Epic Foundation UK LTD
We curate & support game-changing nonprofits to accelerate social change and build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.
Epic was created in 2015 and has registered entities in the USA (501(c)(3)), the UK, France, and Switzerland.
Since May 2015, Epic UK is a UK registered charity (charity number 1163753; registered Company number 09614226).
Epic undertakes a thorough and cutting-edge sourcing, vetting and monitoring process of groundbreaking social organizations to build and manage two portfolios : Children and youth & Environment and Future Generations.
Epic embodies and encourages innovative and strategic giving. Epic grants unrestricted and multi-year funds to 23 social organisations based in 11 countries.
We pool the resources of diverse donors - individuals and families, entrepreneurs, corporates, funds and financial institutions etc.- who want to invest strategically in social impact, and we carefully monitor the organizations of our portfolios and report back to the donors.
We also act as an innovative philanthropic one- stop shop, and tailor giving solutions that are adapted to our donors and what they do.
Our story
The story of Epic Foundation began back when our founder and CEO, Alexandre Mars, was a 17-year-old entrepreneur organizing concerts at his high school. With the little money he earned, he bought his two first computers and launched his web agency. He then went on to create multiple successful companies in Europe and the US—including Phonevalley & Scroon sold to Publicis & Black Berry respectively.
After selling these last two startups, Alexandre had the financial means to fuel his ambition to fight social injustice. True to his track record as a serial entrepreneur, he traveled the world to carry out his own market research to learn more about the philanthropic sector. He met with hundreds of philanthropists, foundations, government officials, academics, nonprofit leaders, and social entrepreneurs.
This is what he found out: on the one hand, the groundbreaking nonprofits of this world often fall short of smart money to achieve their greatest impact. On the other hand, most of us who want to give are usually held back by three obstacles: lack of trust, time and knowledge.
What if he could fund and resource a unique and innovative intermediary which could bridge that gap?
What we do
Our goal is to make a difference to nonprofits and to donors alike. We believe that we can fund nonprofits in a way that enables them to further their mission. We believe donors deserve accountability, trust and transparency and that we can help bring their philanthropy to the next level.
Our unique approach relies on 4 pillars: selection, monitoring, strategic funding and the 100% model.
Our selection methodology
At Epic we make a core promise to conduct a rigorous selection process in order to support highly effective solutions, whilst ensuring that donors trust in their giving.
We select high impact nonprofits through a sophisticated methodology which leverages multiple rounds of due-diligence, expert networks and on-the-ground analysis. We are committed to ensuring that all aspects of the organizations we fund are strong. To do so, we produce a holistic review of an organization by looking at quantitative and qualitative findings across three focus areas: impact, operations and leadership. We make sure that the nonprofits we fund look at the root causes behind the issues they try to solve – we want change to be systemic.
Our monitoring process
For Epic, monitoring is not only necessary, it is strategic.
Epic invests in developing an industry-leading monitoring methodology that ensures nonprofits are able to create positive change whether in the lives of children and youth, or our planet.
Our monitoring is holistic and encompasses all the aspects of a nonprofit rather than focus on a specific project or program. It moves away from outdated approaches which rely on control, and rather fosters collaboration. This ensures progress towards agreed objectives and gives the opportunity to anticipate issues within an organization before they arise. Beyond social impact, monitoring also offers a risk mitigation strategy to minimize any PR, financial or ethical risks that may emerge due to the mismanagement of charitable organizations.
We are committed to providing our analysis to our donors so as to give them more transparency and visibility on the social impact they support. We want to assure them that their philanthropy makes a difference, helping them trust the organizations they support.
Our grantmaking principles
At Epic, we strive for impact. In order to achieve that, we need to fund nonprofits in the way that is most transformative for them so that they can better solve the bigger issues we all want to see eradicated.
Epic provides multi-year, unrestricted funding as well as access to a global community of leading organizations. This means we don’t fund specific programs or projects, but rather invest in the organization itself. We let the people who know best spend the funds in the ways which are most needed.
Unrestricted funding is important, because it enables organizations to iterate on their existing programs and innovate when and where necessary. It allows them to deepen their services and expand their reach through different types of scale. It ensures flexibility and resilience, especially when responding to emergency situations like COVID-19. Unrestricted funding is possible thanks to Epic’s 360 degree thorough selection and monitoring. It is still rare in the philanthropic sector – but it is a true catalyzer for change.
Epic commits to raising a minimum of $100K USD per year, for a minimum of three years for each of our grantee organizations. This amount is often exceeded.
Our 100% model
Our goal is to foster lasting change for children, youth and our planet, and move the needle in the way philanthropy currently operates. To do so, we invest in a team of experts from diverse backgrounds who use their knowledge and expertise to bridge the gap between nonprofits and donors.
Our Board, Advisory Board, Trusted Circle and corporate strategic partners cover 100% of our operational expenses to ensure that 100% of your donations go to the nonprofits in our portfolio.
Donors
Michael Kane