The Tap Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £67,394 (2024 income); over £600,000 distributed since 2018
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly specified
• Grant Range: Historically £6,500 - £13,000+ per charity annually
• Geographic Focus: London (homelessness and poverty relief)

Contact Details

Email: trustees@taplondon.org / info@taplondon.org

Phone: 020 3691 3352

Address: 37 Brierley Road, London E11 4JE

Website: www.taplondon.org

Charity Number: 1177719

Overview

The TAP Foundation was registered as a CIO Foundation on 27 March 2018 to serve as the charitable arm of TAP London, a community interest company founded by Polly Gilbert and Katie Whitlock. The foundation distributes funds raised through contactless donation technology installed at over 100 locations across London including high streets, cafes, bars, cinemas, shops, nightclubs, and City Hall. Since 2018, TAP has raised over £600,000 for London's homeless charities and engaged 100,000 people to donate. The foundation operates in partnership with the Greater London Authority as part of the Mayor of London's Rough Sleeping Innovation Fund. The foundation's most recent financial year (ending 27 March 2024) showed income of £67,394 and expenditure of £145,864, with all funds distributed as grants and unrestricted financial aid to charities relieving poverty and homelessness. All trustees serve voluntarily with no remuneration.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual Charity Grants: As of December 2023, TAP London operates an application-based grant distribution model where local charities can apply for support. Grants are awarded as unrestricted funds, giving charities flexibility in how they use the money for their homelessness relief work.

Historical Distribution: The foundation aims to provide each beneficiary charity with a minimum of £13,000 in public donations annually, with a target of raising £1 million. Previously, the 23-29 charities in the London Homeless Collective received over £6,500 each since the project began.

Priority Areas

• Homelessness relief: Supporting frontline services for rough sleepers in London
• Poverty alleviation: Unrestricted grants to charities addressing poverty
• Youth homelessness: Special focus on young people experiencing homelessness (post-2020 coronavirus response)
• Housing support: Charities providing accommodation and housing services
• Community services: Local charities delivering direct services to homeless individuals

What They Don't Fund

The foundation exclusively focuses on charities addressing homelessness and poverty in London. They do not fund:

• Charities working outside London
• Organizations not addressing homelessness or poverty
• Individual applications (only registered charities)

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Governance and Leadership

Founders and Leadership

Polly Gilbert (Co-founder): Former advertising professional at J. Walter Thompson who left her job to launch TAP London. Gilbert has stated: "Our pockets are getting lighter. Many of us just don't carry change any more, so we have to act quickly in creating new ways for people to give to those in need."

Katie Whitlock (Co-founder): Co-founded TAP London with Polly Gilbert, also from an advertising background.

The foundation maintains a board of 3 trustees (with provision for up to 12), all serving on a voluntary basis with no remuneration or benefits. Specific trustee names are not publicly disclosed in recent records. The organization also has 2 volunteers supporting operations.

Strategic Approach

Polly Gilbert on TAP's mission: “TAP was founded to provide people with an easy and effective way of giving; one which enables those of us who no longer carry cash to do their bit in tackling homelessness.” She has also noted: “There is a universal feeling of wanting to help, but not being sure how to.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

As of December 2023, TAP operates an application-based system where local charities can apply for individual grants. However, specific details about the application process, forms, or portals are not publicly available on their website or Charity Commission records.

Charities interested in applying should contact TAP London directly:

• Email: info@taplondon.org or trustees@taplondon.org
• Phone: 020 3691 3352

Eligibility Criteria

Based on TAP's historical funding patterns, eligible organizations are:

• Registered charities working in London
• Organizations focused on homelessness relief and poverty alleviation
• Charities providing frontline services to rough sleepers
• Organizations working with vulnerable populations experiencing housing insecurity

Historical Funding Model

The foundation's funding approach has evolved:

• 2018 - December 2020: Granted funding equally to the 29 charities comprising the London Homeless Collective, including organizations like Centrepoint, Shelter, Salvation Army, St Mungo's, Crisis UK, Depaul UK, and others
• December 2020 - December 2023: Shifted to fundraising for a smaller coalition of youth homelessness charities (Centrepoint, Depaul, akt, and New Horizon) in response to coronavirus impact
• December 2023 onwards: Transitioned to an application-based model for individual grants to local charities

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly specified. Given the foundation's modest administrative structure (3 trustees, 2 volunteers), charities should inquire directly about current turnaround times.

Success Rates

Application numbers and success rates are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

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

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information about TAP's current application process, the following factors are derived from their documented history and strategic priorities:

Strategic Alignment

• London focus: TAP exclusively supports charities working within London, particularly those providing direct services to rough sleepers
• Frontline services: The foundation prioritizes charities delivering hands-on support rather than policy or advocacy organizations
• Unrestricted funding approach: TAP provides unrestricted grants, indicating they trust charities to deploy funds where most needed

Organizational Characteristics

TAP has historically funded a diverse range of organizations including:

• Large national charities with London operations (Shelter, Crisis UK, Centrepoint, Salvation Army)
• Specialist providers (Albert Kennedy Trust for LGBTQ+ youth, New Horizon Youth Centre)
• Local service providers (Look Ahead, Evolve Housing + Support)
• Faith-based organizations (Connection at St Martin's, Church Army)

Mission Resonance

Polly Gilbert has emphasized that TAP connects “fantastic local services with generous Londoners who care.” Organizations should demonstrate:

• Direct service delivery to homeless individuals
• Clear impact on rough sleeping in London
• Community connection and local presence
• Efficient use of unrestricted funds

Partnership Approach

TAP operates in partnership with the Greater London Authority and has worked with the London Homeless Collective, suggesting they value:

• Collaborative working with other homeless sector organizations
• Alignment with broader London homelessness strategies
• Engagement with sector-wide initiatives

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• London-specific only: TAP exclusively funds charities addressing homelessness and poverty within London's boundaries
• Unrestricted funding model: Grants are provided as unrestricted funds, giving charities maximum flexibility in deployment
• Application process unclear: Current application procedures are not detailed publicly; direct contact with TAP is essential to understand requirements
• Modest funding scale: With annual income of £67,394 (2024), this is a relatively small funder focused on distributing public donations rather than endowment income
• Evolving model: TAP has shifted from collective distribution to individual charity applications, indicating a more tailored approach to grant-making
• Partnership-oriented: TAP works closely with the Greater London Authority and values charities engaged in collaborative sector initiatives
• Contact directly: Given limited public information, organizations should proactively reach out to establish dialogue and understand current opportunities

References

• Charity Commission Register, The TAP Foundation (charity number 1177719): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1177719&subid=0
• TAP London website, About page: https://www.taplondon.org/about
• TAP London website, Contact page: https://www.taplondon.org/contact
• The TAP Foundation Trustees' Annual Report, Year ended 27 March 2019, Charity Commission
• University of Sussex, “Polly Gilbert: Spotlight on alumni stories,”: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/alumni/people/spotlighton/polly_gilbert
• OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation, “TAP London,”: https://oecd-opsi.org/innovations/tap-london/
• GoodBox, “Polly Gilbert – Co-Founder of Tap London,” November 2021: https://www.goodbox.com/2021/11/polly-gilbert-co-founder-of-tap-london/
• Third Sector, “Mayor of London launches contactless donation points for homeless,” December 2018: https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/mayor-london-launches-contactless-donation-points-homeless/digital/article/1519884