Mayor's Fund for London

The Mayor's Fund for London is an independent, non-partisan charity established in 2008 with the patronage of the Mayor of London, dedicated to tackling poverty and inequality among children and young people aged 4-24 from low-income backgrounds across Greater London. Its mission centers on championing opportunities for economic disadvantage through impactful programmes in healthy food access, wellbeing, high-quality education, employability, and youth engagement, guided by core values of inclusion, empowerment, collaboration, and evidence-led practice. Distinctive for its City Hall roots yet structural independence via an autonomous board, it blends hands-on programme design, risk-taking innovation, and partnerships to scale promising models for social mobility.

It prioritises practical interventions addressing food insecurity (e.g., holiday meal schemes), skills and employability pathways, education enhancements like numeracy, literacy, mentoring, and resilience-building, plus sport-led initiatives via the Go! London Foundation Fund to boost health, social connection, and opportunities in deprived areas. Beneficiaries are primarily underserved young Londoners facing risks from deprivation, race, disability, or exclusion, delivered through not-for-profits, schools, grassroots sports clubs, and community groups.

Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities, community groups, and academic institutions delivering directly in high-deprivation London boroughs, with strong preference for small organisations under £500,000 annual income; no religious restrictions apply. Typical grants range from £2,000-£30,000 (up to £100,000 for consortia), supporting project delivery, core costs, and capacity-building. Applications start with an online eligibility quiz or Expression of Interest, progressing to full forms in round-based deadlines (e.g., Foundation Fund: 15 Sep 2025; 2-3 rounds yearly), with decisions in 2-8 weeks. It excludes non-London work and non-youth focus, standing out for its targeted, outcomes-driven youth investments and corporate/public collaborations.