The Schroder Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £483,000 (2024); £1,790,000 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly available
• Geographic Focus: UK-wide
• Total Assets: £13.8 million

Contact Details

Registered Office: 81 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3AY

Phone: 0203 170 5793

Charity Number: 1107479

Overview

The Schroder Foundation was established in 2004 by Bruno L Schroder and Charmaine B Mallinckrodt under a Trust Deed dated 6 December 2004. The Foundation maintains an endowment of approximately £13.8 million and generates income primarily through investments (£603,701 in 2024). The Foundation operates as a private family foundation that strategically identifies charitable causes to support across multiple sectors. Annual giving varies significantly year to year - in 2023, the Foundation distributed £1,790,250 in charitable grants, while in 2024 this figure was £483,151, reflecting the Foundation's flexible approach to grant-making based on identified opportunities and strategic priorities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation does not operate formal grant programs or publish application windows. Instead, organisations identified by the Trustees for potential support are invited to submit a formal application outlining their activities, beneficiaries and how the funds will be applied according to the guidance of the Trustees and the Charities Director.

Priority Areas

The Trustees support a broad range of activities within the following areas:

• Arts, Culture & Heritage
• Education & Young People
• Environment & Conservation
• Health & Medicine
• Social Welfare & Community

Beneficiary groups include young people, with charitable activities focused on policy campaigning and advocacy, education, health, heritage, general charitable purposes, and making grants to other charities or voluntary bodies.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. As an invitation-only funder, the Trustees exercise discretion in selecting organisations that align with their strategic priorities.

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Governance and Leadership

The Foundation is governed by five Trustees with strong family connections to the founding benefactors:

Trustees:

• Leonie Kira Emma Schroder - Museum Consultant; also serves as trustee of Schroder Charity Trust and The Schroder 1905 Trust
• Charmaine Brenda Von Mallinckrodt - Co-founder; also trustee of The Mallinckrodt Foundation
• Philip Stephan Arnold Mallinckrodt
• Claire Fitzalan Howard
• Amelia Sussman - Appointed 21 June 2023

The Foundation employs 2 staff members, including one employee earning between £70,000-£80,000 annually. No trustees receive remuneration for their service.

How to Apply to The Schroder Foundation

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Foundation identifies organisations and activities to support proactively by invitation and therefore does not accept unsolicited applications. Organisations are selected by the Trustees based on their strategic priorities and awareness of work aligned with the Foundation's charitable objects.

When an organisation is identified for potential support, the Trustees invite them to submit a formal application outlining their activities, beneficiaries, and how funds will be applied according to the guidance of the Trustees and the Charities Director.

Getting on Their Radar

Specific information about how the Foundation discovers new organisations to support is not publicly documented. The Foundation's trustee connections to other Schroder family charitable entities (Schroder Charity Trust, The Schroder 1905 Trust, The Mallinckrodt Foundation) suggest that organisations known to these related foundations may come to the attention of The Schroder Foundation trustees. Additionally, trustee Leonie Schroder's work as a Museum Consultant may inform the Foundation's engagement with arts, culture, and heritage organisations.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - organisations are invited rather than applying speculatively.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the Foundation operates by invitation only.

Application Success Factors

Since The Schroder Foundation operates exclusively by invitation, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organisations in the Foundation's priority sectors (arts, culture & heritage; education & young people; environment & conservation; health & medicine; and social welfare & community) may increase their visibility to the Foundation's trustees by:

• Demonstrating clear impact in sectors aligned with the Foundation's charitable objects
• Building strong reputations within their respective sectors, particularly in areas where the Foundation has historically shown interest
• Ensuring their work benefits young people and vulnerable communities
• Maintaining professional standards in governance and financial management that would meet the scrutiny of invitation-only funders
• Being known to or working in sectors where the Foundation's trustees have professional connections

The Foundation's variable annual giving (ranging from £483,000 to £1.79 million in recent years) suggests that grant-making is opportunity-driven rather than following a fixed annual distribution target, indicating that the Trustees maintain flexibility to support significant projects when they align with strategic priorities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only model: The Schroder Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - organisations must be identified and invited by the Trustees
• Broad sectoral focus: The Foundation supports work across five major areas, providing flexibility for diverse charitable activities
• Variable giving: Annual distributions vary significantly (£483K-£1.79M), suggesting opportunistic rather than formulaic grant-making
• Family foundation: Governance is closely held by family members and trustees with connections to related Schroder charitable entities
• Young people priority: While supporting broad causes, the Foundation specifically identifies young people as a key beneficiary group
• Strategic relationships: Connections to related foundations (Schroder Charity Trust, The Schroder 1905 Trust, The Mallinckrodt Foundation) may provide indirect pathways to visibility
• Long-term sustainability: The Foundation maintains a substantial endowment (£13.8M) supporting ongoing grant-making capacity

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Henry Smith Foundation
• The Band Trust
• The Mabs Mardulyn Charitable Foundation
• The Clover Trust
• The Rivers Trust
• The Hedgehogs
• The Free School
• Schroder Charity
• Henry Smith
• Help Fund

References

• Charity Commission Register, The Schroder Foundation (1107479), accessed 2 December 2025: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4012948
• Financial Statements, The Schroder Foundation, Year Ending 5 April 2024, Charity Commission
• Find that Charity, The Schroder Foundation profile: https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-1107479
• Trustees information, The Schroder Foundation, Charity Commission: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4012948/trustees
• Financial History, The Schroder Foundation, Charity Commission