The Stone Family Foundation

Charity Number: 1164682

Annual Expenditure: £10.3M
Geographic Focus: Throughout England And Wales, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

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Quick Stats

  • Registered Charity: 1164682
  • Annual Giving: £10,260,000
  • Endowment: £46 million (as of 2018)
  • Grant Range: £30,000 - £1,000,000 (WASH portfolio); smaller amounts for UK portfolios
  • Geographic Focus: International (Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia) and UK
  • Application Method: Invitation only (letters of interest accepted)
  • Founded: 2005

Contact Details

Address: 130 Wood Street, London, EC2V 6DL

Website: www.thesff.com

Email: contact@thesff.com

Phone: 020 7663 6825

Registered Company Number: 09802468

Overview

The Stone Family Foundation was established in 2005 by John Stone OBE and his wife Vanessa following the sale of Lombard International Assurance, which John founded in 1991. Since inception, the Foundation has committed over £72 million and currently supports more than 70 organizations across Africa, Asia, and the UK. With an endowment of £46 million (as of 2018), the Foundation is one of the largest UK-based international grant-makers, distributing approximately £10 million annually.

The Foundation's mission is to support “innovative, sustainable, entrepreneurial solutions to major social problems” through a venture philanthropy approach that combines grants, impact investments, and non-financial support. Following a strategic review in 2010, the Foundation sharpened its focus on three distinct areas: Water to the Home (approximately 80% of funding), and two UK portfolios addressing Mental Health and Disadvantaged Youth (collectively 20% of funding).

John Stone was awarded an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours List in recognition of his services to philanthropy. The Foundation emphasizes long-term partnerships, multi-year funding commitments, and unrestricted support for core organizational costs, working closely with New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) as strategic advisors for its UK portfolios.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Water to the Home (International - approximately £8 million annually)

  • Supports market-based solutions to expand piped water access via decentralized systems with household connections in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia
  • Geographic focus: Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Bangladesh
  • Funding mechanisms: Grants, equity, debt, and programme-related investments
  • Grant amounts: £150,000 - £1,000,000 for established enterprises; £150,000 - £500,000 for higher-risk, earlier-stage projects
  • Currently funds 45 water enterprises
  • Partners include Water4, MajiFund, Ruwasco, CityTaps, and Elphrods
  • Application method: Invitation only, proactive identification of opportunities

Mental Health (UK - approximately £1 million annually)

  • Strategic focus 2024-2027: Early intervention approaches to mental health difficulties, with primary emphasis on children and young people
  • Secondary focus: Specialist support for high-risk populations (eating disorders, domestic violence survivors)
  • Target organization size: Annual income £500,000 - £3,000,000
  • Grant structure: Multi-year commitments supporting core costs
  • Current portfolio: Eight organizations including Stem4, Blue Smile, SWEDA, Beat, Bipolar UK, The Listening Place, The Cellar Trust, and Mosaic Clubhouse
  • Application method: Foundation searches proactively; does not accept applications

Disadvantaged Youth (UK - approximately £1 million annually)

  • Focus areas: Early years, education, youth work, and employability to “level the playing field”
  • Target population: Disadvantaged children and young people
  • Priority outcomes: Educational attainment, relationships and confidence/resilience, stable work and income
  • Grant structure: Multi-year commitments, predominantly supporting core costs
  • Current portfolio: Nine organizations including Pause, Sport 4 Life, Tutors United, The Mix, Impetus, Redthread, Leap Confronting Conflict, Empire Fighting Chance, and Longford Trust
  • Application method: Proactive identification; no open application process

Priority Areas

Water to the Home:

  • Market-based, entrepreneurial solutions over traditional charity models
  • Financially sustainable water enterprises serving low-income households
  • Innovative financing mechanisms (e.g., Development Impact Bonds)
  • Decentralized piped water systems with household connections
  • Focus on scalability and long-term sustainability

Mental Health:

  • Early intervention and prevention approaches
  • Frontline service delivery with measurable impact
  • Children and young people's mental health (primary focus from 2024)
  • Evidence-based interventions for high-risk groups
  • Organizations operating at local and national levels

Disadvantaged Youth:

  • Direct service delivery to disadvantaged young people
  • Programs bringing outcomes to peer levels
  • Strong impact measurement and demonstrated results
  • Youth-led interventions and decision-making
  • Addressing clear needs with verifiable impact on life chances

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations without strong, engaged management
  • Projects without clear scaling potential
  • Traditional infrastructure-only approaches (for WASH portfolio)
  • Organizations outside the three priority areas
  • Single beneficiary organizations
  • Organizations primarily focused on fundraising or awareness rather than frontline delivery
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

John Stone OBE - Founder and Chairman

Established the Foundation in 2005 with over 50 years' experience in financial services. Currently chairs an international wealth management business. Received OBE in 2024 for services to philanthropy. Commits approximately 30% of his time to the Foundation.

Charlie Edwards - Trustee (since 2005)

Brings 14 years' experience in private equity focused on backing UK medium-sized companies. Also serves as Trustee of Impetus, The Private Equity Foundation.

David Steinegger - Trustee (since 2015)

Extensive background in international financial services with CEO and Chairman roles. Mentors business leaders and young people, and is involved in several start-ups.

Yvonne Stone - Trustee (since 2023)

Multilingual professional (French, Greek, Italian) with 25 years in public relations and publishing across London, Hong Kong, and Greece. Earlier career included work at UNHCR Geneva.

Water to the Home Team

Tom Chaplin - Managing Director, WASH (joined 2021)

Over 10 years' operational and investment experience. Previously led country operations at BIMA Tanzania and worked as management consultant at PwC.

Souraya Chenguelly - Senior WASH Portfolio Manager (joined 2017)

Experience from Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) and InterAide. Background in economics and finance.

Kathryn Pentecost - Enterprise Development Manager (joined 2019)

Five years at Baringa Partners consulting, plus prior work with social enterprises across Africa, Haiti, and Cambodia.

Ben Shergold - Investment Manager (joined 2024)

Five years in advisory roles at PwC with corporate finance and sustainability consulting expertise.

Rachel Situmorang - Investment Associate (joined 2024)

Over a decade as energy and natural resources lawyer across Indonesia and UK via On Purpose Associate Program.

Monica Stoker - Head of Finance & Operations (joined 2024)

Extensive UK voluntary sector background in finance and operations management, plus financial services experience.

Strategic Advisors

The Mental Health and Disadvantaged Youth portfolios are advised by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), which has worked with the Foundation since 2005, providing strategic guidance, sector research, due diligence, and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

How to Apply to The Stone Family Foundation

How to Apply

The Stone Family Foundation operates an invitation-only grant-making process and does not accept unsolicited applications. The Foundation is a small, family foundation with limited resources and prefers to foster long-term partnerships with organizations aligned to its vision and strategy through proactive identification.

However, organizations working in one of the Foundation's priority areas may send a letter of interest to contact@thesff.com describing their organization and proposed use of funds. While this does not guarantee consideration, it provides a pathway for organizations to get on the Foundation's radar.

The Foundation works with New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) for its UK portfolios, which assists with grantee identification and due diligence.

Getting on Their Radar

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Stone Family Foundation takes a highly proactive approach to identifying funding partners. The following insights are specific to this funder:

Strategic Advisor Pathway:

The Foundation works closely with New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) for its UK portfolios. Organizations known to NPC or working in sectors where NPC is active may have greater visibility to the Foundation.

Founder's Due Diligence:

John Stone personally visits all funded organizations to ensure direct knowledge of their operations and effectiveness. Organizations demonstrating strong management, compelling services, and clear scaling potential are most likely to attract attention.

Co-Investment Opportunities:

The Foundation is “great believers in co-investment” and actively seeks opportunities to partner with other funders. Organizations with existing support from respected funders in the water/sanitation or UK social sectors may be more visible to the Foundation.

Sector Networks:

The Foundation's water team actively participates in WASH sector networks, particularly around market-based solutions and impact investment. Organizations presenting at sector conferences or publishing thought leadership in these areas may gain visibility.

Letters of Interest:

While not a formal application route, sending a well-crafted letter of interest to contact@thesff.com that clearly demonstrates alignment with the Foundation's three golden rules (strong management, compelling offering, scaling potential) may lead to exploratory conversations.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available as the Foundation does not operate open application rounds. The Foundation emphasizes building relationships over time and typically conducts extensive due diligence before making funding commitments. John Stone has noted that “it has taken me five years to scale up my philanthropy to be able to make significant grants,” reflecting the Foundation's deliberate, relationship-based approach.

For the Water to the Home portfolio, the Foundation works with a trusted set of sector experts and partners, often deploying resources “quickly and easily” to enterprises once trust and alignment are established.

Success Rates

Success rates are not applicable given the invitation-only model. The Foundation currently supports 70+ organizations from a total commitment of £72 million since 2005, suggesting highly selective, long-term partnerships rather than volume-based grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable. The Foundation favors multi-year funding relationships with existing partners rather than single-year grants requiring reapplication. Most grants support core costs through multi-year commitments, with many organizations receiving multiple rounds of funding over several years.

Application Success Factors

The Stone Family Foundation's approach is highly distinctive, emphasizing entrepreneurial solutions, long-term partnerships, and three critical evaluation criteria. Organizations should note:

The Three Golden Rules:

The Foundation explicitly states it evaluates potential partnerships based on:

  1. Strong, engaged management - Leadership quality is paramount
  2. Compelling service or product - The offering must be genuinely valuable
  3. Clear potential for scaling - Solutions must be capable of growing beyond pilot stage

Market-Based Solutions (WASH Portfolio):

The Foundation believes “the charity model of providing free services...is not operationally or financially sustainable.” They seek enterprises demonstrating financial viability and sustainable revenue models. As stated: “We focus our funding on market-based solutions as it sees this as the most promising way to meet the scale and urgency of the need.”

Impact Measurement Flexibility:

Rather than imposing standardized metrics, the Foundation takes a collaborative approach: “Understanding the data grantees track, and why, is more important.” They work with partners “to agree milestones which build towards our mission.” Organizations should demonstrate strong impact measurement practices that are meaningful to their specific context.

Organizational Maturity for Support:

For non-financial support to be effective, “partners need to be mature enough to absorb support – both in terms of its systems and size, to ensure that change sticks and will have lasting impact.” Organizations should have sufficient infrastructure to benefit from capacity building.

Frontline Delivery Focus:

Particularly for UK portfolios, the Foundation prioritizes organizations “with a strong focus on impact measurement, that can demonstrate positive outcomes, and that mainly focus on frontline delivery.” Organizations primarily focused on research, campaigning, or awareness-raising without direct service delivery are unlikely to align.

Risk Capital Philosophy:

John Stone describes the Foundation as providing “risk capital to catalyse pilot schemes,” helping initiatives scale from pilot to broader implementation. Organizations should articulate how Foundation support would help them reach a scale where larger, more risk-averse funders would engage.

Trust and Long-Term Partnership:

The Foundation emphasizes that “trust is essential” and builds “long term, deeper relationships” that “can deliver better value, build expertise and learning across the sector.” Organizations should be prepared for extensive due diligence and expect relationships to develop over time.

Co-Investment Preference:

John Stone notes: “We are also great believers in co-investment. Partly because it avoids the organisation being over-dependent on a single funder, but also because we learn from each other and share ideas.” Organizations with diverse funding partnerships are attractive.

Unrestricted, Multi-Year Funding:

The Foundation “typically gives unrestricted and multi-year grants” supporting core costs. Organizations comfortable with this funding model and able to articulate core cost needs will align well with the Foundation's approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: You cannot submit an unsolicited application, but can send letters of interest to contact@thesff.com. Focus on demonstrating the “three golden rules”: strong management, compelling offering, and scaling potential.
  • Strategic focus is narrow but deep: The Foundation only funds three areas (Water to the Home internationally, Mental Health and Disadvantaged Youth in UK). If you don't work in these areas, this funder is not appropriate.
  • Relationship-based philanthropy: John Stone personally visits all funded organizations. This is a funder that invests deeply in knowing partners over time rather than making quick funding decisions based on proposals.
  • Market-based solutions preferred: Particularly for WASH, the Foundation explicitly rejects traditional charity models in favor of financially sustainable enterprises. Demonstrate revenue models and financial viability, not just social impact.
  • Impact measurement matters, but flexibility valued: Show you have robust impact measurement practices, but don't expect rigid standardized frameworks. The Foundation works collaboratively to “agree milestones which build towards our mission.”
  • Multi-year, unrestricted core funding: The Foundation provides exactly what many organizations need most – flexible, long-term support for core costs. If you receive an invitation, focus your case on core organizational needs rather than specific projects.
  • Co-investment is welcomed: Having other respected funders already on board strengthens your case. The Foundation values learning from co-funders and avoiding single-funder dependency.
  • Get on NPC's radar for UK work: Since New Philanthropy Capital advises on UK portfolios, visibility to NPC may create visibility to the Foundation. Engage with NPC's research, events, and networks where appropriate.
  • Demonstrate organizational maturity: Particularly if seeking non-financial support, show you have systems and scale to “absorb support” and ensure “change sticks and will have lasting impact.”
  • Be patient and persistent: John Stone emphasizes that achieving impact “requires patience” and that "you've got to have the patience and perseverance." This Foundation takes a long-term view – organizations should too.

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