As a private foundation

EPIM adds value by efficiently distributing funds and reaching a breadth of grantees in ways that would cost individual foundations extensive resources to replicate. EPIM’s centralised and shared intelligence make it possible to fund the field with a bird’s eye view.

On the one hand, its overall strategic focus on migration and integration catalyses foundations’ efforts in supporting a very large field. On the other hand, Thematic Funds also allow foundations to direct their investment towards a specific topic or approach, ultimately strengthening the entire field.

Foundations who are part of EPIM speak of it as an umbrella under which support and trust is created that gives members the confidence to fund pilot projects and small organisations carrying out innovative and yet untested action. Seeing what their peers do also helps members imagine how their focus area could evolve, geographically and thematically.

Learnings from this work have been summarised in the NEF case study “Pooling Funds, Pooling Strength”.