INTERNATIONAL

The Foundation supports international projects run by UK registered charities and deployed in developing countries (as defined by the OECD).

Please note that we do not fund non-UK organisations.

We are currently funding projects in 16 nations across three continents helping to improve the quality of life for people in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The Foundation prioritises charities whose primary focus is health related. If your charity delivers a variety of programmes, however, we will consider an application for your health related programme, if you have one.

If your charity does not have health as its sole or primary focus, and it doesn't have a designated health related programme, we may not be able to support you. Please contact us before applying so that we can advise.

Awards in this category vary greatly in focus and include projects in health education, palliative care, and relief of sickness that are delivered internationally by UK registered charities, with or without an international partner.

We do not prioritise organisations run by volunteers. Please contact us before applying to check your eligibility.

Please note that you will need to demonstrate compliance with Charity Commission guidance for UK charitable organisations working internationally, specifically in relation to safeguarding, as well as with any UK legal and country-specific legal requirements. If you are carrying out your work outside of the UK in collaboration with an international partner, we will ask you to share with us the due diligence you have carried out on your partner charity.

Our funding priorities are under review

Please note that we are reviewing our funding priorities for the International grants programme and we will update this page in late Spring 2025.

For the time being, please do not take examples of past supportas confirmation of eligibility. In particular, we are currently pausing new grants for projects focusing on the following:

Provision of water and sanitation facilities (WASH projects).
Menstrual hygiene and sanitation.

While this may change after the funding priorities review has been completed, ongoing areas of focus include:

Maternal and neonatal health.
Provision of direct healthcare (clinics, medical equipment, etc.)
Training of healthcare professionals.

Average grant size

This is our smallest grant programme with a budget of approximately £90,000 in this financial year.

Grants in this programme are rarely higher than £15,000 and are typically closer to £5,000.

In 2023-24, we awarded 18 grants (2022-23: 24) for a total value of £145,041 (2022-23: £115,487).

In the current financial year (1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025), we have, so far, awarded 5 grants for a total value of £27,000.

HOW TO APPLY

Previous grants

Since 2005, we have awarded over £1.13 million through this funding programme. Here are some examples of recent grants made:

Vision Aid Overseas

Approximately 26.3 million people in Africa have a form of visual impairment. Of these, 20.4 million have low vision and 5.9 million are estimated to be blind. It is estimated that 15.3% of the world's blind population reside in Africa. Vision Aid Overseas work with local Ministries of Health and Education in Ghana, Zambia, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone to establish and deliver sustainable eye care services. Vision Aid Overseas' mission is to enable people in poverty to access affordable glasses and eye care. The James Tudor Foundation has supported clinics in Ethiopia and Sierra Leone through four grants since 2018 and it is clear to us that these services are having a hugely positive impact on the communities they serve.

WONDER Foundation

WONDER Foundation’s mission is to empower women and girls through access to quality education and vocational training in the UK and overseas so they can exit poverty for good. The Foundation is currently involved in a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to increase the number of trained nurses across the country. Currently there are only four nurses for every 10,000 people compared with 150 in the UK, and 75% of children in DRC will die before the age of five. WONDER Foundation has partnered with the Institut Superieur en Sciences Infirmieres (ISSI) in Kinshasa, a prestigious nursing school where 98% of students attain a certified qualification and are employed and doubling their family income within 6 months of graduation. The James Tudor Foundation is currently supporting 6 young women to complete their third and final year at the institution with the hope that they will go on to play a vital role in improving the health of the nation.

Read about our funding programmes here: