A 400-year old grantmaker has refreshed its name and logo as it launches its new five-year strategy.
The Henry Smith Foundation, formerly The Henry Smith Charity, said its new name better reflected its role as a charitable foundation and provided greater clarity about its purpose and identity.
Anand Shukla, the charity’s chief executive, told Third Sector it wanted to honour its heritage but also articulate its work more clearly, so The Henry Smith Foundation was a “logical” choice of name.
The updated name and logo come alongside the grantmaker’s new five-year strategy, Elevate Your Impact, which was launched today after the foundation paused to new applications last summer – although it continued to distribute funding during this period.
The Henry Smith Foundation’s new strategy commits to flexible funding through a combination of running costs and project work, adding that the grantmaker will prioritise unrestricted, longer-term support where possible.
The grantmaker said its new strategy would also allow it to take on a broader role within the sector, by offering learning opportunities, peer support, leadership development and systems-focused insight.
The strategy commits to developing a wider offer that includes capacity-building, peer learning and shared resource; working in partnership with its grant-holders, other funders and local and national leaders; and to sharing its learnings from its work with the wider sector and decision-makers.
The foundation’s strategy focuses its work to help those in need into three funding priorities, called ‘Getting started’, ‘Building independence’ and ‘Safer futures’.
Under the first priority, the foundation will support early-intervention organisations working with families to give young children a strong start in life, specifically during their first five years.
Its first grant programme under this priority, Together We Begin, will fund services providing in-home, face-to-face support for families with young children
Under the ‘Building independence’ priority, the grantmaker will fund organisations that support young people into adulthood, between the ages of 14 and 25.
The foundation’s first grant programme under this funding area is Shout!, which opened today and will support advocacy services for young people with learning disabilities, or who are care-experienced, LGBT+, or neurodivergent.
The final priority will back organisations that help people to rebuild their lives after abuse, displacement or prison.
Under this priority, the foundation will also support work that challenges and improves systems that often fail to provide safety, stability and dignity for people navigating complex transitions – such as at the point of release from prison.
The first grant programme under this priority is the Domestic Abuse Fund, which will support organisations providing specialist, person-centred services designed around the needs of people from marginalised communities who have experienced domestic abuse.
The grantmaker plans to distribute a further £15m in the remainder of this financial year under these priorities, with £5m distributed under each of the new grant programmes – each of which will open for applications by August.
In 2026, the grantmaker will aim to allocate at least £45m under its new priorities, with nearly £50m to be allocated in total over the year.
The foundation will run webinars for each of the new programmes in July, which charities can sign up for on its website.
Henry Smith Foundation’s new strategy also includes a new Opportunity Fund, which aims to provide increased flexibility to support work outside of its new core priorities.
The grantmaker said this fund aims to “back bold thinking early”, including new ideas, pilot projects and untested approaches – which the foundation said would help to support the long-term strength of the voluntary and community sector.
Through this fund, the foundation will also strengthen leadership and skills across the sector by investing in tools, training, networks and collaboration.
Shukla said: “We’ve listened carefully to our grant-holders, sector partners and communities to develop a strategy that aims to sharpen our focus and, we hope, will deepen our impact.
“Charities are doing more than ever, but they’re under tremendous pressure. Our new strategy is about standing beside them – not just with funding but with deeper partnerships and long-term commitment. It’s also about learning from what works to influence wider change.”