About the Global Solidarity Foundation

Founded in 2022 to fund the people building a fairer world.

Our story

We didn’t set out to build another charity.

In January 2022, we started GSF with a simple conviction: that the most effective changemakers in the world — grassroots initiatives, refugee-led organisations, local mutual aid, climate-affected communities — are systematically under-resourced, while large amounts of philanthropic and public funding flow through institutions far removed from the people they’re meant to serve.

We set out to design new funding channels. Some have worked, some haven’t. Four years on, we run four active campaigns.

Raised — Gaza kitchens

€30K+

to 20 community kitchens, zero overhead.

Circular Design

£80K

of pro-bono support reinvested into charities.

Phone Free February

NYT · El País

A global digital-resistance campaign in the press.

Climate Pets

1st

community for climate-positive cats and dogs.

What we believe

Five convictions we won’t compromise.

Communities know what they need

We trust grassroots leadership over top-down design. The Palestinian organisers running kitchens in Gaza don’t need us telling them how to feed their neighbours. They need money — fast and clean.

Honesty is non-negotiable

We publish what works and what doesn’t. We don’t inflate impact numbers. We name our partners. When we fail, we say so.

Solidarity, not charity

People are agents of change, not victims to be rescued. The language we use, the partnerships we build, and the way we fund all reflect this.

Small is fine

We’re a small team running ambitious campaigns. We’d rather move money cleanly than build infrastructure for its own sake.

Climate justice is the throughline

Climate change and inequality are the same problem. We treat them that way.

How we’re structured

Two structures, proper governance.

Articles of Association (PDF) ↓

GSF is a Community Interest Company (CIC) registered in the United Kingdom and a registered non-profit in Switzerland. The two structures let us operate across both jurisdictions, work with Swiss-registered partners on the Gaza Food Project, and run our UK-based social enterprise (Circular Design) under proper governance.

As a CIC, we’re legally bound to use any surplus or assets for community benefit. We can’t transfer assets for less than full value, and on dissolution, any residual assets pass to the Fund for Global Human Rights UK (Charity No. 1151043).

In Switzerland, our non-profit registration allows the Gaza Food Project and our wider European fundraising to operate within Swiss tax and donation frameworks.

Founders & team

The people behind GSF.

Cyril Romann

Co-Director · From Switzerland · Based in Athens

Cyril has spent years working in international grant-making and social initiatives across climate, human rights, and migration. His academic background is in social work, and he’s worked inside foundations and national NGOs across Europe.

Jacob Warn

Co-Director · From the UK

Jacob comes from education, campaigning, and impact management for charities. He’s set up educational projects for people on the move and consults with companies and non-profits on impact, collaborative learning, and grant-making.

The wider team

GSF’s campaigns are delivered by freelancers, volunteers, and project partners — including our Phone Free February organisers, our Gaza Food Project volunteer team, and a Circular Design team of freelancers across multiple countries, half of whom have lived experience of forced migration.

Accreditations & certifications