Meet our trustees
Mary Ann Sieghart
Mary Ann Sieghart
Mary Ann Sieghart is a journalist, broadcaster and author of The Authority Gap: Why We Still Take Women Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It. She was at The Times for nearly 20 years, as Assistant Editor, Comment Editor, Arts Editor and political columnist, and has also worked at the FT, The Economist and The Independent as well as presenting programmes on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service. She has been a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and is currently a Visiting Professor at King’s College London and a director of Guardian Media Group. She has chaired the Social Market Foundation think tank and the North Fulham New Deal for Communities and was a trustee of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Radcliffe Trust. Mary Ann joined the Foundation in 2023.
You might be interested in
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27 February 2025Racial justice: A review of Esmée's approach
Following a listening exercise with organisations we fund who are led by communities experiencing racial inequity, we’re pleased to share a new report by Chrisann Jarrett reviewing our approach to racial justice. We’ve also shared our initial reflections and actions we plan to take in 2025.
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A message from Caroline Mason
Read a message of support from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation's Chief Executive, Caroline Mason.
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion: progress in 2024
A summary of key actions we have taken during 2024 to make progress on our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Who our funding is reaching 2024
Who our funding is reaching is our annual report based on diversity data gathered from applicants based on the DEI Data Standard. This page shares analysis from data collected in 2024. It also covers geographic areas served and the governance structure of organisations funded.
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Funder Commitment on Climate Change: 2024
Read our 2024 update on our work towards the six goals of the Funder Commitment on Climate Change.
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The RACE Report 2024: Esmée’s progress
The third annual RACE (Racial Action for the Climate Emergency) Report shares findings on the diversity of environment organisations and funders including Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. We share our initial reflections and plans to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environment sector.
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Overview of grant funding 2024
Find an overview of the grants we made in 2024, broken down by type of support, amount awarded, and by aim and funding priority. We also share success rates for applications in 2024.
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Pre-application Q&A Webinar: 3 February 2025
Watch a pre-application Q&A webinar we held on 3 February 2025 for organisations interested in applying to Esmée for support who have questions about our application process or guidance.
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Supporting marine restoration and communities to take action
In a second blog about our work for healthy seas, Esmée’s Funding Manager, Morven Robertson, highlights some of the projects we’re supporting through our space for nature priority – from large scale marine and coastal restoration and attracting the finance needed for it, to coastal communities taking action, and improving the diversity of the marine sector.
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Fishing in Tandem with Nature: Our work so far
Esmée’s Funding Manager, Morven Robertson, shares the first of two blogs exploring our work and plans to support healthy seas. She highlights some of the projects we’ve supported towards our fishing in tandem with nature priority, from reducing overfishing to protecting marine habitats, and supporting more equitable fisheries.
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The new Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund
Alison Holdom, a Funding Manager Lead in Esmée’s Creative, Confident Communities team, writes about the new Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund, how it’s evolved, and our long-running partnership with the Museums Association.
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Supporting healthy seas: overview of our work so far
See an infographic with an overview of our support so far towards healthy seas, covering 2020 to 2024.
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How we’re using AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools
Learn about how we’re using AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot to support our work and what this means for people and organisations we work with. We also share our thoughts on organisations using AI in their work – including funding applications.
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New Connections funding: behind the scenes and reflections so far
Chebet Kuntai, Esmée’s Climate and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Co-ordinator, writes about the development of New Connections along with how we identified and reached out to organisations to support.
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New Connections: timeline and overview to date
See an infographic with a timeline for Esmée Fairbairn Foundation's New Connections programme, alongside an overview of the organisations funded.
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A thematic approach to impact investing
With the launch of Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s first deep dive into thematic impact investing, our Head of Social and Impact Investment, Jonny Page outlines our thematic approach to impact investing.
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Sustainable food and agriculture: Investment deep dive
We're excited to share our first deep dive into thematic impact investing, which focuses on sustainable food and agriculture.
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Esmée staff and Trustee diversity data 2024
Analysis from the annual survey of Esmée Trustees and staff to help us track progress on diversity, equity and inclusion within the organisation.
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Freshwater mid-strategy review: Invitation to tender
We are looking to work with an external consultant from to carry out a short review to inform how we deliver our strategy for Freshwater.
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Pre-application Q&A Creative, Confident Communities: 14 November 2024
Watch our pre-application Q&A webinar for organisations interested in our support for Creative, Confident Communities, and hear the team talk through our updated guidance.
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Creative, Confident Communities: Update to our grant funding guidance
We have updated our grant funding guidance for support towards our funding priorities in Creative, Confident Communities.
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New 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Invitation to Tender: Review of diversity, equity and inclusion support received through Funding Plus
We are looking for a researcher to review the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) support received through Funding Plus.
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Place Matters to research Esmée's place-led funding
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has commissioned Place Matters to research the impact of our place-led funding pilots: Every One, Every Day in Barking and Dagenham (Participatory City Foundation), Plymouth Octopus Project in Plymouth, and Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations in Sandwell.
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Blue Spaces programme: highlights and learning so far
Esmée’s Freshwater Partnerships Development Manager, Jenny Wheeldon, shares an update on our Blue Spaces programme. Launched in early 2023, learn more about the brilliant organisations and activities being supported through the programme, along with highlights from what we have learnt so far.
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Designing a Senior Leadership Development programme for People of Colour in the Environment sector
Invitation to Tender: We're looking to work with a consultant to support the co-design of a senior leadership programme for people of colour in the environment sector.
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Our support and solidarity
To all the organisations and people we fund, we want to offer further support, encouragement, and flexibility at this time of racist violence and threat from the far right.
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