Member Spotlight: Mayor's Fund for London

What are some of the key areas you fund? 

At the Mayor’s Fund for London (MFL), we raise all our own funds whilst also acting as a grant-maker, providing direct support to young Londoners and local communities.

While we don’t operate in the way of a traditional grant funder, the funding we do give out aligns with our strategic priorities to champion opportunities for young Londoners facing the biggest barriers across the capital. Throughout the lifetime of a young Londoner, we’re here for them – providing food as a foundation, skills as a springboard, and power through our platform so they can grow, thrive, and shape London into a truly inclusive, more prosperous city.  

What’s something innovative that you’re currently working on?

We are currently exploring several innovative projects designed to empower and uplift young Londoners by providing them with unique opportunities to develop their skills, creativity, and career prospects. 

Building on our previous work and learnings, by providing access to the arts for young Londoners, we aim to nurture emerging talent, promote mental well-being, and open pathways into the creative industries. One part of this is Our Tomorrow, a video project led by young Londoners, amplifying the voices and stories of those who are often least heard, ensuring their perspectives and experiences shape the conversations about the city’s future.

At the same time, we are developing initiatives that equip young people with practical skills, such as culinary training and real-world financial skills, to enhance their career prospects and foster confidence in real-world settings.

What’s one piece of insight that you’d like to share with other London Funders’ members? 

A key insight from our recent Young Londoners Summit was the power of authentic power-sharing, something we know other London Funder’s members are equally passionate about. We gave young people the platform to tell their own stories, in their own way. By trusting them as spokespersons - not just for MFL, but for their generation - we created a space where young people were genuinely included as key stakeholders. This approach made the event feel truly representative, reinforcing the importance of youth leadership in shaping conversations that affect them.

From the very start of planning, young people shaped the event, both on and off the stage. While we were inspired by incredible young speakers, we also engaged young people in creative roles, such as photography and managing our social media coverage of the event. They played a crucial role in networking with some of our most valuable stakeholders, reinforcing their presence as active contributors.

What do you value most about being a part of London Funders?

Being part of London Funders is invaluable to us as both as an organisation that fundraises all our income, and as a grant-maker supporting young Londoners. It connects us with a diverse network of funders and frontline charities, fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and deeper insights into the evolving funding landscape. Through this network, we are able to stay informed about emerging challenges, sector trends, and opportunities to work collectively for greater impact.

Looking ahead, share one thing that is on your radar. What should we prioritise as a network of funders? 

Our recent youth-led, Young Londoners Summit explored how the London Growth Plan can deliver inclusive growth for young people facing the biggest barriers and prepare them for the 150,000 good jobs that the plan sets out to create by 2028. The summit initiated conversations and galvanised partnerships between young people, business, funders, policymakers, educators & communities. MFL are looking to play key part in ensuring young people have a voice in shaping an inclusive growth strategy.

As part of this is our developing holiday programme that addresses growing need for accessible, high-quality holiday activities for young people across London. We’re focused on strengthening collaboration and leveraging existing investment to ensure that every pound delivers maximum benefit for young Londoners. We’re actively exploring partnerships that will enhance the programme’s reach and sustainability, and we welcome opportunities to work together to make this vision a reality. 

What’s an issue or area you’d like to discuss with other members?

All funders will be very conscious that the current fundraising landscape is difficult for many charities. Alongside increasing operating costs this is creating real challenges – which we see directly through our partnership work with community organisations across London. We would be interested in exploring how we can collectively open up avenues to new sources of philanthropy; and whether we can unlock assets – some of which are held with charities – so more wealth and resources can flow down to better support communities. Unlocking more of these resources could create a fairer, more equitable and more sustainable funding and operating environment. 

Connect with us about: 

• Cross-sector collaboration – Bringing together public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive systemic change for young Londoners.
• Leveraging funding for greater impact – Exploring ways to maximise investment through co-funding, partnerships, and sustainable models.
• Youth-led solutions – Ensuring young people have a voice in shaping programmes that directly impact them.

The Member Spotlight is taken from our monthly member-exclusive newsletter, the Member Memo. The newsletter contains targeted information about upcoming events and updates from across the membership, with opportunities to connect and collaborate with other members. If you are a London Funders' member and would like to sign up, please email ora.ataguba@londonfunders.org.uk.