Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation is one of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK. Our vision is a just society in which everyone, especially young people, can realise their full potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives. Our mission is to be an effective and independent funder, using all our resources to create opportunities and support social change. We partner with inspiring organisations and individuals to make sure that people facing disadvantage are at the heart of leading change and designing solutions to overcome inequality.
Overview
Total reviews: 5
Median 12 hours
Latest Reviews
Mar 12, 2026
Other - applied in 2025
the application was fine, but rejection email should be a bit more considerate and perhaps avoid saying do not apply for another 12 months. the applicant is already disappointed and this seems to rub salt in the wounds. if someone decides to apply again this would already be in the guidance document so does not need to be said in the email of rejection
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Other
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Dec 8, 2025
applied in 2025
I would seriously question whether it is worth spending precious organisational time working up projects and applying. It appears that you need to answer questions they don't actually ask at first stage application in order to get through to second stage, as well as the questions they do, within a word count that is completely unrealistic. (I am not by any means inexperienced!)
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Poor
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Average
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Please think about making it clear what the exact questions you would like answered are in the application form, and giving enough word count for people to include the level of detail you require. It is so time consuming, wasteful of charity resources, and demoralising to be effectively told that you did not accurately guess what the question was looking for (which the feedback said was something slightly different than the question actually asked), and that you did not put enough detail on answers where the word limit made it literally impossible to do so. It feels a bit like applicants are being tested on how good their guessing skills are, and being set up to fail.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Average
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Dec 5, 2025
applied in 2025
Whilst I fully appreciate the need for applicants to be able to succinctly and convincingly convey the essence and complexities of a project proposal, the tight restrictions on the word count for most sections (first round application process) make it very difficult to adequately convey the scope, partnerships, iterative relationships with teachers and leaders in partner schools, the professional learning programme to be offered and intended outcomes for schools, leaders, teachers and of course their pupils.
Fitting my text to the word count took the vast majority of the time in completing the grant application and I was aware that I could not include key information - which I hoped would be possible if successful in reaching the second round.
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
The guidelines were very clear and for these I would tick the excellent option. But the limitations on the word counts (as referred to in my previous answer) mean that I decided to tick the average option.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?
I'd like to note that I very much appreciated the feedback on my first round application, which will be helpful in informing future funding proposals. Thank you.
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Nov 3, 2025
Other - applied in 2025
Build a rapport with a Grants Manager so make sure you put in for that enquiry call, and engage with the Grants Managers if you need anything clarified as you undertake the application process.
Review their strategy as it has been revised. Consider the language they are using as their outlook has shifted. Then, have a look at who else they are funding to get a picture on how they are implementing their strategy.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Risk taker
Culturally sensitive
Insightful
Friendly
Builds relationships
Likes site visits
Understands nonprofits and issues
Openminded
Responsive
Cons
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Grant currently pending
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Other
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
Despite some issues with their new platform, it has not been difficult to get support when I was unclear on how to access the full application. They were very keen to put me in contact with their support team to get the help I needed.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
For migration, I think this funder is leading the way in the philanthropic space. It really is setting the tone for others, which some are following. This is a really positive step considering migration is one of the most maligned issues out there at the moment. It's great that we have a champion in the funder field like this.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
This funder is really open to new initiatives and visioning. They are willing to introduce or encourage you to build relationships with other funders too to support you with your mission.
They're also really willing to hear about general concerns that you may hold about things happening in the sector that may impact them or their grantees. They want to learn from those on the ground on what's happening, and also who they should connect with in other social justice circles.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
It is incredibly helpful to be able to download questions to be able to answer these offline to the application portal. While all the questions were the same, there seemed to be extra ones in the downloaded questions than on the portal in the financial section. This caused a little confusion, and a bit of a worry that I was missing a page. It would be great to make sure these marry up to avoid any worries like this.
It would be great to have some more clarifying/ FAQ for the application process and questions itself just to make it a little simpler.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Jul 23, 2025
applied in 2025
PHF staff are approachable to ask for advice but can make mistakes.
PHF's interests are extremely narrow, so be careful to ensure that the work you do is exactly what they are looking for. If you feel that what they are looking for is quite precise and that it's not exactly what you deliver, it may not be worth applying. Some of what they are looking for may also seem unreasonable or unrealistic. Don't be afraid to decide that it's not worth it.
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
While PHF's staff were accessible and approachable, they mistakenly sent us the wrong deadline. Even the incorrect deadline they sent was unreasonably tight and demanded a number of staff postponing other work in order to complete the stage 2 application in such little time. Their feedback suggests an even narrower set of interests than their guidance, some of which seems unrealistic to the people delivering the work on the ground (e.g. the level of school staff involvement), or seems so specific as to force organisations to change what they do (e.g. curriculum-focused, teacher-led, in-school-time, but not statutory requirement).
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Average
I imagine it's successful in accomplishing its goals, since its goals seem to be extremely narrowly defined. Whether that's a good thing, however, is less clear to me.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
PHF engages seriously with your application, asking pointed and specific questions that demonstrate that they understand what you're doing. However, some of these seem a bit repetitive, and overall PHF's interests were ultimately too narrow for us.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Try to be open-minded about what good work might look like. Currently, your interests are extremely narrow and unrealistic, but your offer of vital multi-year funding means many organisations still feel it's worth applying - when in reality, it's a waste of their valuable time.
When you set very narrow parameters for what kind of thing you're looking to fund, you are not finding organisations who align with your interests. What you're actually doing is incentivising organisations to change what they do, in order to access your funding. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - in fact it might be your strategy - but it probably means that organisations are doing things that they aren't experts in, in order to satisfy your requirements.
Further, your aims are so narrow as to barely exist: curriculum-focused, in school time, delivered by teachers, but not statutory requirement - this is almost self-defeating.
Finally, we are working at a time where schools are telling us that they simply have no money for anything - to the extent that many are making teaching staff redundant. The idea that teachers will have the time or the headspace to work on co-designing or co-delivering arts-based learning programmes during school time is, - in the region we work in, at least - completely and wildly unrealistic.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Poor
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Mar 12, 2026
Other - applied in 2025
the application was fine, but rejection email should be a bit more considerate and perhaps avoid saying do not apply for another 12 months. the applicant is already disappointed and this seems to rub salt in the wounds. if someone decides to apply again this would already be in the guidance document so does not need to be said in the email of rejection
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Other
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Dec 8, 2025
applied in 2025
I would seriously question whether it is worth spending precious organisational time working up projects and applying. It appears that you need to answer questions they don't actually ask at first stage application in order to get through to second stage, as well as the questions they do, within a word count that is completely unrealistic. (I am not by any means inexperienced!)
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Poor
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Average
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Please think about making it clear what the exact questions you would like answered are in the application form, and giving enough word count for people to include the level of detail you require. It is so time consuming, wasteful of charity resources, and demoralising to be effectively told that you did not accurately guess what the question was looking for (which the feedback said was something slightly different than the question actually asked), and that you did not put enough detail on answers where the word limit made it literally impossible to do so. It feels a bit like applicants are being tested on how good their guessing skills are, and being set up to fail.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Average
Dec 5, 2025
applied in 2025
Whilst I fully appreciate the need for applicants to be able to succinctly and convincingly convey the essence and complexities of a project proposal, the tight restrictions on the word count for most sections (first round application process) make it very difficult to adequately convey the scope, partnerships, iterative relationships with teachers and leaders in partner schools, the professional learning programme to be offered and intended outcomes for schools, leaders, teachers and of course their pupils.
Fitting my text to the word count took the vast majority of the time in completing the grant application and I was aware that I could not include key information - which I hoped would be possible if successful in reaching the second round.
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
The guidelines were very clear and for these I would tick the excellent option. But the limitations on the word counts (as referred to in my previous answer) mean that I decided to tick the average option.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?
I'd like to note that I very much appreciated the feedback on my first round application, which will be helpful in informing future funding proposals. Thank you.
Nov 3, 2025
Other - applied in 2025
Build a rapport with a Grants Manager so make sure you put in for that enquiry call, and engage with the Grants Managers if you need anything clarified as you undertake the application process.
Review their strategy as it has been revised. Consider the language they are using as their outlook has shifted. Then, have a look at who else they are funding to get a picture on how they are implementing their strategy.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Risk taker
Culturally sensitive
Insightful
Friendly
Builds relationships
Likes site visits
Understands nonprofits and issues
Openminded
Responsive
Cons
Pros
Cons
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Grant currently pending
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Other
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
Despite some issues with their new platform, it has not been difficult to get support when I was unclear on how to access the full application. They were very keen to put me in contact with their support team to get the help I needed.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
For migration, I think this funder is leading the way in the philanthropic space. It really is setting the tone for others, which some are following. This is a really positive step considering migration is one of the most maligned issues out there at the moment. It's great that we have a champion in the funder field like this.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
This funder is really open to new initiatives and visioning. They are willing to introduce or encourage you to build relationships with other funders too to support you with your mission. They're also really willing to hear about general concerns that you may hold about things happening in the sector that may impact them or their grantees. They want to learn from those on the ground on what's happening, and also who they should connect with in other social justice circles.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
It is incredibly helpful to be able to download questions to be able to answer these offline to the application portal. While all the questions were the same, there seemed to be extra ones in the downloaded questions than on the portal in the financial section. This caused a little confusion, and a bit of a worry that I was missing a page. It would be great to make sure these marry up to avoid any worries like this. It would be great to have some more clarifying/ FAQ for the application process and questions itself just to make it a little simpler.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Jul 23, 2025
applied in 2025
PHF staff are approachable to ask for advice but can make mistakes.
PHF's interests are extremely narrow, so be careful to ensure that the work you do is exactly what they are looking for. If you feel that what they are looking for is quite precise and that it's not exactly what you deliver, it may not be worth applying. Some of what they are looking for may also seem unreasonable or unrealistic. Don't be afraid to decide that it's not worth it.
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Applied and not funded
If you were funded tell us the outcome
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
While PHF's staff were accessible and approachable, they mistakenly sent us the wrong deadline. Even the incorrect deadline they sent was unreasonably tight and demanded a number of staff postponing other work in order to complete the stage 2 application in such little time. Their feedback suggests an even narrower set of interests than their guidance, some of which seems unrealistic to the people delivering the work on the ground (e.g. the level of school staff involvement), or seems so specific as to force organisations to change what they do (e.g. curriculum-focused, teacher-led, in-school-time, but not statutory requirement).
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Average
I imagine it's successful in accomplishing its goals, since its goals seem to be extremely narrowly defined. Whether that's a good thing, however, is less clear to me.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
PHF engages seriously with your application, asking pointed and specific questions that demonstrate that they understand what you're doing. However, some of these seem a bit repetitive, and overall PHF's interests were ultimately too narrow for us.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Try to be open-minded about what good work might look like. Currently, your interests are extremely narrow and unrealistic, but your offer of vital multi-year funding means many organisations still feel it's worth applying - when in reality, it's a waste of their valuable time. When you set very narrow parameters for what kind of thing you're looking to fund, you are not finding organisations who align with your interests. What you're actually doing is incentivising organisations to change what they do, in order to access your funding. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - in fact it might be your strategy - but it probably means that organisations are doing things that they aren't experts in, in order to satisfy your requirements. Further, your aims are so narrow as to barely exist: curriculum-focused, in school time, delivered by teachers, but not statutory requirement - this is almost self-defeating. Finally, we are working at a time where schools are telling us that they simply have no money for anything - to the extent that many are making teaching staff redundant. The idea that teachers will have the time or the headspace to work on co-designing or co-delivering arts-based learning programmes during school time is, - in the region we work in, at least - completely and wildly unrealistic.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Poor