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
-
£971.7m
Total grants made since 1961
-
£58.4m
Funding spend in 2023
-
£60m
Allocation to social investment
-
70%
Grants for core or unrestricted costs in 2023
-
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
-
04 November 2024New Connections: 20 organisations awarded a total of £1.4m
At the end of last year, we announced New Connections, a new ringfenced fund for finding and supporting organisations who could not, or would not, usually apply to Esmée. We’re pleased now to share more about the organisations who have been awarded funding.
Read more -
Invitation to Tender: Learning Partner for Youth-Led Creativity programme
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is looking to appoint a Learning Partner to co-design a Learning Programme for our Youth-Led Creativity programme.
Read more -
Youth-Led Creativity: 10 organisations awarded funding
We're excited to announce the 10 organisations awarded Youth-Led Creativity funding, totalling £1.1m. Organisations will also be supported through a Learning Programme, which will run alongside the funding, and will be co-designed with them and Esmée's Involving Young People Collective.
Read more -
Pre-application Q&A webinar: 23 September 2024
Watch a pre-application Q&A webinar we held on 23 September 2024 for organisations interested in applying to Esmée for support who have questions about our application process or guidance.
Read more