City Bridge Foundation
We provide grants and use our resources to help communities foster connections, become more resilient and build a more equal London.
Overview
Total reviews: 9
Median 10 hours
Latest Reviews
May 7, 2024
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2023
CBF is a listening funder, they will have a conversation with you and discuss ideas.
Their processes are rigorous but they are very supportive as a team and it's excellent to have a designated point of contact in the grant manager that you are assigned.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
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?
Current or former grantee
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Funded for amount requested
What year was this experience?
2023
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
May 1, 2024
Other - applied in 2024
Make sure you are up to date on your organisational details: safeguarding, reporting, trustees, GDPR. Very personable and work with you to make your appeal as strong as possible.
Pros
Gives more than money
Friendly
Builds relationships
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
Communication
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Apr 15, 2024
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2021
City Bridge are a fantastic, forward-thinking funder who are making great efforts to level the power balance between funder/fundee.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Culturally sensitive
Understands nonprofits and issues
Cons
Unresponsive
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Current or former grantee
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Funded for amount requested
What year was this experience?
2021
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Whilst I've had a great experience in terms of the funding and being invited to events, I have had a poor experience in terms of the relationship with my grant manager. It took almost a year to get a reply at application stage. It has also hindered our programme and its delivery team quite a lot as they do not reply to my messages sometimes for months at a time, and have given contradictory advice. I offer this feedback in good spirit, without trying to apportion any blame and in the hope that other charities could avoid the negative impact this has had on us.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
The efforts they make to level the power balance between funder/fundee. Their support for full cost recovery and the cost of living top up grant that we were awarded has meant so much.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
A prompt reply would mean so much.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Average
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Feb 21, 2024
applied in 2024
Do not hesitate to attempt. They are not high and mighty, they are a flexible funder taking the time to relate to small grassroots charities and have insight on our nuanced needs. <Team Memeber Name> visited us, and to be frank we were quite nervous as we saw they are a multi professional. They was so supportive, empathetic, flexible and we called them a Wikipedia of knowledge which he was so happy to share and explain on layman level. Whatever our grant outcome will be, this was worth everything. We have the direction we need to mobilize and scale Just Kidding.
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
What year was this experience?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
Flexible, approachable and relates to small charity`s needs. Equitable!
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Look after <Team Members > They are multi talented and an a great asset. You are so fortunate to have them.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Feb 12, 2024
Other - applied in 2024
Re the application portal, save info on a separate doc, it has a habit of losing information even when SAVE is selected on each page - and even multiple times on some pages this is needed - plus not allowing certain selections from drop down bars
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Risk taker
Insightful
Builds relationships
Understands nonprofits and issues
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Found the process deductive consuming and that’s user friendly, note that I use a Mac not PC.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
We’ve a previous, indirectly selected grant, accessed through a multi-funder portal that was more straightforward
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
I think they consider where the grants can be best spent quite carefully and are not wrapped up in tokenism as with the Arts Council, who we’ve given up on.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Improve the application portal so it’s more cross-platform
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
May 7, 2024
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2023
CBF is a listening funder, they will have a conversation with you and discuss ideas.
Their processes are rigorous but they are very supportive as a team and it's excellent to have a designated point of contact in the grant manager that you are assigned.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
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?
Current or former grantee
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Funded for amount requested
What year was this experience?
2023
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
May 1, 2024
Other - applied in 2024
Make sure you are up to date on your organisational details: safeguarding, reporting, trustees, GDPR. Very personable and work with you to make your appeal as strong as possible.
Pros
Gives more than money
Friendly
Builds relationships
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
Communication
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Apr 15, 2024
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2021
City Bridge are a fantastic, forward-thinking funder who are making great efforts to level the power balance between funder/fundee.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Culturally sensitive
Understands nonprofits and issues
Cons
Unresponsive
Pros
Cons
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Current or former grantee
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Funded for amount requested
What year was this experience?
2021
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Whilst I've had a great experience in terms of the funding and being invited to events, I have had a poor experience in terms of the relationship with my grant manager. It took almost a year to get a reply at application stage. It has also hindered our programme and its delivery team quite a lot as they do not reply to my messages sometimes for months at a time, and have given contradictory advice. I offer this feedback in good spirit, without trying to apportion any blame and in the hope that other charities could avoid the negative impact this has had on us.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
The efforts they make to level the power balance between funder/fundee. Their support for full cost recovery and the cost of living top up grant that we were awarded has meant so much.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
A prompt reply would mean so much.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Average
Feb 21, 2024
applied in 2024
Do not hesitate to attempt. They are not high and mighty, they are a flexible funder taking the time to relate to small grassroots charities and have insight on our nuanced needs. <Team Memeber Name> visited us, and to be frank we were quite nervous as we saw they are a multi professional. They was so supportive, empathetic, flexible and we called them a Wikipedia of knowledge which he was so happy to share and explain on layman level. Whatever our grant outcome will be, this was worth everything. We have the direction we need to mobilize and scale Just Kidding.
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
What year was this experience?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
Flexible, approachable and relates to small charity`s needs. Equitable!
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Look after <Team Members > They are multi talented and an a great asset. You are so fortunate to have them.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Feb 12, 2024
Other - applied in 2024
Re the application portal, save info on a separate doc, it has a habit of losing information even when SAVE is selected on each page - and even multiple times on some pages this is needed - plus not allowing certain selections from drop down bars
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Risk taker
Insightful
Builds relationships
Understands nonprofits and issues
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Found the process deductive consuming and that’s user friendly, note that I use a Mac not PC.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
We’ve a previous, indirectly selected grant, accessed through a multi-funder portal that was more straightforward
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
I think they consider where the grants can be best spent quite carefully and are not wrapped up in tokenism as with the Arts Council, who we’ve given up on.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Improve the application portal so it’s more cross-platform
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent