How we decide what to fund
The Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) Board of Trustees are ultimately responsible for what the charity funds within the remit of the charity’s objects. The regular oversight and approval of the Grant Funding Programme is provided by a Trustee sub-committee called the Grants & Impact Committee.
The oversight and planning for long term charitable funding priorities at the hospital is provided by the Hospital Priorities Steering Group who are advisory to the Board of Trustees. The Charity Funding principles were originally developed by this group in 2020 and reviewed in 2023.
Grants & Impact Committee
The Grants & Impact Committee is made up of three trustees and two additional committee members and meets three times a year usually in June, October and March.
Members include:
- Jennifer Bethlehem (Chair)
- Karima Fahmy
- Fiona Ross
- Vijay Luthra
- Diane Lewis
Hospital Priorities Steering Group
The Hospital Priorities Steering Group is made up of Charity Trustees, Hospital Non-Exec Directors and senior leadership at both organisations and meets twice a year, usually in April and November. The group oversee the ten year charitable expenditure plan, aligned to the ten year fundraising targets, ensuring we focus funding on the greatest need at the hospital, particularly given the rapidly changing NHS environment.
GOSH Charity Funding Principles
The mission of the charity is to ‘transform the lives of seriously ill children through research, care and advocacy. The charity therefore aims to support activities that are considered ‘added value’ and over and above core NHS activity. The following principles are used to guide decision making at the charity to affect the greatest impact for our beneficiaries:
| Essential | Desirable |
|---|---|
| 1. Seriously ill children and their families as the ultimate beneficiaries | 1. Transformational impact that will lead to a step change |
| 2. Positive impact for beneficiaries in short, medium & long term, delivering excellence and quality |
2. Innovative: Making use of new technologies, new ways of working, new approaches to problem solving. |
| 3. Strategic imperative aligned to Charity, Hospital or Institute strategic goals | 3. Contributes to a positive hospital environment |
|
4. Funding should be beyond core NHS costs and services (including estates costs). Medical equipment may be an exception due to VAT exemption |
4. Potential for commercial opportunities for Hospital and/or Institute |
| 5. Financial sustainability plans beyond charitable funding | 5. Partnership opportunities |
| 6. Value for money, including through maximising unique assets (patient cohorts, infrastructure) |
6. Ability to leverage other sources of funding E.g. charity funding act as pump-priming or seed funding for larger investment in the future. |
| -- |
7. Impact beyond GOSH/ICH Wider national and/or international relevance. |
| -- |
8. GOSH Charity is the most appropriate funder. i.e. It has a unique niche and if other source of funding exist e.g. NIHR, MRC they should be taken advantage of. |
| -- |
9. Environmental sustainability Has a positive impact on the environment, particularly relevant to redevelopment projects. |
| -- |
10. Flexibility and resilience ‘Future proofing’, adaptability, building in flexibility and contingency. |
| -- | 11. Does not compound existing healthcare inequalities |
| -- | 12. The ability to fundraise against the activity |
Further information on research funding governance and GOSH Charity’s Polices and Position statements can be found through the links below: