Since its inception, Cripplegate has held a permanent endowment which is invested to allow the Foundation to meet its charitable objectives, which it does by providing grant funding to organisations that are successful in applying for money. This endowment is held in both properties and cash and invested in different ways in order to obtain a regular annual income in order to meet our obligations. The greater part of our endowment is invested with two investment managers, both of which have a remit to generate a steady income return, whilst at the same time doing this in an ethical way that is not in conflict with our goals. Further information can be found in our annual reports, here. 

In 2010, Cripplegate Foundation brought together local and national organisations to establish Islington Giving. Cripplegate Foundation chairs the board of Islington Giving, which has raised over £9 million since 2010. We manage and finance all the operational work underpinning Islington Giving, meaning 100% of donations to Islington Giving are awarded as grants to benefit local residents.

Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving have a small, passionate, and talented staff team. Cripplegate Foundation is overseen by 15 Governors (equivalent to trustees) who make a huge contribution to our success, and Islington Giving has its own board which includes representatives from leading coalition partners.

Read more about our work with Islington Giving

Sometimes, but we will always prioritise funding for local charities based in Islington. Consideration will be given to other charities not based in the borough or those with national headquarters in Islington when there are no local alternatives and/or the organisation can offer a better service/more value for money to local residents.

No; we do not directly fund individuals. Cripplegate supports individuals through our partner programmes; RSS and Catalyst who distribute the funds on our behalf.  To read more please visit our Funding page.

As well as awarding grants, Cripplegate Foundation offers a range of resources to Islington’s residents and voluntary organisations which you can read more about here. This includes:

• Office space – visit our booking page for more details.
• Our Networks – Our staff, networks and advisors provide wider support to local voluntary organisations. This ranges from attending events, providing advice, networking groups, sitting on project advisory boards and leadership groups and communicating grant partners’ work.
• Our Partnerships – We are founding partner of Islington Giving, and contribute staff time and resources to underpin the work of London’s first borough-based local giving initiative. The work of Islington Giving reaches thousands of local people, and enjoins the support of hundreds of volunteers each year. To read more about Islington Giving.
• Advice & Support – We support an Advice Partnership in the borough that supports local people with practical and hands-on advice. We also contribute to Islington’s Resident Support Scheme (RSS), managed by Islington Council.
• How Not What – our Development Partner programme involves six organisations in Islington who believe it’s not just what we do that really matters, but HOW we do it. We have a shared website with a wealth of resources, including ideas, films, training resources and conversation-starters with anyone who wants to embed this practice in their own work.

As Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving are small organisations, we don’t frequently run recruitment exercises for new staff or board members, but when we do so, we usually manage the recruitment internally. We value diversity, equity and inclusion, and when we do recruit, applications are encouraged and welcomed from all, and from underrepresented backgrounds in particular, including but not limited to gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and religion. We apply what is considered good recruitment practice from professional sector bodies in the design and delivery of any recruitment process, from the development of the criteria for the role, information pack and application form, to the long and short-listing process, interviews, feedback, onboarding and induction.

Our application processes, criteria and timelines are open and transparent, with all details publicised on our website and social media channels, as well as being shared with local partners and on national recruitment websites. Potential applicants are always welcome to ring or email for an informal chat before applying or during the application process, and we keep applicants informed of the progress of their application throughout the process. We will also provide feedback on unsuccessful applications if desired.