United Kingdom, Intermediary
Change
Supporting our communities
Our firm and employees remain committed to supporting those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as organisations working towards racial equity and social justice. Here are a few of the ways we are responding.
Emergency grants and increased funding
In March 2020, our US-based Wellington Management Foundation offered Emergency Grants of US$25,000 to more than 100 of our global grantees working to improve educational opportunities for youth from traditionally underserved communities. Our Wellington Management UK Foundation adopted a program to increase funding to its 25 grantees by 50%.
The US Foundation continues to offer major gifts to organisations responding to the needs of families and schools to support remote learning, as well as schools and organisations beginning the difficult and long-term work for academic recovery. And to further its work for racial equity in education, the Foundation is deepening its support of community organisations and programs led by and focused on people and communities of color. In total, the US Foundation alone contributed more than US$9.5 million in 2020.
In May 2021, the US Foundation issued another round of Emergency Grants of US$15,000 to more than 66 of its current grantees. In addition, the Foundation is pledging and additional US$5 million for programs in summer 2021 and beyond that help with academic recovery and that provide additional mental and behavioral health support to both community organisations and schools themselves. This will bring total 2021 funding to over US$14 million. See below for a complete list of our US and UK Foundations’ Annual Grantees, Catalyst Gift Recipients, and strategic partners.
Front-line support
Wellington has donated to the following essential charities on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.
Akai Hane: One of Japan’s largest nonprofits contributing to new coronavirus infectious disease measures as well as individual families and children.
Bahnhofsmission: A charity in Frankfurt that is taking protective measures for the homeless by providing housing accommodations, basic care services, food and clothing to those in need amid COVID-19.
Boston Resiliency Fund: A fund set up by the city of Boston to support Boston residents affected by COVID-19.
Caritas: This charity in Luxembourg is taking measures to stop the spread of the Coronavirus and to protect those most vulnerable, such as the homeless, refugees, children and young people.
Chaine Du Bonheur: Based out of Zurich, this charity is assisting in home deliveries, transport services, meals at home, special care, food aid and initiatives that allow and promote solidarity within society.
Child at Street 11: A recognized foundation in Singapore with a mission to educate and help young children from low-income and dysfunctional families break out of the poverty.
Direct Relief: Delivered more than 30,000 lbs. of protective gear to China to aid front line health workers
International Medical Corps: A global, nonprofit, humanitarian aid organization dedicated to providing lifesaving emergency health services and relieving suffering through health care training, relief, and development programs.
National Emergencies Trust: Collaborates with local grassroots charities and community foundations to provide care and support for vulnerable people hit by the social and economic impact of coronavirus.
Philabundance: An organization in Philadelphia that is adapting its efforts to ensure that individuals and families have access to the food and supplies they need while preventing the spread of the virus.
San Francisco Unified School District: San Francisco’s public school system is dedicated to helping young students amid COVID-19 by providing students with free grab-and-go meals and helping parents find appropriate childcare and other resources.
The Night Ministry: An organization in Chicago with a mission to provide housing, health care and human connection to the poor and homeless. Their work is particularly important in the time of COVID-19.
Westmead Hospital, Sydney: Westmead Hospital is the principal referral hospital for western Sydney, renowned for its comprehensive, highly specialized and complex services provided to its community, statewide and nationally.
William Osler Foundation: The Osler Foundation works to get hospitals in Canada the funds they need to provide the best possible care so they can provide life-changing health care to more than 1.3 million people in the Ontario area.
In June 2020, the Managing Partners of the firm — Jean Hynes, Steve Klar, and Brendan Swords — issued this statement and at year end the firm made significant contributions to support the following organisations.
Partnering with community organisations
Our critical relationships with community organisations continue, aided by Wellington employees globally who are giving their time, talent, or treasure to support their communities while balancing the changes and challenges that come with working from home.
Our colleagues:
- Participated in a fitness challenge to benefit UNCF — over 40 Partners sponsored more than 600 global employees
- Participated in a fitness challenge to benefit the firm’s own Wellington Management Foundation
- Hosted a virtual Community Engagement Fair to highlight employee volunteer opportunities with community organisations
- Hosted virtual Industry Night sessions with nonprofits focused on helping students transition from college to careers
- Held “Intro to Asset Management” sessions with middle and high school students to help them plan their education pathways
- Are helping graduating students with resumes and mock interviews virtually
- Joined sewing clubs to craft and donate masks to critical workers
- Provided website assistance to help a nonprofit communicate vital information to its beneficiaries
- Are fundraising and community organizing in countless ways
We applaud all of these employee efforts! It fits with our firm’s humanistic culture that so much is being done for so many, and we hope we can inspire others.
Investing in our communities
We seek to actively support and positively impact the communities in which our employees live and work. The following are just some of the ways we engage:
- The Wellington Management Foundation and the Wellington Management UK Foundation support programs and organisations that improve educational opportunities for youth from traditionally underserved or economically challenged communities.
- Our Annual Appeal provides employees with a convenient and meaningful way to donate to global and regional nonprofit and non-governmental organisations.
- The Matching Gift Program matches employee donations to registered nonprofit organisations.
- The Volunteer Programme allows each of our employees to give two business days a year to volunteer at nonprofit organisations.
Our foundations
The Wellington Management UK Foundation was established in 2016 to make grants to charitable organisations in the UK and Europe, and is closely aligned with Wellington Management through our shared culture and values. The UK Foundation relies on Wellington Management employees who volunteer their time and talent through service on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the Grant Recommendation Committee, which conducts a thorough review of each organisation we fund. Through the combined generosity of the firm and these individuals, the UK Foundation is able to direct 100% of donations to organisations that meet our mission.
Our mission
The mission of our foundation is to support programmes and organisations in our communities that improve the education of, and educational opportunities for, youth from traditionally underserved or economically challenged communities.
We look for organisations that improve academic performance, improve behaviour, reduce absenteeism and develop life skills for economically disadvantaged youth up to 26 years.
Grantee organisations may use our funding as they see fit, either for programmatic or operating expenses. Scholarship programs, however, are not eligible for funding.
Eligible organisations must be operating within the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and/or Luxembourg.
We fund organisations of various sizes. We are interested in supporting organisations where our grants have a meaningful impact on youth but are not vital to the running of the organisation. On this basis we focus on small organisations with current income of <GBP2m per annum.
We provide grants on an annual basis, although multi-year grants will be considered once a relationship is established. We fund newer as well as more established organisations. We do prefer to fund organisations that can demonstrate the strength of their management and that have a measurable track record of success.
Please note that for the 2022 funding cycle, we will be operating an invitation only application process. Charities that wish to be considered for invitation in 2023 should email wmukf@wellington.com. Please ensure that you meet all guidelines below. Charities that are already funded via an annual grant will need to reapply as usual, while recipients of multi‐year grants do not need to re‐apply.
In 2021, the Wellington Management UK Foundation awarded grants and Emergency COVID payments totalling £1m to 24 organisations across London, Frankfurt, Zurich and Luxembourg.
London
- Action For Kids
- Action Tutoring
- The Amos Bursary
- Debate Mate
- ELATT
- Fight for Peace
- First Story
- Future Frontiers
- Just Like Us
- Leadership Through Sport and Business
- London Music Masters
- London Youth Rowing
- London Thunder
- Nova New Opportunities
- Primary Shakespeare Company
- Protégé DNA
- ReachOut
- Resurgo Trust
- Scene and Heard
- The Children’s Literacy Charity
- Westminster City School
Frankfurt
Zurich
Luxembourg
The UK Foundation accepts applications from organisations and programmes for the annual grant making programme that coincide with our mission and grant making guidelines. Please read the mission and guidelines with care to evaluate whether your programme is a clear fit with the Foundation’s funding priorities. Here are a few of our guidelines:
- The charity/non-profit organisation must be registered in the UK, Germany, Switzerland or Luxembourg.
- Beneficiaries of the charitable operations must reside within the UK, Germany, Switzerland or Luxembourg.
- The charity/non-profit programme must be to provide educational services and/or life skills.
- Beneficiaries of the programme must be aged 26 and under.
- Beneficiaries of the programme must be from traditionally underserved or economically challenged communities.
- The charity should be willing to allow visits from us before and after the approval process.
- We support charities where our grants will have significant impact on the beneficiaries and communities they support; on this basis we focus on small organisations with current income of < £2m per annum
Detailed Application
All charities that have been funded by the Wellington Management UK Foundation but that do not have multi‐year grants will need to reapply for funding in 2022. We will send out a Detailed Application Form (DAF) in late April that will need to be
filled out and returned to us by 15 May 2022.
For more information please read the section describing our grant making process. You may contact us at wmukf@wellington.com if you have any questions about the Foundation’s application process.
Calendar
The Foundation relies on Wellington Management employees who volunteer their time and talent to conduct a thorough review of each applicant and organisation we fund. The 2022 process will begin in April and grants will be made in August/September.
April
Organisations that have been funded by the Wellington Management UK Foundation but that do not have multiyear grants will need to fill out a Detailed Application Form (DAF). We will send this to you in advance via email in late April with a 15 May deadline.
May/June
Completed applications are received and employee volunteers review grant applications and conduct virtual site visits.
The Wellington Management UK Foundation is a UK charity registered with the Charity Commission under number 1167369.
General inquiries
For general inquiries in the EMEA region, you may contact us at wmukf@wellington.com or +44 20 7126 6700. For inquiries regarding grant applications please use the contact information provided in the “Application process” section above.
For general inquiries outside EMEA, you may contact Karen Pfefferle, Art Curator and Manager of Philanthropy, at klpfefferle@wellington.com or +1 617 790 7454. Learn more about our US Foundation.
