The London Evening Standard established the Dispossessed Fund in 2010 to support communities across the capital. As well as shining a light on issues affecting Londoners, from food poverty to gang violence to the conditions on London's estates, the Dispossessed Fund's regular campaigns highlight the fantastic work that local charities are doing to help, and raise millions from readers and campaign partners. So far, the Fund has distributed nearly £15 million in 1,324 grants and £7 million to beneficiaries from the 2017 Grenfell appeal. The Fund also has an endowment of nearly £4 million, invested to provide a sustainable source of funding for years to come.
LCF plays a variety of roles in this partnership. As well as designing the grant programmes and managing the application and grantmaking processes for the Dispossessed Fund, LCF coordinates the additional funding partners for each new Dispossessed Fund campaign, manages donations into the Dispossessed Fund, and supports a panel of decision-makers who advise on its grants.
Each year, the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund focuses on a particular theme, which has previously included supporting young people out of gang activity, funding estate communities through the Estates programme and supporting organisations repurposing surplus food to provide for those facing food insecurity in London.
Evening Standard Corona Crisis Appeal: Food for London NOW
On 27 March, the Evening Standard launched an appeal to fund the delivery of desperately needed food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners unable to afford food or are confined to home and at high risk of losing their lives from catching the coronavirus. Monies raised will go to their campaign partner, The Felix Project, London’s biggest food surplus distributor, who are part of a coordinated food distribution effort taking place across London.
To spearhead the appeal, and with immediate effect, a £350,000 grant from the endowment of the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund has been sanctioned to help fund The Felix Project at this unprecedented time.
Donate to the appeal here
Since founding the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund in 2010, we have raised record-breaking sums to help grassroots charities tackling poverty, inequality and social exclusion across the capital. The Standard’s initiation of ground-breaking social justice campaigns has been in perfect sync with the goals of The London Community Foundation and together we have formed a unique and formidable partnership - mobilising Londoners, dispensing grants and empowering local heroes to tackle the important issues year on year in their communities.David Cohen, investigations and campaigns editor on the London Evening Standard