Cripplegate Foundation

The foundation funds a wide range of work including poverty relief, food insecurity, social isolation, mental health and wellbeing, disability support, independent advice, family support, women's empowerment, and community-led initiatives. It prioritises preventative, person-centred, and trauma-informed approaches, backing grassroots services such as counselling, peer support groups, befriending, advocacy, drop-in centres, and helplines. Its work is hyper-local, concentrating on Islington's most deprived wards and supporting organisations led by or closely connected to the communities they serve.

Cripplegate Foundation supports organisations including registered charities and community groups operating within the London Borough of Islington, with a particular focus on the most deprived wards. It prioritises organisations that are led by or closely connected to the communities they serve, and that demonstrate strong community ties, beneficiary involvement, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and climate responsibility. The foundation does not fund individuals, except through specific programmes such as the Catalyst Programme.

The foundation does not fund capital projects, building works, general appeals, debt repayment, or individuals. It also steers away from top-down or duplicative efforts that lack clear community impact, and does not support work that is not local to Islington.

Cripplegate Foundation favours evidence-led, partnership-driven grantmaking that supports preventative, person-centred, and trauma-informed approaches. It funds grassroots services and is committed to systemic solutions and policy advocacy informed by local insight. Unsolicited applications are welcome, and the foundation operates a number of programmes, including the Disability Fund and the Crisis and Resilience Fund, each with its own focus.