Foundation Partnerships seeks to partner with Foundations from the UK and around the world whose interests are compatible with the School’s strategic aims. The team develops long term and sustainable partnerships with large strategic Foundations. This work focuses on LSE’s most pressing needs as identified by the leadership of the School, the Faculty Advisory Committee on Advancement, senior faculty and other departments.
Making connections
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Researching a pool of known foundations globally, the team monitor organisations whose interests are aligned with priority LSE activity. The team subscribe to news and information channels about global foundation philanthropy to identify new foundations and developing areas of interest
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Connecting leadership to Divisions, Departments, Centres and other units to the staff and philanthropic objects of the world’s largest charitable Foundations
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Coordinating visits from Foundations into LSE and leadership and senior faculty visits out to Foundations (mainly in the UK, USA, Europe)
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Developing relationships and dialogue with key Foundations in the UK and globally both inside and outside of the grant making cycle
How we work
We work with departments and centres to identify key projects and priorities for funding, we then match these needs with foundations and apply accordingly. We do this through proactively developing relationships with foundations as well as responding to calls for proposals. There is a designated contact within the Foundation Partnerships team for academic departments, research centres, other institutional initiatives and support departments.
Regardless of us having an active proposal pending, we work to ensure that we maintain active relationships with foundations, because it is important that we continually steward relationships with foundations. We prepare reports and ensure that relevant foundation representatives are engaged through general and bespoke events. We also support academics with the ethical review process.
Examples of who we work with
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Pew Charitable Trusts: supports research in LSE Health on point-of-care diagnostics.
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Stiftung Mercator: supported the Dahrendorf Symposium in Berlin in 2011, now supporting Post-Doctoral Fellows and research on climate change.
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Open Society Institute: supports research into media, international drug-control and media revolutions following the Arab spring.
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Griffins Society: supports research opportunities for professionals working in and around the penal system.
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Nathan Cummings Foundation: supported the Hartwell project on approaches to global climate change policy.
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Firoz and Najma Lalji Charitable Foundation: supported LSE’s bespoke intensive executive training course for emerging African leaders.
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Mo Ibrahim Foundation: supported workshops for African policy makers, practitioners and academics working on the measurement of good governance and role of civil society.
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Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy: partnered LSE to establish the School’s Middle East Centre, headed by Professor Fawaz Gerges.
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Frederick Bonnart Braunthal Trust: supports LSE PhD fellowships on research into combating intolerance across disciplines.
Business Partnerships
Business Partnerships are responsible for building upon existing research partnerships with industry, and developing new ones. We cultivate strong relationships with business and corporate entities, serving as a portal to help connect them up with the full range of possible ways they may wish to engage with the School, including philanthropy. We work closely with academics and professional services staff to identify and engage with companies with shared research interests, manage new and existing collaborations – including engagement events, proposal writing and budgeting – and navigate relevant School policies and procedures for working with the private sector.