments. The Trust describes itself as a “learning organization” eager to experiment, supporting both grassroots community initiatives and more systemic, disruptive enterprises. Director Luisa Gockel, who joined in 2020, brings 20 years of experience in social innovation and previously led Pearson's social innovation strategy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Traditional Grant-Making: The Trust offers funding and support to entrepreneurial organisations with strong social drive, focusing on learning-driven charities that deliver transformative impact through grassroots, hands-on, well-run outfits within communities. Specific grant amounts are not publicly disclosed.

Greenlight Project: An invitation-only fund supporting grassroots charities and social enterprises working in the arts to benefit vulnerable populations, with a strong focus on supporting the most excluded in society, especially people with disabilities and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Integration Challenge Fund: A partnership-based fund that has supported collaborative initiatives, such as the West London Zone and Earls Court Youth Club partnership in summer 2023.

Partnership with The Fore: The Trust supported London-based organizations YourStory and Action Tutoring through The Fore's Rapid Action by the Fore and Trusts Fund (RAFT), focusing on high quality, well-managed small charities with great leadership.

Priority Areas

Core Focus Fields:

  • Literacy and learning
  • Digital inclusion
  • Social infrastructure
  • Arts-based initiatives for vulnerable populations

Beneficiary Groups:

  • Young people and children
  • Vulnerable adults
  • People with disabilities
  • Ethnic minority backgrounds
  • Marginalized communities
  • West London communities (priority)

Impact Investment Industries:

  • Education
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing
  • Employment

The Trust prioritizes social mobility, with higher priority given to underrepresented founders and founders with lived experience, diverse and inclusive teams, and organizations operating in London (particularly West London).

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly listed, but the Trust's focus on impact-driven, entrepreneurial organizations suggests they prioritize ventures where impact is core to the business model rather than add-on activities.

Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Lightbulb 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

Founders and Trustees:

  • Salome Holden: Co-founder, background in publishing and training as a counselor, involved with family charitable foundation
  • Ben Holden: Co-founder, film producer, bestselling author, podcast host (Ex Libris), currently serves on the board of trustees for Libraries Connected
  • Shuen Chan: Trustee

Leadership Team:

  • Luisa Gockel: Director (joined 2020), Brazilian former journalist with 20 years' experience in social innovation, part of founding team at Apps for Good, led Pearson's social innovation strategy. Currently on maternity leave.

Pro-Bono Advisors:

  • Dr Jami Dixon: Provides opportunities around impact evaluation
  • Ruth Sorby: Experienced development professional with two decades in the not-for-profit sector, led UK development at Worldreader, provides fundraising advice

Recent Team Additions: Catia and Essia joined the team (as of 2024 Partner Breakfast).

Key Quote from Luisa Gockel: “Trust, transparency, and honesty are key” in working with founders. "Yes, we need to be responsible and rigorous, but we also need to be brave. Change doesn't come from playing it safe."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Grant-Making: The Lightbulb Trust does not appear to operate an open online application portal for traditional grants. Their approach is primarily partnership-based, working with selected charity partners. Interested organizations should contact the Trust directly at info@lightbulbtrust.org to inquire about funding opportunities.

Greenlight Project: This is explicitly an invitation-only fund. Organizations cannot apply directly.

Impact Investing: Organizations seeking impact investment can find information on the Trust's website. The process prioritizes ventures at pre-seed to Series A stage, with impact core to the business model.

Decision Timeline

Impact Investments: The Trust makes decisions quickly – within 14 days of due diligence being completed.

Grant-Making: Specific decision timelines for grants are not publicly disclosed.

Success Rates

Data on application numbers, awards made, or percentage success rates are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Information about unsuccessful applicant reapplication policies is not publicly available. Interested parties should contact the Trust directly for clarification.

Application Success Factors

What They Look For

For Grant-Making:

  • Entrepreneurial organizations with strong social drive
  • Grassroots, hands-on, well-run outfits
  • Learning-driven charities delivering transformative impact
  • Organizations addressing literacy and learning, digital inclusion, or social infrastructure
  • High quality, well-managed small charities with great leadership

For Impact Investing:

  • Impact must be core to the business model
  • Diverse, inclusive teams with lived experience
  • Pre-seed to Series A stage ventures
  • Industries: Education, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Employment
  • Strong alignment with social mobility goals

Philosophy and Approach

Director Luisa Gockel emphasizes that the Trust views itself as “here to serve impact founders” rather than as gatekeepers. Investors are “not the protagonists” – founders are doing the hard work. The Trust always tries to connect founders with other potential investors if not a direct fit.

On organizational learning: Luisa reflected, "Looking back, I think we should have believed more firmly in our capacity to build a unique approach instead of waiting to feel 'ready'. We spent a lot of time quietly learning behind the scenes - testing things, watching others. But in hindsight, there's a lot of value in 'learning out loud'."

On community wealth: "Growing community wealth needs to go beyond just bringing in capital. It's about shifting who controls that capital and who benefits from it.“ She emphasized investing ”in leadership, infrastructure, and ecosystems, not just individual organisations in isolation."

Examples of Funded Organizations

2024 New Partners: Speek, TACO!, Tellmi, Voda

Greenlight Project 2024 Partners: Kakilang, Kinetika Bloco, Scene & Heard, The Nucleo Project

Long-term Charity Partners: West London Zone, Nova, Football Beyond Borders, Youth Action Alliance, Give a Book, Shannon Trust, Read Easy, Becauze, Power the Fight, Dalgarno Trust, Apps for Good, FutureDotNow, Ministry of Stories, Design Museum, The Fore, Harrow Club, Settle, Solidarity Sports, Hornimans Playground, Young K & C, Rugby Portobello, Sulgrave Club, ClementJames Centre, Response Community, Great School Libraries, Caxton Youth Organisation, Power to Connect

COVID-19 Relief Partners: YourStory and Action Tutoring (through RAFT fund)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Partnership-based approach: The Lightbulb Trust operates primarily through partnerships and invitation-only funding rather than open applications. Building relationships and getting on their radar is crucial.
  1. West London focus with broader reach: While the Trust was founded with a West London focus and prioritizes this area, they do support initiatives “both locally and farther afield” across England & Wales.
  1. Emphasis on learning and empowerment: Their core mission statement – “Lightbulb is about the future. We believe that learning, in its most inclusive sense, is the best way to empower people” – should inform how applicants frame their work.
  1. Value entrepreneurial and innovative approaches: The Trust supports both grassroots community initiatives and "systemic, disruptive enterprises – game-changers who have had bold 'lightbulb moments'".
  1. Bravery and risk-taking appreciated: As Luisa Gockel states, "Change doesn't come from playing it safe." The Trust values organizations willing to experiment and take calculated risks.
  1. Strong emphasis on trust and transparency: Build honest relationships and be transparent about challenges and needs. The Trust values authentic partnerships over perfect presentations.
  1. Focus on social mobility: All funding should demonstrate clear pathways to improving life chances and reducing inequalities, particularly for marginalized communities.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

🎯 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