A family loading their items on a donkey

Trusts and Foundations

Through our work with partners, women’s organisations and networks we ensure women and girls are safe from harm, are able to claim their rights and lead their communities out of poverty. We listen to, learn from and work alongside whole communities to find solutions and create change that lasts.  

Here are some of the ways our Trusts and Foundations supporters help to achieve long-lasting change.

How Trusts and Foundations make a difference

Pierre Marie grew up in a farming family in Jérémie, Haiti, where agriculture paid for her education and sustained her household. 

When illness interrupted her studies, she remained determined to build a future rooted in the land. Through training supported by ActionAid Haiti and local partners, Pierre joined over 200 young people learning grafting techniques to restore trees, improve harvests and generate income.

In a context of drought, political instability and rising food insecurity, many young people are hesitant to invest in farming. But grafting has given Pierre renewed hope. She can now transform inedible mango varieties into productive trees and offer services to neighbours for pay.

By equipping young women like Pierre with sustainable skills, ActionAid is strengthening livelihoods, promoting agroecology and ensuring farming knowledge is passed from generation to generation.

I thank the staff of ActionAid that showed me how to develop myself in my neighbourhood. Through their training, I may be broke today but tomorrow I no longer will be as long as there is work to do."
 

ActionAid Haiti work with a group of over 200 people including Pierre Marie, training them in how to graft crops and providing this service to farmers.

Jean ​Oscar ​Augustin/​ActionAid

Testimonials from philanthropists & partners

Our Philanthropy and Partnerships team works with philanthropists and their advisors, and we also manage relationships with external ambassadors, advisors and influencers, helping to connect us to prospective partners and their networks. This creates opportunities to grow our networks and raise crucial support for our programmes. Meet some of our supporters and advisors below.

Samantha Rowe-Beddoe and Gregory Nasmyth

Samantha Rowe-Beddoe
Gregory Nasmyth

Samantha Rowe-Beddoe and Gregory Nasmyth are inspired to make the biggest possible difference through their philanthropy to ActionAid’s work with women and girls.

“We are fortunate enough to be able to make a difference. ActionAid stood out for us as an organisation that stands shoulder to shoulder with women and their families, helping them to understand their rights and the power they have to change their own lives – now and in the future.

This resonated deeply with us and we are really excited to be going on this journey with ActionAid’s philanthropy team. We have found in them a committed and skilled group of individuals who will make sure our philanthropy has a real and long-lasting impact. It has been rewarding and inspiring even in these early days, and we are looking forward to getting more involved!”

Alex Graham

Alex Graham

Alex Graham has supported ActionAid’s work in Asia for several years.

“What I loved about ActionAid from the beginning was that they let me be involved. I said to them, ‘I don’t want to just give you money’, because I wanted to see first-hand what was happening. I’ve been able to come to Myanmar year after year and it’s so incredible to see the way the programme has developed. It’s been the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. It has helped change me and I’m very grateful to ActionAid for letting me be part of it.”

Robert Bruh from Medicor Foundation

Robert Bruh

Robert Bruh from Medicor Foundation supports development projects in poor countries all over the world.

“Medicor has found in ActionAid a partner who has the ability and skills enabling them to deliver quality results with their high levels of expertise and excellent relationships with local communities, local leaders and governments.”

Get in touch

We'd love to talk to you about how we can ensure your donation makes a real difference to some of the world's poorest people. Just get in touch with one of our team.

Sarah Washington

Philanthropy
Sarah Washington
Philanthropy@actionaid.org

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Trusts & Foundations
Rachel Knight
UK.Foundations@actionaid.org
+44 (0)203 122 0570

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Principal Giving
Louise Johnson
louise.johnson@actionaid.org

Testimonials from philanthropists & partners

Our teams work with philanthropists and their advisors, and we also manage relationships with external ambassadors and influencers, helping to connect us to prospective partners and their networks. This creates opportunities to grow our networks and raise crucial support for our programmes. Meet some of our supporters and advisors below.

Robert Bruh

Robert Bruh from Medicor Foundation supports development projects in countries all over the world.

“Medicor has found in ActionAid a partner who has the ability and skills enabling them to deliver quality results with their high levels of expertise and excellent relationships with local communities, local leaders and governments.”

Robert Bruh from Medicor Foundation

Samantha Rowe-Beddoe and Gregory Nasmyth

Samantha Rowe-Beddoe and Gregory Nasmyth are inspired to make the biggest possible difference through their philanthropy to ActionAid's work with women and girls.

“We are fortunate enough to be able to make a difference. ActionAid stood out for us as an organisation that stands shoulder to shoulder with women and their families, helping them to understand their rights and the power they have to change their own lives – now and in the future.

This resonated deeply with us and we are really excited to be going on this journey with ActionAid’s philanthropy team. We have found in them a committed and skilled group of individuals who will make sure our philanthropy has a real and long-lasting impact.”

Gregory and Samantha

Emergency funding

Trusts and Foundations give generously to our emergency appeals every year, allowing us to work directly with women and girls to provide vital support and save lives. Typically, more women than men are killed by rapid onset disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes and violence against women and girls increases during all emergencies. We empower women to lead the responses and ensure their rights are protected.  

Trust based investment 

Flexible funds are the most strategic and innovative way to support ActionAid. Trusting us to allocate funds to priority areas shifts power, reduces costs and channels funds to urgent and harder to fund priorities, such as pilot projects.

By choosing to make an unrestricted donation you will be joining our small network of flexible funding trusts and the Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery to form an important pillar of our most strategic funding.

Flexible funding helps ensure funds are used to support the priorities of partners, women’s rights organisations and their communities while reducing the pressure on these agile but over stretched actors.

How we work with Trusts and Foundations 

We build long-term relationships with trusts and foundations who support our work to achieve lasting change. We will work with you to identify how our work aligns with objectives of your Trust or Foundation and work together to make the biggest difference.  

You will be able to see the difference your support is making through regular reports and updates as well as being able to engage with our work in various ways, including attending supporter events with ActionAid staff and partners.

Contact us on uk.foundations@actionaid.org

Contact us

If you are trustee of or have a relationship with a trust and would like to find out more about ActionAid’s work or would like to donate to support our work, please get in touch on uk.foundations@actionaid.org or fill out the form below.

For funders based in Asia please contact Mayur Devolla on mayur.devolla@actionaid.org

Our Privacy Policy will tell you all you need to know about how we handle, store and process your data.

Can we keep in touch with you?

As a supporter, you’re at the heart of everything we do. We’d love to keep you updated about our work and the ways you can help, including campaigns and events that you might be interested in. Our Privacy Policy tells you all you need to know about how we handle, store and process your data. We promise never to sell or swap your details and you can change your preferences at any time. To do so, simply email supportercontact@actionaid.org

Find out more

To find out more, please email our Head of Trusts and New Markets, Helen Reed on uk.foundations@actionaid.org

Tanbina Salam Choudhury, Senior Gulf Specialist
     Tagesech is a return migrant worker from the Middle East and a beneficiary of ActionAid Ethiopia’s business skill training and seed grant. Here, she poses with her husband Dana Garkebo and their children in Ethiopia. She started a corn selling business and she also bought a donkey which she uses to load the corn when she goes to the market. Genaye ​Eshetu/​ ​ActionAid 

    Page updated 4 September 2026