St John's Foundation Est. 1174

St John’s Foundation, established in 1174 by Bishop Reginald Fitz Jocelin, is one of the UK and Europe’s oldest continuously operating charities, rooted in Bath and dedicated to alleviating poverty, disadvantage, and crisis among local residents. Its enduring mission—"Changing lives. For good."—embodies compassion, community, and social justice, evolving from historic almshouses to modern grantmaking and direct services funded by a substantial endowment of Bath properties and investments. Eschewing external fundraising, it prioritizes proactive, partnership-led interventions with proven impact, fostering systemic change through deep ties with over 60 local organizations and a 97% success rate in outcomes.

The foundation targets three strategic priorities: the Best Start in Life programme to close primary school attainment gaps for disadvantaged children by 2029 via education, family support, free meals, and literacy initiatives; supported housing and wellbeing services for older adults (65+) facing financial need or isolation; and rapid crisis relief for individuals/families in acute hardship due to poverty, ill health, disability, or emergencies. It funds outcome-focused projects like mental health support for youth, social activities for seniors, academic catch-ups, and emergency essentials, emphasizing root-cause solutions over short-term aid.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and community groups with established delivery capacity, strictly serving Bath and North East Somerset residents; micro-groups or newcomers are rarely funded independently. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—grantmaking occurs proactively via pre-selected strategic partners. Almshouse residency and crisis referrals (under £1,000) require direct contact or recognized referrers, with ad hoc panel meetings. Typical organizational grants range £10,000–£250,000+ annually or multi-year, without fixed deadlines or income thresholds, distinguishing it as an endowment-driven, hyper-local anchor institution innovating on 850-year-old principles.