The Shm Foundation

Charity Number: 1126568

Annual Expenditure: £0.9M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £916,637 (2023-24)
  • Decision Time: 9-10 months (from application to final decision)
  • Geographic Focus: Global, with emphasis on low- and middle-income countries
  • Foundation Type: Small, hands-on philanthropic foundation
  • Reach: 79 projects, 250,000+ people across 19 countries
  • Current Active Programs: 20+ community-based mental health organizations

Contact Details

  • Website: www.shmfoundation.org
  • Email: info@shmfoundation.org
  • Phone: 020 7242 5504
  • Program Support (Ember): calloutsupport@embermentalhealth.org

Overview

Founded in October 2008 by Professor Dame Henrietta L. Moore FBA and Professor Maurice Biriotti, THE SHM FOUNDATION is a forward-looking philanthropic organization working globally to drive positive social change. With an annual expenditure of approximately £917,000 (2023-24), the foundation operates through three strategic pillars: mental health and wellbeing, education and livelihoods, and access to the arts. Unlike traditional grant-makers, SHM Foundation primarily designs and implements its own initiatives, conducts participatory research, and provides targeted grants to carefully selected partner organizations. The foundation's flagship program, Ember Mental Health, currently mentors and funds 20 community-based mental health organizations in 13 countries, supporting 204 staff who serve 81,200 people with psychosocial disabilities in low-resource settings. Recent strategic emphasis has been on flexible, unrestricted funding and covering core organizational costs to support sustainability.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Ember Mental Health Partnership

  • Partnership Duration: 12-24 months
  • Initial Stipend: £6,000 GBP (paid in two installments, unrestricted use)
  • Support Type: Primarily in-kind mentorship with financial stipend
  • Time Commitment: Approximately 3 hours weekly over 12 months
  • Selection: 8-12 initiatives selected per cohort
  • Application Cycle: Periodic call-outs (most recent: July-August 2024)
  • Application Volume: Over 1,800 applications from 90+ countries (2024 round)
  • Potential Extended Funding: Organizations may be selected as investment partners for additional financial support beyond initial 12 months

Other Programs

  • Zumbido Health: Digital support groups addressing social isolation
  • Education & Livelihoods Programs: Supporting skills development and employment (specific application details not publicly advertised)

Priority Areas

Mental Health & Wellbeing

  • Community-based mental health initiatives in low- and middle-income countries
  • Locally-led projects filling gaps in services or care
  • Mental health awareness raising in underserved communities
  • Peer support networks and youth-focused services
  • Arts-based wellness programs
  • Psychosocial support for specific populations (LGBTI+, people living with HIV, etc.)

Education & Livelihoods

  • Skills development and knowledge building
  • Employment opportunities for marginalized communities
  • Income-generating projects

Access to the Arts

  • Artistic experiences for underserved communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Advocacy organizations (as primary focus)
  • Political organizations
  • Government services
  • Think-tanks
  • Initiatives without direct community impact
  • Projects in high-income countries (for Ember program)
  • Organizations that discriminate based on religion, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, or ability
  • Single-person initiatives
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Professor Dame Henrietta L. Moore FBA (Chair and Co-founder) - Distinguished anthropologist and cultural theorist, Director of Institute for Global Prosperity at UCL, Fellow of the British Academy, with expertise in gender, globalization, and African development
  • Professor Maurice Biriotti (Founding Trustee and CEO) - Former academic at Cambridge, Birmingham, and Zurich; Visiting Professor at Yale; Chair of Medical Humanities and Enterprise at UCL; Chair of Spitalfields Music
  • Sarah Fidler

Staffing: 3 employees, 8 volunteers, 3 trustees (no trustee remuneration)

Governance Note: The foundation emphasizes that “human motivation is at the root of all business success and is critical to business innovation and the delivery of competitive advantage,” reflecting their approach to organizational development and capacity building.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Ember Mental Health Program:

  • Application Method: Online questionnaire during periodic call-out periods
  • Languages Available: English, Spanish, Arabic
  • Recommendation: Draft responses offline before submitting to avoid losing work
  • Pre-Application Support: Email queries to calloutsupport@embermentalhealth.org

Other Programs:

The foundation primarily designs and implements its own initiatives rather than accepting open applications. For partnership inquiries, contact info@shmfoundation.org directly.

Decision Timeline

Ember Program Timeline (2024 example):

  1. Application Period: July 9 - August 20, 2024 (6 weeks)
  2. First Round Decisions: September 25, 2024 (approximately 5 weeks after close)
  3. Second Round Interviews: Rolling basis through December 2024
  4. Second Round Feedback: February 2025
  5. Final Decisions: May 2025
  6. Partnership Commencement: June 2025

Total Timeline: Approximately 9-10 months from application to final decision and partnership start.

Note: The 2024 timeline was extended due to high application volume (1,800+ applications from 90+ countries), demonstrating the foundation's commitment to careful review.

Success Rates

Ember Program:

  • Applications Received: 1,800+ (2024 round)
  • Selected Partners: 8-12 per cohort
  • Success Rate: Approximately 0.5-0.7% (highly competitive)
  • Previous Cohorts: 9 new partners + 5 continuing partners (2022); 6 investees + 3 grant recipients (2023)

Reapplication Policy

Information not explicitly stated in available materials. Given the periodic nature of call-outs and two-way selection process, unsuccessful applicants likely can reapply in future rounds. Contact the program directly for specific guidance.

Application Success Factors

Selection Criteria (Eight Core Areas)

According to Ember's approach, applications are evaluated across eight organizational dimensions:

  1. Vision - Clarity and compelling nature of mission
  2. Model - Innovation and appropriateness of approach
  3. Impact - Demonstrated results and potential for scale
  4. Storytelling - Ability to articulate work effectively
  5. Network - Connections and collaborative capacity
  6. Wellbeing - Staff and community care practices
  7. Structure - Organizational sustainability and governance
  8. Finance - Financial health and management

What Makes Applications Stand Out

Community-Rootedness: “Deeply rooted in their settings, with local leadership” - initiatives close to the communities they serve with genuine local ownership

Direct Community Impact: Projects must engage directly with communities rather than focusing solely on advocacy or research

Operational Track Record: Mental health support programs must be “already implemented, currently operational, and have had some impact”

Team Capacity: Multi-person teams (including volunteers) with English, Spanish, or Arabic speakers

Two-Way Fit: “The selection process is a two-way decision” - Ember assesses whether their expertise matches organizational needs

Filling Service Gaps: Organizations “attempting to fill gaps in services or care” or developing “local, innovative solutions to specific mental health challenges”

Foundation's Strategic Insights

From their partnership experience, the foundation emphasizes:

  • “Flexible and unrestricted funding is important to partner organisations, allowing initiatives to gain greater stability and contribute towards their sustainability”
  • “Covering core costs is essential to organisational strengthening”

Examples of Funded Partners

2022 Cohort Examples:

  • CAFS (Sri Lanka): Psychosocial services to families and young people
  • Huertomanías (Spain): Collective for people with severe mental disorders
  • MH+WB (Kenya): Mental Health and Wellbeing on Campus
  • MHSUA (Ethiopia): Mental Health Service Users Association
  • Open Hands (Botswana): Supporting LGBTI+ communities

2023 Cohort:

  • Positive Konnections: Tech-enabled support program for young people living with HIV

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Timing is Critical: Monitor the foundation's website and Ember program for call-out announcements - applications are only accepted during specific windows, not on a rolling basis
  • Be Locally Led and Community-Focused: This foundation prioritizes grassroots, community-based initiatives with local leadership over external NGOs or academic projects
  • Demonstrate Operational Reality: You must have an active, implemented program with demonstrated impact - this is not funding for pilots or ideas
  • Prepare for a Long Timeline: Plan for a 9-10 month process from application to decision - don't expect quick turnarounds
  • Think Beyond Money: The primary value is the 12-month mentorship and capacity building partnership; the £6,000 stipend is supplementary to extensive in-kind support
  • Address All Eight Core Areas: Ensure your application speaks to vision, model, impact, storytelling, network, wellbeing, structure, and finance
  • Emphasize Sustainability Needs: Given the foundation's emphasis on core costs and flexible funding, clearly articulate how support will strengthen organizational infrastructure
  • Consider the Commitment: Successful partners commit approximately 3 hours weekly for 12 months - ensure your team has capacity before applying

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References