What Five Years as a Funder Has Taught Me
This year marks five years since I joined the Lightbulb Trust. We are a small grant-making foundation and impact investor, but we have never let size limit our ambition.
Looking back, I have had the privilege of sitting across from remarkable founders, charity leaders, activists and policy thinkers. Each one has shaped how I understand power, purpose, and the messy, human way that change really happens.
Here are ten lessons I keep coming back to, my own unofficial guide to funding a little better.
1. Change needs roots…
We’re a place-based funder with a focus on West London. Our work is grounded in long-term relationships, deep listening, and the belief that proximity leads to better decisions. We believe in local interventions because we see the difference they make, up close and every day. A trusted adult in a school, a warm meal at a community hub, a creative outlet after school. These are the kinds of initiatives that bring stability and hope, especially where the system has failed repeatedly.
2. …but it also needs rockets
No matter how brilliant a local intervention is, it can only go so far if the system that creates the need for it remains unchanged. That’s why we also make impact investments, backing early-stage, tech-based startups that have the potential to reshape systems in education, mental health and employment. The real magic happens when these two strands meet: when the deep understanding and trust built on the ground connect with the reach and momentum of system-focused ventures. I believe that’s where lasting change begins.
3. Proximity is power
The most transformative ideas come from leaders who are closest to the problem, people rooted in the communities they serve. But proximity should not stop there. As a small funder, staying close to those leaders matters just as much. You learn more from a quick text or call than from a long application form. All 50 of our active partners have my personal number and know they can reach me if they need to. It is not a model for everyone, but for me, that closeness builds trust and understanding.
4. Are you really a proactive funder?
For some funders, invitation-only can feel not inclusive enough, which is why many prefer to call their approach proactive. For us, being truly proactive means putting in the hours of research needed to find the right partners, rather than waiting for them to find us.
Having been a fundraiser myself, I feel strongly about this. We only invite those we already believe are a strong fit, so before they sit down to write a single line of their application, they know their time is valued, and that their chances of being funded are very high. Some funders boast about receiving hundreds of applications with a 10% success rate. To me, that’s a failure of design. There are many ways to fix it, such as offering open office hours for eligibility questions or clearly stating success rates. Small changes like these make funding more transparent and humane.
5. Our charity leaders are burning out
I’ve lost count of how many brilliant leaders have told me they feel exhausted, alone, or one funding cycle away from quitting. Before asking for another quarterly report or impact matrix, ask when they last took a proper break. Their wellbeing is the work, especially in small charities, where one person often holds everything together.
6. Keep an eye on your female leaders
Too many women in leadership roles carry the weight quietly. Structural sexism and racism often mean they feel they can’t show vulnerability or ask for help. It’s not uncommon for a charity leader to break down in tears when we start talking about funding or some of the challenges they face. They hold so much for others, often with little space or support for themselves. If they’ve been quiet for too long, check in.
7. A seat at the table
If funders want diverse and representative leaders and teams, they need to be part of decision-making too, including on your board. We recently began the process of seeking Charity Commission permission to pay our trustees, prompted by conversations with brilliant candidates who bring both lived and professional experience. Again and again, we heard the same thing: I can’t afford to do this unpaid. The system makes it hard to change who gets a seat at the table, and it shows. According to the Charity Commission’s own findings, trustees still don’t reflect the communities charities serve, with most being older, white and highly educated.
8. If you want better data, build it together
Metrics should help your partners learn and improve, not just justify their work to you. The best learning comes from honest conversations, but if something about a partner’s approach to measurement isn’t working, find ways to support them to build that capacity. Many small charities don’t have dedicated monitoring & evaluation teams, so we offer pro bono support and connect partners with an impact measurement expert who helps them strengthen their approach and tell their story with more confidence. A little help can make a big difference.
9. Fund the innovation you ask for
Funders love to say they want charity partners to be innovative, but then forget to actually fund it. If you want people to experiment, you need to give them the financial room to try, test and even fail. Build it on top of your core grant, not instead of it. We run an ongoing fund for exactly this. It gives our partners the permission and incentive to take risks that could lead to something better. Funders should stop saying they want innovation until they are ready to pay for it.
10. The value of ‘learning out loud’
One thing I’m still learning: don’t wait until you feel completely ready before sharing what you know. There’s a lot of value in learning out loud and sharing what we’re unsure about, what’s working, and what isn’t. It creates space for connection and reminds others they don’t need to have it all figured out either. We’re all learning, all the time.
What ties it all together
I love trust-based philanthropy, but I believe that should be the baseline, not the end goal. Trust is where we start, not where we stop. The real work is to make philanthropy human-centred. We need to see the people behind the proposals, to listen before measuring, and to recognise that care and connection are not extras, but essentials for lasting impact.
Luisa Gockel, Director at the Lightbulb Trust
What Five Years as a Funder Has Taught Me
This year marks five years since I joined the Lightbulb Trust. We are a small grant-making foundation and impact investor, but we have never let size limit our ambition.
Looking back, I have had the privilege of sitting across from remarkable founders, charity leaders, activists and policy thinkers. Each one has shaped how I understand power, purpose, and the messy, human way that change really happens.
Here are ten lessons I keep coming back to, my own unofficial guide to funding a little better.
1. Change needs roots…
We’re a place-based funder with a focus on West London. Our work is grounded in long-term relationships, deep listening, and the belief that proximity leads to better decisions. We believe in local interventions because we see the difference they make, up close and every day. A trusted adult in a school, a warm meal at a community hub, a creative outlet after school. These are the kinds of initiatives that bring stability and hope, especially where the system has failed repeatedly.
2. …but it also needs rockets
No matter how brilliant a local intervention is, it can only go so far if the system that creates the need for it remains unchanged. That’s why we also make impact investments, backing early-stage, tech-based startups that have the potential to reshape systems in education, mental health and employment. The real magic happens when these two strands meet: when the deep understanding and trust built on the ground connect with the reach and momentum of system-focused ventures. I believe that’s where lasting change begins.
3. Proximity is power
The most transformative ideas come from leaders who are closest to the problem, people rooted in the communities they serve. But proximity should not stop there. As a small funder, staying close to those leaders matters just as much. You learn more from a quick text or call than from a long application form. All 50 of our active partners have my personal number and know they can reach me if they need to. It is not a model for everyone, but for me, that closeness builds trust and understanding.
4. Are you really a proactive funder?
For some funders, invitation-only can feel not inclusive enough, which is why many prefer to call their approach proactive. For us, being truly proactive means putting in the hours of research needed to find the right partners, rather than waiting for them to find us.
Having been a fundraiser myself, I feel strongly about this. We only invite those we already believe are a strong fit, so before they sit down to write a single line of their application, they know their time is valued, and that their chances of being funded are very high. Some funders boast about receiving hundreds of applications with a 10% success rate. To me, that’s a failure of design. There are many ways to fix it, such as offering open office hours for eligibility questions or clearly stating success rates. Small changes like these make funding more transparent and humane.
5. Our charity leaders are burning out
I’ve lost count of how many brilliant leaders have told me they feel exhausted, alone, or one funding cycle away from quitting. Before asking for another quarterly report or impact matrix, ask when they last took a proper break. Their wellbeing is the work, especially in small charities, where one person often holds everything together.
6. Keep an eye on your female leaders
Too many women in leadership roles carry the weight quietly. Structural sexism and racism often mean they feel they can’t show vulnerability or ask for help. It’s not uncommon for a charity leader to break down in tears when we start talking about funding or some of the challenges they face. They hold so much for others, often with little space or support for themselves. If they’ve been quiet for too long, check in.
7. A seat at the table
If funders want diverse and representative leaders and teams, they need to be part of decision-making too, including on your board. We recently began the process of seeking Charity Commission permission to pay our trustees, prompted by conversations with brilliant candidates who bring both lived and professional experience. Again and again, we heard the same thing: I can’t afford to do this unpaid. The system makes it hard to change who gets a seat at the table, and it shows. According to the Charity Commission’s own findings, trustees still don’t reflect the communities charities serve, with most being older, white and highly educated.
8. If you want better data, build it together
Metrics should help your partners learn and improve, not just justify their work to you. The best learning comes from honest conversations, but if something about a partner’s approach to measurement isn’t working, find ways to support them to build that capacity. Many small charities don’t have dedicated monitoring & evaluation teams, so we offer pro bono support and connect partners with an impact measurement expert who helps them strengthen their approach and tell their story with more confidence. A little help can make a big difference.
9. Fund the innovation you ask for
Funders love to say they want charity partners to be innovative, but then forget to actually fund it. If you want people to experiment, you need to give them the financial room to try, test and even fail. Build it on top of your core grant, not instead of it. We run an ongoing fund for exactly this. It gives our partners the permission and incentive to take risks that could lead to something better. Funders should stop saying they want innovation until they are ready to pay for it.
10. The value of ‘learning out loud’
One thing I’m still learning: don’t wait until you feel completely ready before sharing what you know. There’s a lot of value in learning out loud and sharing what we’re unsure about, what’s working, and what isn’t. It creates space for connection and reminds others they don’t need to have it all figured out either. We’re all learning, all the time.
What ties it all together
I love trust-based philanthropy, but I believe that should be the baseline, not the end goal. Trust is where we start, not where we stop. The real work is to make philanthropy human-centred. We need to see the people behind the proposals, to listen before measuring, and to recognise that care and connection are not extras, but essentials for lasting impact.
Luisa Gockel, Director at the Lightbulb Trust
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