Wonder Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,353,413 (charitable expenditure, year ending March 2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only partnerships)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: International - 23 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, plus UK

Contact Details

Address: 300 Brixton Road, London SW9 6AE

Phone: +44 (0) 20 3488 2008

Email: contact@wonderfoundation.org.uk

Website: www.wonderfoundation.org.uk

Note: The foundation explicitly states: “We are not accepting unsolicited requests to sponsor individuals or charity organisations.”

Overview

WONDER Foundation was established in 2012 by London students who believed existing poverty reduction efforts overlooked women's potential. The charity partners with local, women-led organizations to empower women, girls, and their communities through access to quality education. Since inception, they have impacted over 145,000 women and girls across 25 countries, working with 35-36 carefully selected women-led partners. In the year ending March 2024, they had total income of £1,446,709 and charitable expenditure of £1,353,413. The organization maintains very low running costs, with 94% of donations going directly to charitable activities, supported by over 200 volunteers annually. In 2023/24, they reached 20,000 women and girls, with 4,750 completing accredited training programmes.

Funding Priorities

Partnership Approach

WONDER Foundation does not operate grant programmes in the traditional sense. Instead, they work with pre-selected women-led local NGOs as long-term partners, providing both funding and capacity-building support. They currently support 35 partners across 23 countries.

Priority Areas

• Women's education: Quality education and vocational training for women and girls
• Skills development: Business skills, professional training in hospitality and healthcare sectors
• Economic empowerment: Training required to enter high-quality employment
• Community transformation: Projects that enable women to support their families and lift communities out of poverty
• Refugee and migrant support: Educational opportunities for displaced women and girls

Geographic Priorities

Projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, with specific current partnerships in:

• United Kingdom (including London-based projects like Baytree Centre)
• Philippines
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• India
• Kazakhstan
• Guatemala
• Kenya
• Cameroon
• Nigeria
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Poland

Partner Selection Criteria

• Women-led organizations: Must be led by women with deep local knowledge
• Proven track record: Demonstrated success in assisting disadvantaged communities through education
• Local expertise: Strong understanding of and responsiveness to local needs
• Shared values: Commitment to empowering women and girls through relevant and sustainable education
• Focus on employment: Projects that provide training required to enter high-quality jobs

What They Don't Fund

• Individual sponsorship requests
• Unsolicited charity organization funding requests
• Organizations not already in their partnership network

Ready to write a winning application for Wonder Foundation?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Senior Leadership Team

• Carmen Gonzalez - CEO (extensive experience in fundraising, training and youth work in the NGO sector)
• Paola Delmonaco - COO
• Olivia Darby - Chief Learning and Advocacy Officer
• Izzy Cumming-Bruce - Development Director
• Faith Mwangi - Programmes and Operations Manager
• Evelyn Tiren - Social Impact Manager

Board of Trustees

• Raphaella Gabrasadig - Chair
• Alejandra Fabrega - Vice-Chair/Strategy
• Modupe Da Silva - Treasurer and Finance Advisor
• Julie Hudtohan - HR Advisor
• Ekene Ngwuocha - Trustee
• Kirtana Raj - Trustee
• Uzoma Igboaka - Trustee

No trustees receive remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

Leadership Quotes

CEO Carmen Gonzalez on cryptocurrency donations: “We are extremely pleased to see how cryptocurrency donations have helped us significantly further our objective to transform the lives of these girls and women through education, particularly during these unprecedented times.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: WONDER Foundation does not have a public application process. They explicitly state on their website: “We are not accepting unsolicited requests to sponsor individuals or charity organisations.”

The foundation works with carefully selected women-led local NGOs as long-term partners. These partnerships are established through the foundation's own research, networks, and relationship-building processes rather than through open applications.

Corporate Partnerships: Businesses interested in supporting WONDER Foundation's work can contact:

• engagement@wonderfoundation.org.uk (for corporate partnerships and volunteer opportunities)
• Contact the team directly at contact@wonderfoundation.org.uk

Application Success Factors

What WONDER Foundation Values in Partners

While there is no public application process, their published criteria and approach reveal what they look for:

1. Women-led organizations: Local organizations led by women with deep community knowledge and connections

1. Proven track record: Demonstrated history of successfully helping disadvantaged communities through education

1. Focus on sustainable solutions: Projects that create long-term transformation rather than short-term fixes

1. Education leading to employment: Training programmes that provide the skills required to enter high-quality jobs and support families

1. Partnership approach: Organizations that view WONDER as a collaborator and equal partner, not just a funder

1. Local expertise and responsiveness: Deep understanding of local needs and ability to adapt to challenges (COVID-19, natural disasters, political instability)

Recent Partnership Examples

WONDER Foundation's current partners demonstrate their funding priorities:

• Baytree Centre (London): Empowers women and girls through education and skills development
• FPTI (Philippines): Provides business skills and vocational training courses in hospitality to young women with fewer opportunities
• Kamalini (India): Supports women with basic education, business skills, vocational training and work placements
• Mwangaza Project (Kenya): Empowering 800 marginalised women and girls through education
• Wavecrest College of Hospitality (Nigeria): Empowers young women through business skills, vocational training and mentoring

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: WONDER Foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests from organizations. They identify and select partners through their own networks and research.

• Relationship-based funding: Partnerships are built on trust, shared values, and long-term collaboration rather than competitive grant applications.

• Women-led focus: Only women-led organizations with proven track records in education are considered for partnership.

• Education to employment pathway: Projects must demonstrate clear pathways from education/training to quality employment that helps women exit poverty.

• Partnership model: WONDER views partners as equals and collaborators, providing both funding and capacity-building support, sharing best practices, and amplifying partners' voices.

• Geographic diversity: While they work internationally, they carefully select a limited number of partners (35 across 23 countries) for deep, sustained engagement.

• Corporate partnerships available: While NGO partnerships are invitation-only, businesses can explore partnership opportunities by contacting the foundation directly.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Brain Tumour Charity
• RENEWABLE WORLD
• FRONTIERS
• WATES FOUNDATION
• CODEBRAVE FOUNDATION
• ZAMBIA ORPHANS AID UK
• FRIENDS OF KIPKELION
• ZIMBABWE EDUCATIONAL TRUST
• LORD AND LADY LURGAN TRUST
• SALISBURY HOUSE
• SYMPATHY
• FAITH FOUNDATION

References

1. Charity Commission Register - WONDER Foundation (Charity No. 1148679), accessed via https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5025931
2. WONDER Foundation Official Website - About Us, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/about-us/
3. WONDER Foundation - FAQs, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/faqs/
4. WONDER Foundation - Our Story, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/our-story/
5. WONDER Foundation - Projects and Partners, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-partners/
6. WONDER Foundation - Our Team and Trustees, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/our-team-and-trustees/
7. WONDER Foundation - Our Financials, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/our-financials/
8. WONDER Foundation - Get in Touch, https://wonderfoundation.org.uk/get-in-touch/
9. National Lottery - Project Wonder Foundation, https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/life-changing/because-of-you/project-wonder-foundation
10. All sources