Welcome
Welcome to the 2024 Impact Report looking back at our impact and activities throughout the year.
Uncertain economic times and rising costs continued to create challenging circumstances for many, but we were delighted to have supported 981 organisations.
This reports highlights the unique way that we delivered impact in both 2024 and previous years. This included building trusted long-term partnerships with charities that add value and build capacity, and benefitting from an engaged SJP community.
Examples of long-term partnerships during 2024 include the continued funding of Dallaglio Rugbyworks, who harness the power of rugby to engage young people facing school exclusion and Tenvous Cancer Care, whose Benefits Advisors help people avoid financial difficulties following a cancer diagnosis.
The strong engagement levels of the SJP community were evident in 2024, not only in their tireless fundraising but in their volunteering efforts, providing added value to charities we funded. From the team that spruced up a garden for a hospice - a venue for disabled children’s dance classes run by Flamingo Chicks, to another that rejuvenated a community garden for PiP, who empower adults with learning disabilities to achieve their ambitions.
While any improvement in people’s lives is worthwhile, external analysis found that an impressive 76% of people directly supported through our 2024 grants reported substantive improvement or transformation.
It is thanks to the generosity and energy of the SJP community and the ongoing commitment of the SJP business, that all of this has been made possible. We are privileged to work with so many amazing charities and along with the whole SJP community, will strive to continue making positive and lasting change to lives.
Andrew Humphries, Chair of Trustees
Lisa Cousins, Head of Foundation
Our year in numbers
Delivering Impact
Supporting emerging stars
One of our strengths is how we support emerging impactful charities with ‘seed funding’ to help them expand their reach and delivery then continuing to support them as they scale. The SJP community has been central in championing these small charities, as well as conducting additional fundraising, offering mentoring and trustee governance.
An example is Hope and Homes for Children which received its first grant from us 20 years ago and which started in a Wiltshire kitchen. The Foundation has worked alongside the charity supporting its growth into a highly successful global movement fighting to bring separated children back to their families. The 2024 multi-year grant was for £140,000.
“Without SJP, we would not be where we are today, transforming the lives of millions and working alongside governments to dismantle orphanage-based care systems.”
Hope and Homes for Children
Our charity partners tell us that they value the way that we provide support and that we are different to other funders. We are seen as flexible, offering fewer restrictions than other large funders, allowing charities to cover crucial ‘less glamorous’ needs, core costs and salaries. External analysis has found significant evidence to demonstrate that we drive long term sector capacity and strengthen charities to weather funding and demand fluctuations.
Developing and embedding services in communities
On some key and underfunded areas, we have both expanded national capacity and supported local delivery. By funding national programmes for research and capacity-building, the sector benefits, while grants to drive local delivery ensure provision where it is needed.
“For 20 years, our partnership has driven forward innovative and pioneering service development in hospices across the UK…It gives us all the courage to be innovative.”
Hospice UK
Improving people’s lives in a lasting way
In 2024 our funding supported 1.5million people facing disadvantage and challenging circumstances. 76% of those directly supported reported substantive improvement or transformation in their lives.
People are part of our unique offering too – the power of an engaged SJP community is delivered through volunteering, fundraising, or referring organisations to be considered for a grant. In return SJP community members gain skills, have improved wellbeing and benefit from being supported to contribute to their local community and the causes they care about. 87% say being involved with the Foundation has made a difference to them personally.
PiP works together with adults with learning disabilities and differences to achieve their ambitions, gain skills and opportunities for independence and live a life of their choice.
Further value was added to the Foundation’s 2024 grant when a team from SJP volunteered their time to the London-based charity.
Who we supported
In 2024 we continued to fund across the four main themes of children and young people, cancer, mental health, and hospice care, focusing on activities that delivered support for individuals and communities most in need.
Charities were able to apply for funding through our streamlined grant making process, ensuring that Foundation funding was accessible to local, regional, and national charities.
Children and Young people continue to be a significant beneficiary of our funding. We direct our support to charities that focus on delivering impactful programmes to address social and economic disadvantage, and provide support for children and young people living with a disability.
Stories
One in four people experience a mental health issue and three times as many children are in contact with mental health services than seven years ago.
Our funding has helped charities to meet the growing demand for support by scaling up services and improving access to the right support.
Stories
Each year 400,000 people are diagnosed with cancer, but while the NHS focuses on clinical care, charities are who individuals and families turn to for wider information and support when they receive this devastating news.
Our funding focuses on supporting services for people to live well with cancer, and for them and their loved ones to be informed and empowered.
Stories
300,000 people receive hospice care in the UK each year but with increasing financial pressures, one in five hospices has been forced to cut services.
We have been able to provide vital funding to help expand capacity across the national network of hospices, together with directly supporting local hospices.
Stories
Local Office Allowances
The 669 Local Office Allowance grants chosen by our different locations, made up 7 out of 10 of our grants in 2024. Although modest in value, the depth of impact of these regional grants is significant.
Stories
Looking to the future
Our funding is only made possible thanks to the generosity of St. James’s Place and the unwavering support of its employees, advisers, and wider community. As the Foundation enters its next strategic period, we plan to build on the legacy of the last three decades to extend our reach and deepen the impact of our funding.
Charities continue to face many challenges, and we are committed to doing our very best to listen to our charity partners and deliver what they need. This will see us developing our Partnership+ model to provide a combination of both funding and capacity strengthening opportunities to enable transformational change for people and communities.