Tap Foundation

The Tap Foundation, a UK-registered charitable incorporated organisation established in March 2018 by trustees Ross Jones, Conor Prendergast, and Simon Monaghan, serves as the grant-making arm of TAP London—a volunteer-led social enterprise founded by Polly Gilbert and Katie Whitlock to combat rising homelessness in London. Its mission is to relieve poverty and homelessness among adults and young people rough sleeping or at risk in Greater London, channeling funds raised through innovative contactless technology and online campaigns in partnership with the Greater London Authority. Guided by values of social equity, dignity, community empowerment, low overheads, transparency, and unrestricted support, it connects generous donors directly to frontline services for maximum, timely impact.

The Foundation funds essential interventions like emergency shelter, legal aid, counselling, practical outreach, and crisis support, primarily through pre-selected partners in the London Homeless Collective—such as Crisis, St Mungo’s, and the Connection at St Martin’s—emphasizing unrestricted grants for core costs and rapid, measurable relief during campaigns like the Mayor’s Winter Giving Appeal.

Eligible applicants are strictly UK-registered charities delivering frontline homelessness services in Greater London, with a preference for medium-to-large established organisations demonstrating high-impact capacity; small grassroots groups are rarely supported outside core networks. Funding is invite-only—no unsolicited applications are accepted—with trustees making decisions internally on a rolling basis tied to fundraising cycles, and no fixed deadlines.

Typical grants range from £5,000 to £50,000 per charity per campaign, varying with public donations. It excludes non-London projects, causes beyond poverty/homelessness relief, project-specific or capital grants, and lacks open calls, distinguishing itself through tech-driven, donor-responsive funding that ensures agile, community-aligned distributions to proven local providers.