John Ellerman Foundation grants
John Ellerman Foundation is a national family foundation that gave around £5.1m in grants to organisations in its latest year, with a typical grant of £90,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
John Ellerman Foundation is a national family foundation (charity number 263207) funding other charities and voluntary bodies for general charitable purposes. Its current priorities include tackling the "triple planetary crisis" of climate change, pollution and nature loss, reducing polarisation in society, promoting fairer economic models, and advancing equity and justice for marginalised communities affected by these issues. In its latest year it gave around £5.1m in grants to organisations, with a typical award of £90,000.
What they fund
It funds general charitable purposes, with current priorities around tackling the triple planetary crisis (climate change, pollution and nature loss), reducing polarisation, promoting fairer economic models, and advancing equity and justice for marginalised communities affected by these issues.
Who and where
It makes grants to other charities and voluntary bodies, funding is registered as covering England and Wales, and its guidelines note that organisations from any part of the UK can apply if they can evidence impact at a national or UK level.
Who they help
Where they fund
What John Ellerman Foundation says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“Promoting the development and adoption of economic models and systems that support people and planet and reduce wealth inequalities.”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
“Reducing polarisation in society (for example, by building greater trust and connection) AND/OR increasing the levels of participation and influence in the political process (which is sometimes referred to as political equality).”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
“Advancing equity and justice for marginalised communities impacted by the issues above i.e. specifically communities impacted by the triple planetary crisis; polarisation and loss of trust, or exclusion from the political process; and/or harmful economic systems and wealth inequalities.”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
“Tackling the triple planetary crisis by mitigating and adapting to climate impacts, reducing pollution and protecting and restoring nature.”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
Who they say they'll fund
“Be within our geographic remit. You must EITHER: a. Have an impact at a national or UK level and be based in the UK. Your organisation can be from any part of the UK and must evidence the difference the work you are doing is having at a national or UK level.”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
Grant sizes they mention
“We offer multi-year funding for core costs and accept applications for a maximum of £180k over up to five years. We provide funding of up to a maximum of £60k per year”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
Income limits they mention
“Have an annual income of between £100,000 and £10,000,000, evidenced by your most recent published accounts. We do not fund organisations below or above this income range.”
Source: files.ellerman.org.uk — Current Funding Guidelines PDF →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £90,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £60,000 – £109,108 |
| Grants published openly | 800 |
| Most recent published grant | 2026 |
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
The object of the charity is for such charitable purposes within the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland or the republic of south africa or elsewhere as the trustees shall from time to time think fit. This shall not extend to those parts of the continents of america which lie to the south of the…
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does John Ellerman Foundation typically give?
Based on 800 recent grants, the typical (median) award from John Ellerman Foundation is £90,000, with the middle half of grants falling between £60,000 and around £109,000.
What does John Ellerman Foundation fund?
It funds general charitable purposes, with current priorities including the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and nature loss; reducing polarisation and increasing political participation; new economic models that support people and planet; and equity and justice for marginalised communities affected by these issues.
Who can apply to John Ellerman Foundation?
Applicant organisations must have an annual income of between £100,000 and £10,000,000, evidenced by their most recent published accounts, and must be able to show impact at a national or UK level while being based in the UK.
How do I apply to John Ellerman Foundation?
It offers multi-year funding for core costs, accepting applications for up to £180,000 over as long as five years (a maximum of £60,000 per year). Check current guidance on its website, www.ellerman.org.uk, and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 263207), as rules and deadlines change.
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with John Ellerman Foundation.