The Mako Foundation

Inspired by the Mako Group's cultural emphasis on the value of people, the Foundation's core purpose is to help people in need and their communities.

As a natural evolution of Mako's long-term commitment to charitable giving, The Mako Foundation was formed in 2019.

The Mako Foundation (registered charity number: 1187040) is a grant making organisation, independent of the Mako Group of Companies. It is committed to supporting causes that reflect Mako's values, a natural evolution of our long history of giving, stemming directly from the motivations and inspirations that have shaped the Foundation's purpose within the Mako Group and its staff.

The Foundation's Trustees value employee engagement and staff input to help identify charities and causes to support.

The Trustees

Tamezina Ellis
Chair since December 2019

Tam became a trustee in 2019, and has been highly active in Mako’s philanthropic giving programme since joining Mako in 2013. She is an ambassador for WeSeeHope and a volunteer for HostNation, a friendship matching programme for Refugees in the UK. In 2022, Tam volunteered at a humanitarian centre in Przemysl to help provide emergency aid to Ukrainian refugees at the outbreak of the Russian/Ukraine war. These experiences have cultivated a deep connection with the Foundation's endeavours, and a commitment to deploy grants to impactful causes.

Alex Pierrot
Trustee since April 2022

Alex became a trustee in 2022. His role as COO and Co-Founder of Climate Explorers, a Community Interest Company with the mission to spotlight climate solutions and promote eco-adventures complements his role in the Foundation. Alex's dedication to the foundation's goals is further exemplified by his long history of involvement with charitable organisations, including raising over £1000 for WeSeeHope in 2019 through the RideLondon100 cycling challenge. Throughout his working life, Alex has consistently demonstrated a commitment to making a positive impact, making him an essential pillar of our foundation's commitment to a sustainable future.

Anna Christou
Trustee since December 2019

Anna has been an integral part of Mako's giving programme and its charity committee since early on. Over this time, she has built lasting relationships with our partners and philanthropic network. Anna is also a driver of Mako's own CSR programme, supporting reading partnerships with local schools, diversity experts within the financial services industry and expanding Mako's network. As a trustee, she continues to connect with charities with a focus on education and disadvantaged communities. Anna is CIPD qualified and passionate about mental health, employee wellbeing and giving back to the community.

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Tamezina Ellis
Chair since December 2019

Tam became a trustee in 2019, and has been highly active in Mako’s philanthropic giving programme since joining Mako in 2013. She is an ambassador for WeSeeHope and a volunteer for HostNation, a friendship matching programme for Refugees in the UK. In 2022, Tam volunteered at a humanitarian centre in Przemysl to help provide emergency aid to Ukrainian refugees at the outbreak of the Russian/Ukraine war. These experiences have cultivated a deep connection with the Foundation's endeavours, and a commitment to deploy grants to impactful causes.

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Alex Pierrot
Trustee since April 2022

Alex became a trustee in 2022. His role as COO and Co-Founder of Climate Explorers, a Community Interest Company with the mission to spotlight climate solutions and promote eco-adventures complements his role in the Foundation. Alex's dedication to the foundation's goals is further exemplified by his long history of involvement with charitable organisations, including raising over £1000 for WeSeeHope in 2019 through the RideLondon100 cycling challenge. Throughout his working life, Alex has consistently demonstrated a commitment to making a positive impact, making him an essential pillar of our foundation's commitment to a sustainable future.

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Anna Christou
Trustee since December 2019

Anna has been an integral part of Mako's giving programme and its charity committee since early on. Over this time, she has built lasting relationships with our partners and philanthropic network. Anna is also a driver of Mako's own CSR programme, supporting reading partnerships with local schools, diversity experts within the financial services industry and expanding Mako's network. As a trustee, she continues to connect with charities with a focus on education and disadvantaged communities. Anna is CIPD qualified and passionate about mental health, employee wellbeing and giving back to the community.

Charity Partners We Have Supported

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20+
Years Involved
£4m+
Raised
2000+
Hours Volunteering
30+
Charities Supported

How We Define Ourselves

Our mission

Our mission is to support upcoming, innovative causes driving positive, considered and lasting change for equitable benefit.

How we make an impact

Mako Foundation’s primary role is to make grants to philanthropic organisations which align with its mission to drive transformational change. The resources that the Foundation has to give back are limited, so the process of identifying causes which can make a positive impact is particularly important - and difficult!

How we are funded

Mako is the Foundation’s primary donor, but in order to help more causes, and conduct more meaningful projects, other income streams are important.

One of the Foundation’s aims is to build upon its external reach and invite a wider community to participate in our fundraising events so we can give back more to those who need it.

The Foundation’s Criteria

The act of giving is highly personal, and we are so grateful to our donors for the trust they put in us to allocate their funds to causes that are credible and impactful. We have a set of criteria that we use to help focus our giving:

Alignment with our Values

Progressive and innovative
Ethos of sustainability

Data-Backed Impact

Reliable and credible data to support impact reporting
Growth and reach over time
High impact and value creation

Realistic Long-Term Goals

Clearly articulated long-term goals
Goals justified in scope and context

Governance & Leadership

Strong leadership
Transparent reporting of financials
Robust governance frameworks in place

Proximity to Beneficiaries

No middle-man
Direct support to beneficiaries
High contextual knowledge of challenges

Annual Income

Generally supportive of small to medium charities
Reasonable and proportionate operational cost
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Alignment with our Values

Progressive and innovative
Ethos of sustainability
Strong leadership and governance

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Data-Backed Impact

Reliable and credible data to support their impact reporting
Growth and reach over time
High impact and value creation

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Realistic Long-Term Goals

Clearly articulated long-term goals
Goals justified in scope and context

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Governance & Leadership

Strong leadership
Transparent reporting of financials
Robust governance frameworks in place

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Proximity to Beneficiaries

No middle-man
Strong engagement with the beneficiaries
High contextual knowledge of challenges

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Annual Income

Generally supportive of small to medium charities
Turnover < 2m (GBP)
Reasonable operational costs

Quote Marks
I am an eternal optimist about human beings and do not subscribe to the idea that we are all out for ourselves, but rather, that most of us want to change things for the better.
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Trystan Morgan Schauer
CEO

Contact Us

Address: 1 Snowden Street, London, EC2A 2DQ
Phone: 02078 620 400
The Foundation’s Accounts and Annual Return
About Mako