The Street Foundation

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1045229
• Annual Giving: £379,000 (year ending March 2023)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: £10,000 - £250,000+ (estimated based on known grants)
• Geographic Focus: UK-based organizations
• Application Method: Invitation only/trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: Street Court, Kingsland, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9QA

Phone: 01568 708744

Email: Not publicly available

Website: No public website

Note: There is no formal grant application process or pre-application support available.

Overview

The Street Foundation was registered as a charity on 29 March 1995. According to its Charity Commission registration, the foundation's stated purpose is to “make grants to individuals and organisations involved with children/young people with a disability/special needs.” The charity receives the majority of its funding from HR Smith Group, an aerospace company, and is governed by a small trustee board that includes members of the Smith family.

In the financial year ending March 2023, the foundation distributed £379,000 in grants (down from £540,000 in 2021-22), with total income of £250,000 and expenditure of £325,083 in the 2024 financial year. However, the foundation has been the subject of significant scrutiny and controversy. Investigations by the Good Law Project revealed that over a five-year period, more than 40% of the foundation's grants (£749,000) were awarded to right-wing think tanks and policy organizations rather than organizations directly supporting disabled children. The Charity Commission examined these concerns and stated that while the charity appeared to be acting within its objects, “information the charity presents on the online register as to its activities is potentially misleading.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Street Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published criteria or application cycles. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees.

Known Grant Recipients (Based on Public Records):

• Think tanks and policy organizations: £749,000+ over five years including:
• New Culture Forum: £250,000
• Institute of Economic Affairs: £55,000
• Civitas (amount not disclosed)
• Global Warming Policy Foundation (amount not disclosed)
• The Politics and Economics Research Trust (amount not disclosed)
• Hampden Trust (amount not disclosed)

Priority Areas

Based on publicly available information, the foundation has funded organizations in the following areas:

• Policy research and think tanks
• Organizations related to disability policy (though indirectly through policy advocacy rather than direct service provision)
• Conservative-aligned research organizations

Important Note: While the foundation's stated charitable purpose is supporting disabled children and young people, investigative reporting has shown that the majority of its recent grants have gone to political think tanks rather than organizations providing direct services to disabled children.

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly disclosed, though the pattern of grantmaking suggests:

• Limited funding for direct service provision to disabled children
• The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The foundation is governed by four trustees, with no trustees receiving remuneration:

• Richard Smith (Founder and CEO of HR Smith Group)
• Susan Frances Smith BA HONS
• Sarah Josephine Sharp-Smith
• Lucinda Marie Millicent Sharp-Smith

Richard Smith founded the charity and serves on its board alongside other Smith family members. He is the CEO of HR Smith Group, the aerospace company that provides the majority of the foundation's funding and owns the building at 55 Tufton Street in London (a location associated with several right-wing think tanks).

Key Controversies

Charity Commission Review: Following complaints, the Charity Commission examined the foundation's grantmaking and stated: “We have seen no evidence that the charity is acting outside of its objects. However, we do consider that information the charity presents on the online register as to its activities is potentially misleading. We have therefore written to the trustees with advice on how they can make their register information clearer.”

Think Tank Funding: The foundation awarded £250,000 to the New Culture Forum, an organization that proposed abolishing the Equality Act—legislation that provides protections for disabled people in the UK. Critics have questioned how funding organizations that advocate for reduced disability protections aligns with the foundation's stated mission of supporting disabled children.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, and the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

The foundation appears to identify grant recipients through the trustees' existing networks and relationships, particularly within the think tank and policy advocacy sector. There is no application portal, no published guidelines, and no formal deadlines.

Based on available evidence, the foundation operates through:

• Trustee discretion and initiative
• Pre-existing relationships with recipient organizations
• Invitation-only grant awards

Decision Timeline

Not applicable—there is no formal application or decision timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable—unsolicited applications are not accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable—there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on analysis of their grantmaking patterns, the following factors appear to influence their funding decisions:

1. Alignment with Trustee Interests: The foundation's grantmaking strongly reflects the political and policy interests of its founder and trustees, particularly around conservative policy positions, free-market economics, and reduced government regulation.

2. Think Tank and Policy Focus: Rather than funding direct service delivery to disabled children, the foundation has primarily funded organizations engaged in policy research and advocacy.

3. Tufton Street Connection: Many recipients are associated with 55 Tufton Street in London, a building owned by the founder's company and known as a hub for right-wing think tanks.

4. Interpretation of Charitable Purpose: The foundation interprets its mission broadly to include policy advocacy that it may view as ultimately benefiting disabled children, though this interpretation has been questioned by regulators and advocacy groups.

Important Context for Grant Seekers: Organizations seeking funding to provide direct services to disabled children are unlikely to receive grants from this foundation based on its demonstrated grantmaking patterns. The foundation primarily funds policy advocacy organizations aligned with its trustees' political perspectives.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and awards grants entirely at trustee discretion
• Limited Direct Service Funding: Despite its stated mission, the foundation has predominantly funded think tanks rather than organizations providing direct services to disabled children
• Trustee Network: Grants appear to be awarded to organizations within the trustees' existing network, particularly those associated with conservative policy advocacy
• Regulatory Scrutiny: The Charity Commission has advised the foundation that its public descriptions may be misleading, suggesting a disconnect between stated mission and actual grantmaking
• Declining Grant Budget: Annual grantmaking has declined from £540,000 (2021-22) to £379,000 (2022-23)
• Not Suitable for Most Disabled Children's Services: Organizations providing direct support, education, healthcare, or services to disabled children should not expect to receive funding from this foundation
• Political Alignment Matters: The foundation's grants strongly reflect particular political and economic ideologies, which appears to be the primary factor in funding decisions

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Arts Council of England
• BBC Children in Need
• The Wolfson Foundation
• Jack Petchey Foundation
• THE HEADLEY TRUST
• East End Community Foundation
• The Elmley Foundation
• The Rowlands Trust
• The Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust
• The Hawthorne Charitable Trust
• National Lottery Heritage Fund
• The Charities Aid Foundation
• Greater London Authority
• National Lottery
• TOWER HILL TRUST
• BEFORE TRUST
• Bloomberg

References

1. Charity Commission for England and Wales. “The Street Foundation - Charity Overview.” Register of Charities, Charity Number 1045229. Accessed 8 December 2024. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1045229&subid=0

1. Good Law Project. "Disabled children's charity hands 43% of grants to rightwing think-tanks." 5 September 2024. https://goodlawproject.org/disabled-childrens-charity-hands-43-of-grants-to-rightwing-think-tanks/

1. Good Law Project. “A good cause? How charities funnelled £28m into rightwing think-tanks.” https://goodlawproject.org/a-good-cause-how-charities-funnelled-28m-into-rightwing-think-tanks/

1. Civil Society. “Regulator writes to grantmaker accused of funding think tanks over disabled children.” https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/regulator-writes-to-grantmaker-accused-of-funding-think-tanks-over-disabled-children.html

1. Third Sector. "Charity's online registry page 'potentially misleading', regulator says." https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charitys-online-registry-page-potentially-misleading-regulator-says/governance/article/1888071

1. The Canary. "EXPOSED: Good Law Project reveals disabled children's charity funnelling cash to Tufton Street." 6 September 2024. https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2024/09/06/tufton-street-good-law-project/

1. Find That Charity. “The Street Foundation - GB-CHC-1045229.” https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-1045229