The Youth Endowment Fund Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £200m endowment (established 2019)
• Success Rate: Highly competitive - funds 10-20 projects from 300+ applications
• Decision Time: 3 weeks for smaller applications, varies for larger grants
• Grant Range: Average £50,000 (up to 50% of organization's total income)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Website: www.youthendowmentfund.org.uk

Email: hello@youthendowmentfund.org.uk

Phone: 7414405031

Grants Team: grants@youthendowmentfund.org.uk

Targeted Projects: targetedprojects@youthendowmentfund.org.uk

Overview

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is an independent charitable trust established in March 2019 by children's charity Impetus with a £200m endowment and 10-year mandate from the Home Office. As the UK's largest What Works Centre focused on youth violence prevention, YEF operates with the singular mission to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. The fund specifically targets vulnerable young people aged 10-14 in England and Wales, evaluating every programme it funds to build an evidence base of effective interventions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Open Call: Rolling applications, average £50,000 grants (applications over £50,000 reviewed by Grants Committee)
• Targeted Projects: £5-10 million allocated over three years for minority-led organizations
• Positive Activities: £9-10 million rounds funding 5-6 large-scale projects
• Capacity Building: Previously awarded £2m to 45 organizations

Applications must be deliverable within 24 months, with preference for shorter delivery periods. Match funding of 20% required (can include in-kind contributions).

Priority Areas

• Early intervention for children aged 10-14 at risk of violence
• Evidence-based approaches with evaluation potential
• Projects across seven key sectors: education, policing, families, youth services, health, criminal justice, and communities
• Programs targeting children vulnerable to serious violence, knife crime, and gang involvement

What They Don't Fund

• Projects outside England and Wales
• Programs not focused on violence prevention
• Organizations unable to commit to rigorous evaluation
• Projects without appropriate safeguarding measures
• Applications from organizations that cannot provide 20% match funding

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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Jon Yates - McKinsey alum and former lead policy adviser to the Secretary of State for Education

Key Trustees:

• Lisa - Chair of YEF investment committee and Trustee of Impetus
• Louis - Co-founder and Managing Partner of Palamon Capital Partners
• Junior - Social entrepreneur and founder of SOS Project, brings lived experience of violence and youth justice system
• Keith Fraser - Youth Justice Board member
• Natasha - Founder and CEO at Unlocked Graduates

Quote from leadership: “We exist to prevent children and young people from getting caught up in crime and violence by making sure that those at most risk get the best possible support, as early as possible.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

• Two-part process: Part One (high-level summary) assessed within 10 working days; successful applicants invited to Part Two (detailed application)
• Open Call: Rolling applications through online portal
• Targeted Projects: Initial one-page proposal to targetedprojects@youthendowmentfund.org.uk

Decision Timeline

• Smaller applications: 3 weeks notification
• Larger applications: Reviewed by quarterly Grants and Evaluation Committee
• Targeted projects: 6 weeks for initial proposal response, 8 weeks for full application decision

Success Rates

Highly competitive with over 300 applications typically received when funding 10-20 projects. In their first grant round (2019), awarded £18.1m to 24 projects working with 36,000 children.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations can reapply regardless of previous application outcomes. However, duplicate applications without substantial changes will be rejected. YEF recommends incorporating any feedback from previous unsuccessful applications.

Application Success Factors

Key Assessment Criteria (scored on 8 main criteria):

• Clear focus on preventing youth violence as primary outcome
• Evidence-based approach with existing research support where available
• Readiness for rigorous impact evaluation
• Appropriate target age group (10-14, with some flexibility to 10-18)
• Strong organizational capacity and financial stability
• Realistic delivery timeline within 24 months

What YEF values:

• Projects already delivering for at least 6 months to demonstrate feasibility
• Organizations committed to learning and adapting based on evaluation findings
• Youth involvement and lived experience perspectives
• Partnerships that bring complementary expertise

Direct advice from YEF: "Assessors have extensive experience in the youth sector and look for projects most likely to reach vulnerable young people at risk - they're not looking for the best written applications."

Recent funding examples: YEF has funded diverse approaches including mentoring programs, family-based interventions, education initiatives, and community-based violence prevention projects.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Evidence is crucial: While you don't need to assess evidence yourself, include any existing independent research supporting your approach
• Evaluation readiness: Be prepared to work with independent evaluators to co-design research elements and potentially adjust delivery plans
• Focus on outcomes: Clearly articulate how your project will prevent children from becoming involved in violence
• Youth voice matters: Demonstrate meaningful involvement of young people, especially those with lived experience
• Organizational stability: Ensure your organization has the financial and operational capacity to deliver for the full funding period
• Quality over presentation: Focus on demonstrating likely effectiveness rather than polished writing
• Flexibility required: Be prepared to scale up programs or modify delivery based on evaluation requirements

References

• Youth Endowment Fund official website: youthendowmentfund.org.uk
• Charity Commission Register, Charity Number 1185413
• YEF Frequently Asked Questions page: youthendowmentfund.org.uk/funding/opportunities/frequently-asked-questions/
• YEF Open Call guidelines: youthendowmentfund.org.uk/grants/open-call/
• YEF Our Team page: youthendowmentfund.org.uk/about-us/our-team/
• YEF Testing for Impact FAQs: youthendowmentfund.org.uk/testing-for-impact-faqs/
• Impetus partnership details: www.impetus.org.uk/youth-endowment-fund