The Marandi Foundation

Charity Number: 1172282

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M
Geographic Focus: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £188,745 (FY 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies by partnership (known grants include £938,000 to Centrepoint over 4 years)
  • Geographic Focus: UK (England and Wales), with some international work in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain

Contact Details

Website: www.themarandifoundation.org

Email: info@themarandifoundation.org

Phone: 07771787730

Overview

The Marandi Foundation was established in 2017 by Javad Marandi OBE and Narmina Marandi as a private charitable trust dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged young people and communities in the UK. The Foundation supports programmes that look to improve children's health and education, mental health and wellbeing support services, and cultural history and art. With total expenditure of £188,745 in the financial year ending April 2024, the Foundation operates as a core funder for major institutions rather than through open grant programmes. Javad Marandi was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to business and philanthropy. The Foundation is recognized as a core funder of The Royal Foundation and the sole funder of The Watercolour World.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Marandi Foundation does not operate traditional grant programmes with set amounts. Instead, it provides substantial, long-term funding commitments to selected partner organizations:

  • Youth Homelessness Support: £938,000 to Centrepoint over four years (2020-2024)
  • Design Talent Development: £40,000 Designer of the Future Award (2021, in partnership with The Conran Shop)
  • Core Institutional Funding: Major ongoing support to The Royal Foundation, Serpentine Galleries, and The Watercolour World

Priority Areas

Young People & Wellbeing:

  • Youth homelessness prevention and support
  • Mental health services for disadvantaged young people
  • Education and training opportunities
  • Apprenticeship and vocational programmes

Arts, Design & Culture:

  • Support for public art galleries (majority funding for Serpentine Galleries to remain free to the public)
  • Historical and cultural preservation (The Watercolour World - online access to pre-1900 documentary watercolours)
  • Emerging creative talent (product design, fashion industry support through British Fashion Council Foundation)

Education:

  • Access to training and educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities
  • Scholarships and bursaries for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and works only with pre-selected partner organizations identified through the trustees' networks.

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Governance and Leadership

Co-Chairs:

  • Javad Marandi OBE - Entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Awarded OBE in 2020 New Year Honours for services to business and philanthropy. Also serves as Co-Chair of Centrepoint's Growth Board.
  • Narmina Marandi - Co-founder and Co-Chair. Also serves as Co-Chair of the British Fashion Council Foundation Fundraising Committee.

The Foundation has 3 trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Key Quote from Javad Marandi:

"Youth homelessness is an increasingly urgent issue across the world. If young people are homeless... they lack access to education, training, and opportunity and risk being 'lost lives'."

His philanthropic philosophy emphasizes creating integrated support systems that address systemic challenges through comprehensive, holistic approaches.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Marandi Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and works exclusively with a select group of trusted partners. These partners identify projects and individuals that align with the Foundation's charitable purposes.

All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees based on strategic partnerships and pre-existing relationships. Applications submitted directly to the Foundation will not be considered.

Grants are awarded through:

  • Trustee-initiated partnerships with major institutions
  • Invitation-only funding relationships
  • Partner organization referrals

Getting on Their Radar

The Foundation identifies beneficiaries through:

  • Board and trustee networks: The trustees, Javad and Narmina Marandi, identify organizations through their extensive networks in business, philanthropy, and the arts sectors
  • Major institutional partnerships: Focus on core funding relationships with prominent organizations like The Royal Foundation, Serpentine Galleries, and Centrepoint
  • Sector leadership roles: Through positions such as Javad's role as Co-Chair of Centrepoint's Growth Board and Narmina's role as Co-Chair of the British Fashion Council Foundation Fundraising Committee
  • High-profile events and awards: The Foundation's involvement in prestigious initiatives like the New Designers Awards (with judges including Norman Foster and Anya Hindmarch) demonstrates their connection to elite creative and philanthropic circles

Application Success Factors

Given the Foundation's partnership-based approach, success factors include:

  • Alignment with core priorities: Organizations working in youth homelessness, mental health for young people, education access, or arts and culture are most aligned
  • Strategic impact potential: The Foundation favors comprehensive, systemic approaches over piecemeal solutions. As Javad Marandi stated about youth homelessness support, he seeks to “develop a joined-up system” that addresses multiple needs
  • Major institutional partnerships: The Foundation tends to provide core funding to established institutions rather than project grants to smaller organizations
  • Long-term commitment: Evidence from the Centrepoint partnership shows the Foundation makes multi-year funding commitments rather than one-off grants
  • Royal and high-profile patronage: Several funded organizations have Royal patrons (The Watercolour World has HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall as joint patrons)
  • Connection through trusted networks: Personal connections to the Marandis or their existing partners appears to be the primary pathway to funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is not a publicly accessible funder - The Foundation operates through invitation-only partnerships and does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Focus on major institutional support - The Foundation provides core funding to prominent organizations rather than numerous small grants
  • Multi-year commitment model - Funding partnerships span multiple years (e.g., £938,000 to Centrepoint over four years)
  • Youth-focused philanthropy - Despite arts and culture funding, the primary mission centers on disadvantaged young people's education, training, and mental health
  • Holistic, systemic approach valued - The Marandis seek “joined-up systems” that address root causes rather than symptoms
  • Network-based access - Connections through existing partners, board positions, or high-profile sector events provide the only realistic pathway to funding
  • Exceptional charitable spending ratio - The Foundation demonstrates strong financial efficiency with a charitable spending ratio of 96.45%

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