The Fred Foundation

The Fred Foundation is a small, highly specialized private independent foundation incorporated in New Hampshire with a US tax-exempt status since August 2007 (NTEE code T22, Private Independent Foundations). Despite the US registration, its public-facing programmatic work — documented on thefredfoundation.org — is anchored in the United Kingdom and focuses on a single, narrowly defined population: autistic children and young people with complex needs, and the families and caregivers who support them. Founded by Felicity Ellacombe (with husband Gilbert Ellacombe visibly involved in fundraising via the Royal Parks Half Marathon), the foundation explicitly states it "promote[s] acceptance and awareness of individuals, families, and caregivers affected by severe forms of autism" and addresses the gap between mainstream autism advocacy and the needs of the most vulnerable, high-support individuals. Strategy is personal, direct, and case-based rather than institutional: it supports individual families (a recent testimonial thanks the foundation for "financial support" that helped a family win a special-needs tribunal) and partners with research institutions including the Alan Turing Institute, Autistica, and Priors Court School. Grantees are selected through Felicity's personal network in the UK complex-autism research and advocacy community.

ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer shows assets have grown substantially from $1.1M (2011) to $3.73M at FY2024 year-end (Dec 2024). The pivotal growth year was 2022, when total assets nearly doubled from $2.03M to $3.41M — most likely reflecting a large capital gift or appreciation event. Revenue has been volatile (a trademark of small family foundations with lumpy gifts and market-linked assets): $97K (2024), $194K (2023), $1.75M (2022), $102K (2021). Expenses tell the real grantmaking story, and they are modest: $142K (2024), $71K (2023), $79K (2022), $62K (2021). The FY2024 expense-to-asset ratio of 3.8% is below the 5% federal minimum payout, which a private foundation is required to meet on a rolling basis; combined with prior sub-5% years, this suggests either recent catch-up distributions, qualifying administrative/program expenses counting toward payout, or larger distributions planned in future fiscal years. Typical grant size is likely $5K–$50K given total annual disbursements under $150K.

The Fred Foundation occupies a rare niche — US-registered, UK-operating, complex-autism-specific — so apples-to-apples peers are scarce. Comparison below groups it with other small private foundations focused on autism and complex disabilities:

Unlike Flutie or Autism Science Foundation which operate at higher expense-to-asset ratios (50%+ payout as active operating charities or pass-through grantmakers), The Fred Foundation is a classic low-payout endowed family foundation building a corpus while making focused grants. Its partnership with Autistica and the Alan Turing Institute positions it as a capital source for UK-based research on complex autism — an underserved segment within the broader autism research portfolio that typically prioritizes higher-functioning populations.

ProPublica confirms Form 990 filings through FY2024 (Dec 2024), with assets at $3.73M. The foundation's website has recent, dated activity: a July 2025 founder update ("Good news from our founder Felicity about one of the families we supported recently") publishes a thank-you note from a family that won a special-needs education tribunal with the foundation's financial support; an October 2024 post covers Gilbert Ellacombe's fourth Royal Parks Half Marathon fundraiser; October 2024 also saw the publication of "The Fred Foundation Accounts for the Year 2023." An April 2023 contributor spotlight highlights Lucinda Marsden, described as an "AutSPACEs collaborator" working with the Alan Turing Institute. Cumulatively, these posts show the foundation remains personally operated by Felicity Ellacombe and Gilbert Ellacombe, continues to fund both individual families and research collaborations, and has a clear UK (rather than US) programmatic center of gravity.

1) This foundation funds a very specific population: autistic individuals with complex/severe support needs and their families/caregivers, primarily in the UK. Generic autism services, higher-functioning-autism programs, or non-UK work will likely be out of scope. 2) There is no formal application portal on thefredfoundation.org; use the Contact form to introduce yourself with a one-paragraph description of your work, who it serves (emphasize "complex" or "severe" autism needs), and a specific, modest ask (grants likely $5K–$50K). 3) Show alignment with the foundation's thematic concerns: diverse inclusion in research, fair remuneration for autistic participants, policy/service gaps for severe autism, and direct family support (e.g., tribunal costs, specialist education access). Cite specific programs the foundation has publicly supported — Autistica, the Alan Turing Institute's AutSPACEs project, Priors Court School. 4) If you are a US-based 501(c)(3), be aware the foundation's US registration is largely a capital vehicle and its grants flow mostly to UK beneficiaries; US grantees should demonstrate a concrete UK research or family-support connection. 5) Individual families seeking direct support (e.g., for specialist education tribunals) appear to be in scope — reach out via the website's Contact page with a brief, human explanation of your situation rather than a formal proposal. 6) Pull the FY2023 account PDF posted on the website (October 2024) and the Form 990 via EIN 20-5012358 to see actual disbursement patterns before pitching.