The Orp Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £40,000-£50,000 (approximate)
• Success Rate: Invitation only - not applicable
• Decision Time: Trustees meet twice annually
• Grant Range: £10,000 (typical grants observed)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Website: www.theorpfoundation.org.uk

Email: admin@theorpfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 07786696772

Address: C/O Berg Kaprow Lewis, 35 Ballards Lane, London N3 1XW

Grants Manager: Catherine Stuart-Jervis (part-time)

Overview

The ORP Foundation is a UK charitable trust established in 2011 by the five children of Hans Oppenheimer and their fifteen children - first and second-generation descendants of Jewish refugees. Hans and his wife Lisl fled Germany and Austria in the 1930s and eventually settled in the UK in 1949, building a successful international steel trading business. The foundation represents a lasting philanthropic legacy from those business proceeds. With over 70 family members involved in its work and assets generating investment income for grant-making, the foundation operates with a distinctive collaborative approach. The trustees meet twice annually to decide which projects to support, focusing on small to medium charities where relatively modest contributions can make significant impact. The foundation prioritizes funding organizations that are often overlooked by mainstream funders and those working on policy influence or research with broader national impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The ORP Foundation does not operate formal grant programs or accept unsolicited applications. Instead, grants are awarded through an invitation-only process where trustees proactively identify organizations aligned with their priorities.

Typical Grant Amount: £10,000

Grant Type: Core funding (unrestricted grants that organizations can spend as they see best)

Multi-Year Support: The foundation has provided consecutive years of funding to select organizations (e.g., three years of core funding to UKWIN, eight years of support to CHEM Trust)

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on three core themes:

1. Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Human Rights

• Supporting refugee integration and services
• Educational opportunities for refugees
• Human rights advocacy
• Organizations funded: RefuAid (since 2020), Anna Freud (co-production work with refugee youth)

2. Children and Education

• Emphasizing support for disadvantaged children
• Educational equity and access
• Organizations funded: Action Tutoring, The Garden Classroom

3. Environment and Climate

• Climate change action and ecological crisis response
• Rewilding and biodiversity conservation
• Chemical regulation and pollution prevention
• Anti-incineration advocacy
• Organizations funded: Rewilding Britain, Trees for Life, UKWIN, CHEM Trust, The Circularity Foundation

Strategic Approach: The trustees explicitly prefer funding charities that are “often less popular with mainstream funders or the public, and where support can therefore have more of an impact.” They also prioritize organizations with broader or national impact, particularly those influencing policy or conducting research.

What They Don't Fund

Not explicitly stated, but the foundation's invitation-only approach and specific thematic focus suggests they do not fund:

• Individual applications
• Capital projects (emphasis on core funding)
• Organizations outside their three priority themes
• Large, well-established charities with diverse funding streams

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Governance and Leadership

The ORP Foundation operates with a board of five trustees who consult extensively with their extended families (over 70 family members). A formal Grant Panel meets twice annually to make funding decisions. The foundation employs one part-time staff member, Catherine Stuart-Jervis, who serves as Grants Manager.

Trustees

Sue Oppenheimer - Chair (appointed 2017)

Leads governance for the foundation. Has over 40 years of experience in nonprofit and local government sectors. Actively volunteers with refugee charities and focuses on climate and ecological issues.

Aniol Esteban Claret

Marine biologist and environmental economist with extensive background working with major environmental organizations including RSPB and WWF. Currently leads the Marilles Foundation in Mallorca, bringing expertise in marine conservation and environmental policy.

Sarah-Lou Newman

Artist and arts facilitator who leads the foundation's website development. Brings experience in collaborative arts projects with a focus on neurodiversity and intersectional feminism.

Jennifer Edmonds

Based in New York City (retired). Background working with US education organizations. Holds a Bachelor's in Fine Arts and Master's in Public Administration.

Amy Hodge

Works in theatre and film and leads family liaison activities for the foundation. Has experience working with young people globally and in the UK prison system, bringing expertise in engaging diverse communities.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The ORP Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation operates exclusively through an invitation-only model. As stated on their website: “Rather than accepting open applications, through partnership work, research, and consultation with the wider family, they identify organisations they want to work with, then make contact with those organisations and projects and invite them to consider making application proposals.”

Organizations cannot submit unsolicited applications. Instead, trustees proactively identify potential grantees through:

• Partnership work and sector networking
• Independent research into organizations working in their priority areas
• Consultation with the extended Oppenheimer family (70+ members)
• Recommendations from current or previous grantees

Once an organization is identified, the foundation makes contact and invites them to submit a proposal for consideration.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations working in their priority areas may increase visibility through:

Sector Leadership and Visibility: The trustees identify organizations through their research and sector involvement. Organizations that demonstrate policy influence, innovative approaches, or work that mainstream funders overlook are more likely to be noticed.

Connection to Current Grantees: The foundation has shown patterns of supporting organizations within similar networks (e.g., multiple environmental organizations, multiple refugee-support charities). Organizations that collaborate with or are known to current grantees may be more visible to the trustees.

Family Network: With over 70 family members involved in consultation, the Oppenheimer family's collective awareness spans diverse sectors. Organizations making meaningful impact in refugees, education, or environmental issues may come to the foundation's attention through family members' sector involvement.

Important Note: The foundation has explicitly chosen an invitation-only model to maintain strategic focus and manage their small operational capacity (one part-time staff member). Organizations should not attempt to lobby for consideration, but should instead focus on building sector reputation and demonstrating impact in the foundation's priority areas.

Decision Timeline

Grant Panel Meetings: Twice annually

Notification: Organizations are contacted by the foundation when they wish to invite a proposal

Decision Process: Trustees consult with family members as part of their decision-making

Specific timelines from invitation to decision are not publicly stated, but the bi-annual meeting schedule suggests decisions may take several months depending on when an organization is identified in relation to the grant panel schedule.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis. Organizations are only invited to submit proposals when trustees have already identified strong alignment with funding priorities.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. However, the foundation has demonstrated commitment to multi-year funding relationships with organizations they support, including:

• Eight years of continuous support to CHEM Trust
• Three consecutive years of core funding to UKWIN
• Multi-year support to RefuAid (since 2020)

This suggests that once an organization is in the foundation's portfolio, they may receive sustained support rather than one-off grants.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature of the foundation, traditional “application success factors” are less relevant. However, the foundation's stated preferences and funding patterns reveal what trustees value:

1. Being “Less Popular with Mainstream Funders”

The foundation explicitly states that trustees “like to fund charities that are often less popular with mainstream funders or the public, and where support can therefore have more of an impact.” Organizations working on unpopular causes or using unconventional approaches may be more appealing than those with broad public support.

2. Broader or National Impact

Trustees prioritize “organisations that have a broader or national impact, for instance in influencing policy or research.” Organizations demonstrating policy influence, sector leadership, or research contributions are more aligned with foundation priorities than purely service-delivery organizations.

3. Small to Medium Size Organizations

The foundation's stated approach is to “generally fund small to medium charities where a relatively small contribution will make a difference.” A £10,000 grant indicates the foundation targets organizations where this amount constitutes meaningful support rather than a marginal addition to large budgets.

4. Strategic Use of Core Funding

The foundation provides unrestricted core funding rather than project-specific grants, and explicitly states they give “core money rather than project grants to small organisations, allowing them to spend it as they see best.” Organizations that can articulate how unrestricted funding would enhance their strategic capacity are well-aligned with this approach.

5. Alignment with Family Values

With over 70 family members involved in consultation and decision-making, organizations whose work resonates with the Oppenheimer family's heritage and values - particularly refugee experiences, social justice, and environmental stewardship - are more likely to be identified for support.

6. Evidence of Sustained Impact

The foundation's willingness to provide multi-year support (eight years to CHEM Trust, three years to UKWIN) suggests trustees value demonstrable, sustained impact over time rather than flashy but short-term results.

7. Examples of Recently Funded Work

• RefuAid: Support enabled scaling of programs and helped 126 families (including 73 children) arrive in the UK through Homes for Ukraine scheme
• UKWIN: Three years of core funding provided “breathing space” during a critical period of increased incinerator proposals, enabling the organization to secure other funding sources
• Trees for Life: Funding supported red squirrel reintroductions, Riverwoods project, and Lynx reintroduction research
• CHEM Trust: Eight years of support for advocacy work on chemical regulation in consumer products
• Rewilding Britain: Support for their Rewilding Innovation Fund
• Anna Freud: Development of co-production work with refugee and asylum-seeking youth

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Do not submit unsolicited applications - The ORP Foundation operates exclusively on an invitation-only basis and will contact organizations they wish to support
• Focus on building sector reputation - With trustees conducting research to identify potential grantees, establishing visibility through policy work, research contributions, or innovative practice in refugees, education, or environment may bring your organization to their attention
• Be genuinely “less popular” but impactful - The foundation explicitly seeks to fund work that mainstream funders overlook, so organizations with unconventional approaches or unpopular causes may be more aligned than those with broad appeal
• Think national impact, not just local delivery - Trustees prioritize organizations influencing policy or conducting research with broader implications over purely local service delivery
• Be the right size - As a small foundation targeting small to medium organizations, they suit charities where £10,000 makes a meaningful difference rather than larger organizations seeking marginal additions to diverse portfolios
• Multi-year thinking - The foundation has demonstrated commitment to sustained partnerships (up to eight years), suggesting they value long-term relationships rather than transactional one-off grants
• Core funding philosophy - Organizations should be prepared to articulate how unrestricted funding would strengthen strategic capacity, as the foundation explicitly avoids restrictive project grants

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Roddick Foundation
• The Patrick Rowland Foundation
• The Pickwell Foundation
• TARA GETTY FOUNDATION
• The Alan and Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund
• The Greenslade Family Foundation
• The Graham Kirkham Foundation
• The Danson Foundation
• PERSULA FOUNDATION
• The Macfarlane Family Foundation

References

• The ORP Foundation official website: https://theorpfoundation.org.uk/
• The ORP Foundation - Who We Are page: https://theorpfoundation.org.uk/who-we-are/
• The ORP Foundation - Our Impact page: https://theorpfoundation.org.uk/our-impact/
• Charity Commission Register - THE ORP FOUNDATION (1140855): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5017176
• Charici - The Orp Foundation profile: https://charici.org/the-orp-foundation
• Charity Awards - Grantmaking and Funding 2023 winners: RefuAid: https://charityawards.co.uk/grantmaking-and-funding-2023-winners-refuaid/