We are a small foundation with ten years to make a difference in early childhood. Our Reflections share our hypotheses and approaches to making the most of the assets and constraints that we have as a philanthropist working towards systemic change. By learning and sharing as we go along, we hope to continuously improve our practice and build on our impact.
My four-year old daughter is a big crafter. I would say, without any mum-bias at all, that she is a creative visionary. She spots that seemingly separate objects – leaves, an old bill, a straw, a screw, paints and pom-poms – can be brought together into works of artistic masterpiece. Over time, and trial and […]
Systems glue: supporting multi-sector collaborations for impact Learn more
Systems are complex, but systemic change strategies needn’t be. Early childhood inequality, like so many social issues, is shaped by a multitude of interlinked and evolving forces. The temptation for those aiming to drive positive systemic change is to meet this very real complexity with complex strategies for action. Strategies that try to capture all
How we think about early childhood systems (right now) Learn more
Ethos Foundation operates using a spend down endowment – a pot of capital donated by the foundation’s founder Grant in 2021 to tackle UK child poverty. This endowment has a mandate to be completely spent by 2036. In 2025, Ethos Foundation was eleven years out from its endowment spend-down deadline, and we spent time forming our final (and only)
Over four million children in the UK live in poverty. Between now and 2036, I want to help tackle this unacceptable inequality. I come from a family business background, and my late uncle, who was the chairman, felt very strongly that we owed something to the communities where we worked. These communities were vital to
Our founder’s story: why early years, why the UK, why now Learn more
