The Jolly Foundation
Setting up a family foundation, without the burden
Planning and registering a 'gold standard' family foundation, with ongoing support.
The context
A UK-based foundation supporting partners overseas, with grantmaking rooted in local leadership, long-term partnership and trust-based philanthropy, including multi-year flexible funding and light-touch reporting.
The challenge
The foundation had always planned to wind down over time, but as it approached that phase, Trustees held differing views on priorities, approach and timing. The board needed support to clarify its intent and re-establish shared purpose, grounded in its values and its responsibilities to long-term partners, through a neutral, structured process that involved every Trustee.
What we did
We designed and facilitated a workshop as part of the Trustees' annual retreat, with significant preparation beforehand:
- One-to-one interviews with each Trustee, alongside document review, to surface the key issues and decision points
- Co-designing the retreat agenda with the CEO and Chair of the board
- Facilitating a safe, structured space for challenging conversations, keeping discussion focused on agreed outcomes
- Turning discussion into clear outputs: a decision log, agreed principles, meeting notes and a practical action plan
The impact
The Trustees reconfirmed the foundation's mission and agreed clear principles for the next stage, leading to a formal decision and timeline the following quarter.
More of our work
ICG
Building a global social mobility programme, without an in-house giving team
Supporting every part of a growing global programme of charitable activity.
Have a challenge like these?
Tell us what you are working on and we will tell you honestly how we can help.