The Soho House Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £168,470 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (annual grant cycle)
• Grant Range: Estimated £25,000 per grant (based on £100,000 distributed to 4 organizations at launch)
• Geographic Focus: International - communities where Soho House has a presence across Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and UK

Contact Details

• Website: https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/the-soho-house-foundation
• Grant Applications: https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/the-soho-house-foundation/grant-applications
• Email: min.shrimpton@sohohouse.com
• Phone: 020 3985 0000

Overview

The Soho House Foundation was established as an independent charity in June 2022 (Charity Number 1199179) by Soho House to fund and empower creative people from underrepresented and lower socioeconomic backgrounds. With an annual income of £168,470 in 2024 and expenditure of £194,560, the Foundation operates globally in communities where Soho House has a presence. Funded through a portion of Soho House membership revenue, the Foundation makes annual grants to four partner organizations each year. Since its inception in 2022, the Foundation has worked with 12 charity partners across North America, the UK, Europe, and Asia, focusing specifically on increasing access to the arts and creative industries for people who face economic or other barriers to inclusion.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation runs an annual grant programme with applications typically opening in early spring. Each year, four charitable organizations are selected to receive grants. Based on the initial launch donation of £100,000 distributed to four organizations, individual grants are estimated at approximately £25,000 each, though specific amounts may vary.

Application Method: Two-stage process

• Initial expression of interest to confirm eligibility
• Full application form for eligible organizations

Priority Areas

The Foundation seeks to fund charitable organisations working on:

• Youth Creative Development: Primary focus on young people from school age to 27 years old (flexible)
• Arts Access: Increasing access to the arts and creative industries
• Barrier Removal: Supporting creatives of any age who have previously faced social or economic barriers to inclusion
• Underrepresented Communities: Empowering creative people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and underrepresented groups
• Community-Based Programs: Preference for smaller organizations located in communities close to the point of programme delivery
• Geographic Proximity: Organizations in communities where Soho House has a presence (including cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and UK)

Applicant organizations are assessed on:

• Their ability to provide transformative opportunities for young creatives
• How the programme addresses inequality of opportunity
• Track record in delivering impactful programmes
• Effectiveness of organizational management
• Having creativity and inclusion at their core

What They Don't Fund

• Individual Artists: The Foundation is unable to provide bursaries or fund individual artists; grants are only made to charitable organizations
• Organizations Outside Soho House Communities: Must operate in communities where Soho House has a presence
• Large Organizations: Preference is given to smaller organizations with local community delivery

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Governance and Leadership

The Foundation is governed by six trustees, all appointed on 26 May 2022:

• Nicholas Keith Arthur Jones (Chair) - Founder of Soho House
• Louise Josephine McCabe (Trustee) - Co-founder of the ASOS Foundation, Co-Founder, Director and Responsible Business Consultant at Flourish CSR, Chair of The Kujuwa Initiative and Trauma Foundation South West
• Haseena Farid (Trustee) - Co-founder of The Women of Colour Global Network
• Michael Joscelyn Penrose (Trustee) - Former CEO of UNICEF and co-founder of The Sustainability Group
• Mark Anderson (Trustee) - Member of Soho House's global membership team
• Kimani Roquemore (Trustee) - Member of Soho House's global membership team
• Vanessa Louise Scott Xuereb (Trustee) - Member of Soho House's global membership team

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The operational team is led by Min Shrimpton, Director of House Foundations at Soho House & Co.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Foundation aims to avoid burdening organisations with a complex application process through a streamlined two-stage approach:

1. Stage One: Submit a short initial expression of interest to confirm your organization's eligibility
2. Stage Two: Eligible groups are invited to complete an application form describing the impact grant funding would make for the young creatives their organization supports

Applications are submitted through the Foundation's website: https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/the-soho-house-foundation/grant-applications

Decision Timeline

• Application Opening: Typically early spring (applications for 2025 opened in early 2025; 2024 applications opened in March)
• Application Deadline: Previous deadline was April 30, 2024
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Period: Grants are expected to be used before the end of August the following year
• Annual Cycle: Four new charities are chosen each year

Success Rates

Specific success rates and application statistics are not publicly disclosed. However, the Foundation selects four organizations annually from all applications received.

Reapplication Policy

No public information is available regarding reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's stated priorities and recent grant recipients, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Clear Focus on Underrepresented Communities

Recent recipients show strong track records working with specific underrepresented groups:

• The Dinner Table Doc (2024) empowers young women of colour
• Diverse City Studio (2024) supports Thai immigrants through performing arts
• RASAS (2024) works with refugees and asylum seekers
• UD Music focuses on Black music and culture in east London communities

2. Transformative Creative Programs

The Foundation seeks organizations that provide life-changing opportunities through creativity:

• Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (2024) transforms people and communities through music
• Inner-City Arts provides arts programs to children in Skid Row, Los Angeles
• p:ear supports homeless and transitional youth aged 15-25 in Portland through creative programming

3. Community Proximity and Local Delivery

Successful applicants are smaller organizations delivering programs locally:

• Organizations located in communities close to Soho House locations
• Direct community engagement rather than national-level programs
• Grassroots approach to program delivery

4. Proven Track Record

The Foundation explicitly looks for organizations with:

• Demonstrated impact in programme delivery
• Effective organizational management
• Evidence of addressing inequality of opportunity

5. Geographic Alignment

Organizations must operate in communities where Soho House has a presence across:

• Americas: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, São Paulo, Toronto, Washington DC
• Asia: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Singapore
• Europe/Middle East: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Istanbul, Lisbon, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Zurich
• UK: Brighton, London, Manchester, Oxfordshire, Somerset

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Keep it concise: The Foundation explicitly states they want to avoid burdening organizations with complex applications, so the expression of interest is intentionally brief
• Emphasize local impact: Preference is given to smaller organizations with strong community roots near Soho House locations
• Focus on transformation: Demonstrate how your program provides transformative opportunities for young creatives facing barriers
• Show your track record: Include concrete evidence of successful programme delivery and organizational effectiveness
• Address barriers explicitly: Be specific about the economic or social barriers your beneficiaries face and how your program removes them
• Align geographically: Ensure your organization operates in a community where Soho House has a presence
• Target the right age group: While flexible, the primary focus is on young people from school age to 27 years old
• Only apply if you're a registered charity: Individual artists and non-charitable organizations are ineligible

References

• The Soho House Foundation - Charity Commission
• The Soho House Foundation Official Website
• The Soho House Foundation Grant Applications
• Introducing The Soho House Foundation
• Meet The Soho House Foundation's new charity partners
• Applications for 2025's Soho House Foundation grants are open
• Applications for The Soho House Foundation grants are open (2024)
• The Soho House Foundation board
• Call for EOIs: The Soho House Foundation Grant Programme 2024 - fundsforNGOs

All sources.