John Ellerman Foundation

NEW: We're very pleased to be able to share our IMPACT FRAMEWORK When John Ellerman Foundation launched our strategy for 2022-25, we committed to do more work on how we understand and articulate our impact and contribution within a wider ecosystem of funders. We spoke about the need to deepen our understanding of what we mean by wellbeing too, given that our organisational aim is to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world. We also wanted to design an Impact Framework that builds upon and complements our strategy and our Investment Policy, and supports us to become more accountable to those we work with, namely our grant-holders, applicants, sector membership bodies, peer funders and grantmakers, institutional and impact investors, and policymakers. We hope that our new Impact Framework, which you can read here achieves these aims: https://lnkd.in/gMn-etVd Our Impact Framework talks about what impact means to us, the ideas that inspired our thinking, as well as outlining four interdependent wellbeing themes (Community, Access, Sustainability and Equity), and the impact measures associated with each of these themes that will help us to assess the impact we are making through our funding offer (specifically our funding themes of Arts, Social Action and Environment) and our investing (specifically our work to be an ethical and responsible investor of our endowment). We also share some information on how the Impact Framework will be implemented. Primarily, we want to build on what we are already doing. It is also worth stating that we do not have any expectations that our applicants use the Impact Framework to develop their first and second stage applications to us. Applicants should continue using our funding guidelines only for this. The Impact Framework has very much been designed for us to use as a tool to apply to our work, as opposed to others feeling compelled to apply it to their work. We're thrilled to be at this point and could not have got here without the support and insights of all those we work with. Thank you! #Impact #Philanthropy #ImpactFramework #ImpactMeasurement #Accountability

*OUR NEW BLOG PAGE* Since 2020, John Ellerman Foundation has been sharing updates from the team that have been posted to the website at least once a month. As of today, we've set up a new blog that is searchable by the following categories: Arts, Museums and Galleries, Social Action, Environment, UKOTs (UK Overseas Territories), Staffing and Board updates, Reflections on philanthropy, Our impact, and Investing. https://lnkd.in/ey2spXt8 You can now share what we've written via social media. This month's blog is on #Diversity, #Equity and #Inclusion and what we have been working on in relation to DEI in the last 12 to 18 months in terms of our grantmaking, our investing and our wider operations. https://lnkd.in/eDtuZnpv Writing blog posts each month are an important way for us to share what we are working on to gain feedback and learn from others. It's one of the ways in which we try to be transparent, accountable and effective. Do check out our blog!

John Ellerman Foundation began exploring the idea of setting up a Board Shadowing Scheme in 2021, envisaging a six-month programme resulting in individuals from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty joining the Board as active observers. Sufina Ahmad MBE, John Ellerman Foundation, explores what happened next and the impact on the foundation in a recent Opinion. Read it here! https://bit.ly/3VvtxU0

**NEW OPINION PIECE - re. John Ellerman Foundation's Board Shadowing Scheme** It is still very early on for us in our Board Shadowing Scheme journey at John Ellerman Foundation, with our three Board Shadowing Trustees joining us for their first Board meeting in May 2024. However, I am very pleased that Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association gave me the opportunity to reflect on the process so far. You can read below in this short opinion piece about what it's been like setting up a Board Shadowing Scheme for three people from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty and what we have been learning so far. The Shadowing trustees have the option of attending four Board meetings, sub-Committee meetings, and other Trustee-related meetings happening outside of the usual governance cycle, e.g. training for Trustees. They will also be able to observe and be involved in in the assessment of first and second stage applications. The Scheme also offers ongoing support from Annika Small OBE, Trustee and me, and a training budget for each participant of up to £500. We’re hopeful that Charlotte, Hirra and Nell will gain much from this experience, and are working with them to determine their personal goals during this time. The Scheme also offers us a lot. Even in these early stages, I can already see that our Board Shadowing Scheme is helping us to think differently. https://lnkd.in/egwHe-He

There are many positives and highlights to working at John Ellerman Foundation. For me, one of the best ones is learning more about the incredible and vital environmental work happening in the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). Environmental work in the UKOTs is something that we have funded and championed for many years now. If you want to learn more about the UKOTs, then now is the time! John Ellerman Foundation has partnered with the brilliant Environmental Funders Network to set up a learning series that is free and open to all funders and donors interested in the UKOTs. https://lnkd.in/edBTxVEq These territories harbour extraordinary natural wealth but are under severe threat. If you are committed to responding to the climate and nature crises and care about the environment, then learning more about the UK Overseas Territories UKOTs is vital. In this learning series, you will:  👉 Meet people working on the front line to combat the impacts of climate change 👉Consider the colonial history of the UKOTs and what the impact of that has been on their environment and governance 👉 Explore the systemic challenges and barriers that mean UKOTs have received significantly less support  👉Hear about innovative practice in the UKOTs seeking to change environmental action  And much more! Learn more and sign up now: https://lnkd.in/edBTxVEq

Did you know that the vast majority of the UK’s unique flora and fauna lies not in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales or England but in the ‘Overseas Territories’? 🤔 These territories harbour extraordinary natural wealth but are under severe threat. If you are committed to responding to the climate and nature crises and care about the environment, then learning more about the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) is vital. That’s why we have partnered with John Ellerman Foundation this year to offer funders an exciting new UKOTs Learning Series incorporating four events. Join us on a journey to explore the fascinating diversity of life and habitats present in the UKOTs, understand the threats they face and how individual and collective action could radically improve the system of support for the people and organisations working there. Specifically, you will:  👉 Meet people working on the front line to combat the impacts of climate change 👉Consider the colonial history of the UKOTs and what the impact of that has been on their environment and governance 👉 Explore the systemic challenges and barriers that mean UKOTs have received significantly less support  👉Hear about innovative practice in the UKOTs seeking to change environmental action  And much more! This learning programme is free and open to all funders and donors interested in the UKOTs. Learn more and sign up now: https://lnkd.in/eEByiap

Did you know that the vast majority of the UK’s unique flora and fauna lies not in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales or England but in the ‘Overseas Territories’? 🤔 These territories harbour extraordinary natural wealth but are under severe threat. If you are committed to responding to the climate and nature crises and care about the environment, then learning more about the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) is vital. That’s why we have partnered with the Environmental Funders Network this year to offer funders an exciting new UKOTs Learning Series incorporating four events. The series builds on our longstanding commitment to the UKOTs, including our distribution of ~£2m to support work happening in the Territories in 2021/22 and 2022/23 through two rounds of our UKOTs Fund. Join us on a journey to explore the fascinating diversity of life and habitats present in the UKOTs, understand the threats they face and how individual and collective action could radically improve the system of support for the people and organisations working there. Specifically, you will:  👉 Meet people working on the front line to combat the impacts of climate change 👉Consider the colonial history of the UKOTs and what the impact of that has been on their environment and governance 👉 Explore the systemic challenges and barriers that mean UKOTs have received significantly less support  👉Hear about innovative practice in the UKOTs seeking to change environmental action  And much more! This learning programme is free and open to all funders and donors interested in the UKOTs. Learn more and sign up now: https://lnkd.in/eEByiap

A few thoughts on making websites (more) accessible... This update on website accessibility has been the result of months of work by the team, the auditor we commissioned specifically to complete an accessibility audit of our website, and our website provider. Website accessibility is a vital consideration given that many charitable funders like John Ellerman Foundation use their websites as a ‘shop window’ or main point of contact and communications for applicants, grant-holders and the key stakeholders that we work with, such as peer grantmaking organisations. Our websites are an important resource for these groups. For us, our applicants gain much of the information about how to apply to us from our website (as well as the team), and it is only through our website that an application can be made to us. Our website also contains information about how a grant is managed that is relevant to our grant-holders. We also use it to share information, updates and insights about our work that are relevant to the stakeholders we work with. Given its role as a resource, we are committed to keeping our website as clear and navigable as possible. I'm grateful to Stephanie Santiano, our Grants Manager, for leading much of this work for us. And to the Foundation Practice Rating, as their assessment of this as part of the rating made us think much more carefully about making our website more accessible. https://lnkd.in/eRERrWKG #Accessibility #WebsiteAccessibility

**NEW MONTHLY UPDATE - On website accessibility ** Last year, we commissioned an external provider to assess the accessibility of our website. Their finidings gave us much to consider, and over the last few months the team and our website provider have been thinking through the feedback and how we can implement this on our website. Website accessibility is a vital consideration given that many charitable funders like John Ellerman Foundation use their websites as a ‘shop window’ or main point of contact and communications for applicants, grant-holders and the key stakeholders that we work with, such as peer grantmaking organisations. Our websites are an important resource for these groups. For us, our applicants gain much of the information about how to apply to us from our website (as well as the team), and it is only through our website that an application can be made to us. Our website also contains information about how a grant is managed that is relevant to our grant-holders. We also use it to share information, updates and insights about our work that are relevant to the stakeholders we work with. Given its role as a resource, we are committed to keeping our website as clear and navigable as possible. We also started thinking more about the accessibility of our website because of our involvement in the Foundation Practice Rating, which we have been assessed by over the last three years. In this update, written by Stephanie Santiano, our Grants Manager, and Bernie McShane, our Executive Assistant covering maternity leave (who has left the organisation), they outline the changes we have made to the website as a result of the accessibility audit, what we learned as part of this process, and what we are still working on to make the website more accessible. https://lnkd.in/e_JMCFMp #Accessibility #WebsiteAccessibility

*Announcing our new joiner, Alice Thornton* All of us at John Ellerman Foundation are very excited to share that Alice Thornton will be joining us in May 2024 as our new Head of Research and Impact. As Head of Research and Impact she will work closely with our Director, Sufina Ahmad MBE, Trustees and the wider team to drive forward the delivery of our strategy for 2022-25, including through our publicly available Impact Framework and Investment Policy, as well as supporting with the development of future strategies. This role is a vital way in which we can fulfil the ambitions of our strategy, which is to use 100% of our assets, namely our grantmaking, investing and wider operations, in pursuit of our aim to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world. Alice is joining us from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation, where she has been Evaluation and Learning Lead for three funding programmes at Impact on Urban Health since July 2021. Prior to this role, Alice worked as a consultant at the social enterprise Renaisi, specialising in supporting philanthropic funders to learn and understand the impact of their grantmaking. In her time in this role, Alice led multi-year evaluation and learning partnerships for a range of funders including City Bridge Foundation, Power to Change Trust, the National Lottery Community Fund, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Alice is also a volunteer grants coordinator for the LGBTQ Funding Circle, and is Chair of Trustees at Stepney City Farm. She is very excited about the role and the prospect of joining the Foundation and we are all very much looking forward to working with her.