Impact 100 London, a collective philanthropic impact fund on whose establishment Debevoise & Plimpton LLP advised, has awarded its first grants. 

The largest grant of £100,000 has gone to Woman’s Trust, a specialist mental health charity providing free counselling and therapy for women who have experienced domestic abuse. 

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has seen domestic abuse increase, Woman’s Trust has been facing more demand for its specialist mental health services, and faces a significant funding shortfall, which the grant will help to address. 

Impact 100 London has also awarded grants of £15,000 to The Change Foundation (a charity that uses sport to change the lives of marginalised young people), and The Girls’ Network (a mentoring programme for girls from the least advantaged communities). 

Impact 100 London is a fund aimed at giving transformative grants to local charities that primarily benefit women and girls in London. The innovative collective philanthropy structure of the fund is based on similar initiatives in the US, and represents a collaborative and democratic form of charitable giving. It provides  a structured platform for individuals who want to pool their money and award transformative grants to charities. The approach leads to informed, strategic giving and promotes civic and community engagement. 

For more information on Impact 100 London, including how to contribute, visit www.impact100london.org 

Debevoise advised Impact 100 London on the establishment of the fund on a pro bono basis. The team was led by international counsel Vera Losonci, and included associates Martha Hirst and Katie Power.