Thirty Percy Foundation
Charity Number: 1177514
Contact Info
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: Data not publicly available (foundation publishes 360Giving data)
- Success Rate: Not applicable (referral-based, no open applications)
- Decision Time: N/A (relationship-driven process)
- Grant Range: £70,000 - £150,000 (per changemaker over 2-3 years)
- Geographic Focus: UK-wide
- Foundation Timeline: Founded 2019, planned closure 2030
Contact Details
Website: www.thirtypercy.org
Email: hello@thirtypercy.org
Phone: 020 7514 3052
Note: Thirty Percy does not operate an open fund or invite direct approaches. They work through referrals from current changemakers or trusted partners.
Overview
Thirty Percy Foundation is an independent foundation founded in 2019 with a mission to “redefine what philanthropy means, how it works and what it can achieve.” Operating as a spend-down foundation, Thirty Percy will close in 2030, committing to use all resources boldly within this timeframe while modeling new ways of governing wealth. The foundation focuses on promoting sustainable development, environmental protection, and advancing public education on these topics. Their distinctive approach funds people rather than projects, providing unrestricted investment to activists, artists, thinkers, and social justice leaders committed to creating alternative systems. Since autumn 2024, they have partnered with JMB Consulting on a holistic anti-racist and decolonisation journey (2024-2027), transforming their organizational culture to centre Black feminist values.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
Changemaker Trust Fund (Launched January 2019)
- £70,000 - £150,000 per individual over 2-3 years
- Unrestricted funding to support changemakers at critical transition points
- Focus on providing time and space to dream, create, and rest
- Referral-based system - investment often follows referrals from current changemakers or trusted partners
Note: Thirty Percy does not accept open applications. They work through relationships and referrals rather than traditional application processes.
Priority Areas
Changemaker Support (2023-2030 Focus)
- Individual activists, social justice warriors, artists, thinkers, and dreamers
- People committed to decolonised practice that centres Black feminist values
- Those working towards liberated freedoms and alternative systems
- Individuals generating new knowledge and cultivating community
- People who sit outside the mainstream and bridge between sectors, spaces, and disciplines
- Explicit support for women, trans women, and women of colour
Wealth Holders Program
- Supporting wealth holders to explore alternative wealth organization
- Transforming how money is governed
- Part of broader paradigm shift towards new economics
Additional Initiatives
- Resourcing Racial Justice Fund (coalition supporting UK-wide racial justice work)
- Project Inside Out (care-centered organizational infrastructure, open sessions, practitioner gatherings)
- Fiscal hosting exploration (supporting money flow to excluded groups)
- Rebalancing Economies Initiative (new accounting, governance models, alternative value creation)
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations or projects (they fund individuals, not institutions)
- Traditional project-based work with specific deliverables
- Applications from those outside their referral network
- Work not aligned with decolonised practices and Black feminist values
Governance and Leadership
Trustees
Louisa Mann - Chair of Trustees
Known for doing things differently with “a big heart and rebellious streak”
Mona Bani - Trustee
Founder and Chief Executive of Revoke, with experience across the change ecosystem
Muna Rogoff - Trustee
Reformed private wealth solicitor now working at Good Ancestor Movement
Katie Hill - Trustee
Ever supportive and constantly reassuring presence
Key Staff
Louise Armstrong - Transitionary Executive Director
Anneka Deva - Programmes Director
Brings calm, considered energy and wisdom to the organization's work
Diana Clarke - Community and Team Culture Lead
Holds integrity, care and groundedness; described as “the core of Thirty Percy”
Lily Piachaud - Organisational Development Director
The conductor of all things operational, handling organizational infrastructure
Sarah Gartshore - Finance Director
Lewis - Funding Associate
Key for all things changemaker at Thirty Percy
Leadership Philosophy
“We believe philanthropy has the potential to be radically rewired to work more meaningfully for both changemakers and wealth-holders.”
The foundation describes itself as quietly rebellious, warmly engaging, purposeful, and unexpected.
Application Process & Timeline
How to Apply
No Open Application Process
Thirty Percy does not operate an open fund or accept direct applications. Their process is:
- Referral-Based: Investment typically follows referrals from current changemakers or trusted partners who appreciate the values of a person's work in the community or wider ecosystem
- Relationship-Driven: They search for and listen to different people and their understanding of challenges, testing new ideas and ways of working
- Outreach-Led: The foundation proactively identifies and connects with individuals aligned with their values
What This Means for Applicants: You cannot apply directly to Thirty Percy. Connection typically happens through:
- Referrals from existing changemaker grantees
- Recommendations from trusted partners in their network
- Their own outreach and listening work in relevant communities
- Participation in their open sessions (e.g., weekly Org Hour) to build relationships
Decision Timeline
Not applicable - the foundation works on relationship timelines rather than fixed decision cycles.
Success Rates
Not available - no open application process means traditional success rates don't apply.
Reapplication Policy
Not applicable given the referral-based model.
Application Success Factors
What Thirty Percy Looks For
Values Alignment
- Commitment to decolonised practice that centres Black feminist values
- Working towards liberated freedoms
- Creating alternative systems and visions rather than reforming existing ones
- Generating new knowledge and cultivating community
Individual Characteristics
- At a critical transition point in leadership lifecycle
- Sitting outside the mainstream
- Bridging between sectors, spaces, and disciplines
- Women, trans women, and women of colour explicitly prioritized
Approach to Work
- Creating social and environmental change
- Committed to systemic transformation, not incremental reform
- Care-centered and relationship-focused practices
Examples of Funded Work
Kate Raworth - Founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab (initially funded 2019)
Rebalancing Economies Initiative - Partnership supporting 10 organizations focused on new accounting and governance models, alternative value creation systems, and responsible land use
Resourcing Racial Justice Fund - Coalition of people of colour innovators, changemakers, activists, artists, and social leaders
Forest of Dean Climate Action Partnership
Neighborhood Transitions - With Dark Matter Labs and Civic Square
Changemaker Testimonials
“This resource allowed me to feel freer than society allows.”
“The Fund has provided me with various tools... to operate from a place of abundance”
Building Connection
Since direct applications aren't possible, potential changemakers should:
- Connect with current Thirty Percy changemakers who could provide referrals
- Engage with their public offerings (Org Hour, gatherings, published resources)
- Align work explicitly with decolonised practices and Black feminist values
- Build visibility in communities working on systemic change
- Demonstrate bridge-building across sectors and spaces
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
Important: Traditional grant writing is not relevant for Thirty Percy as they don't accept applications. However, understanding their approach is valuable:
- This is not an application-based funder - Focus on building relationships and connections within their network rather than crafting proposals
- People, not projects - They fund individuals at transition points, not organizational projects or programs
- Unrestricted support - Grants of £70k-£150k over 2-3 years provide freedom to dream, create, and rest without deliverable requirements
- Values-led - Explicit commitment to Black feminist values and decolonised practice is non-negotiable; this isn't rhetoric but core to their model
- Feminine leadership focus - Women, trans women, and women of colour are explicitly prioritized in their changemaker network
- Spend-down model - Operating until 2030 means they're actively distributing resources and modeling alternative wealth governance
- Referral pathways - The only route to funding is through trusted referrals from current changemakers or partners in their ecosystem
Similar Funders
These funders frequently fund the same charities:
- Mcs Charitable Foundation
- Power To Change Trust
- The Aurora Trust
- The Tds Charitable Foundation
- Stuart And Susan Lever Charitable Trust
- The Gordon Gray Trust
- The Martin Smith Foundation
- Access - The Foundation For Social Investment
- The National Benevolent Charity
- The Newcore Foundation
References
- Thirty Percy Foundation official website - www.thirtypercy.org
- “Current work” - https://www.thirtypercy.org/current-work
- “About us” - https://www.thirtypercy.org/about-us
- “Stories so far” - https://www.thirtypercy.org/stories-so-far
- Charity Commission Register - Thirty Percy Foundation (1177514) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1177514
- 360Giving GrantNav - Thirty Percy Foundation - https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/funder/GB-CHC-1177514
- Funders Collaborative Hub - “Resourcing racial justice initiatives: funder co-design sprint hosted by Thirty Percy” - https://www.funderscollaborativehub.org.uk/collaborations/resourcing-racial-justice-initiatives-funder-co-design-sprint-hosted-by-thirty-percy
- JMB Consulting - “About JMB Consulting” - https://www.jmb-consulting.co.uk/about