We aim to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK.
Turner Contemporary
Our Natural World
We want to ensure that our natural world is restored and protected and that people benefit from that recovery. Working with others, we will contribute to three key impact goals: preserved and improved species health and habitats, clean and healthy freshwater, and sustainable and ethical food.
Find out more
A Fairer Future
We want to contribute to a socially just and anti-racist society, where people have their rights protected, as well as the opportunity to speak and be heard, and the freedom to express their creativity. And across all our work in A Fairer Future, we are keen to support organisations led by the people they serve.
Find out more
Creative, Confident Communities
We want to strengthen the bonds in communities, helping local people to build vibrant, confident places where they can fulfil their creative, human and economic potential. Places where the local economy works better for the people who live there, where there is equality of access to arts and culture, and where communities are at the heart of change.
Find out moreOur impact
-
£1,020.5m
Total grants made since 1961
-
£48.8m
Funding spend in 2024
-
£60m
Allocation to social investment
-
66%
Grants for core or unrestricted costs in 2024
-
About Esmée
Learn about our people, our governance and history as well as our approach to investment and see our annual reports.
Find out more -
Our aims
Learn more about our impact goals and priorities for the next five years. We also share insights and learning as well as information about what we fund.
Find out more -
Our support
Working in collaboration with others, we use all our tools to achieve our shared goals and to effect broader change. Learn more about our range of tools and support.
Find out more
-
Open and trusting grant-making
Learn about our commitments to open and trusting grant-making, which is part of a campaign launched by the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR).
Find out more -
Involving young people
We want to do better at listening to and involving young people more directly with our work so we're working with the Involving Young People Collective to help us design and test ways in which we can do this.
Find out more
You might be interested in
-
18 December 2025Esmée staff and Trustee diversity data 2025
Analysis from the 2025 diversity survey of Esmée Trustees and staff to help us track progress on diversity, equity and inclusion within the organisation.
Read more -
Reimagining leadership in the environment sector webinar, 29 January
Join us for a webinar on 29 January with Common Purpose and Makani Cambridge who have been leading work to reimagine leadership in the environment sector to support a more diverse and equitable sector. We'll also be sharing more about next steps and how you can get involved.
Read more -
Learning from Esmée’s Blue Spaces programme: Webinar on 11 December
Watch a webinar we held on 11 December to explore learning from Esmée's Blue Spaces programme, which was established to support communities to take action to improve their local freshwaters.
Read more -
Pre-application Q&A webinar: 5 February 2026
We're hosting a pre-application Q&A webinar on 5 February at 2pm to 3.15pm for organisations interested in applying to Esmée for support who have questions about our application process or guidance.
Read more