Grantmaking for Systemic Change, with Sufina Ahmad of John Ellerman Foundation

Sufina Ahmad, Director of the John Ellerman Foundation, joins Alex Blake to talk through how the Foundation funds change, from its total assets approach through to what actually makes an application stand out. Sufina walks through the Foundation's two-stage application process in detail, including why first-stage success rates are lower but second-stage approvals run close to 90%. She talks candidly about the power dynamic between funders and applicants, why authenticity matters more than telling funders what they think they want to hear, and how rising application numbers led the Foundation to tighten its eligibility criteria rather than close its doors. The conversation also covers the Foundation's approach to responsible and social investment, and how it's redesigning its grant reporting process to get more learning back out to the sector. This episode is a useful listen for anyone applying to UK trusts and foundations, and for funders thinking about how to be clearer with applicants about what they're really looking for.