Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is a charity established in 1955 to 'support excellence, generally through the funding of capital infrastructure in the fields of science and medicine, health, education and the arts & humanities'[1] The foundation has a sister trust - the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust. The Foundation has shared objectives and joint administration with the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust, registered charity number 228382, at 8 Queen Anne Street, London, W1G 9LD.[2] The trust was created by Isaac Wolfson the Scottish businessman associated particularly with Great Universal Stores. His son Leonard took over as chair after his death. The current chair, Janet Wolfson de Botton, is the granddaughter of the founder.
The foundation is a patron of the University of Buckingham, the UK's only private university. Patrons are organisations who donate in excess of £100,000 to the university[3]. In September 2010 the Wolfson Foundation had an endowment of £725 million. Up to 2014 they had given out over £750 million in grants, spread over more than 10,000 projects[4].
People
The Foundation is made up of eleven trustees, a small staff team in the London office and a wider network of advisors and reviewers.
The Board of Trustees is comprised of academic members and family members in a roughly 75:25 ratio. Trustees are advised by expert grant panels, and Nomination, Risk and Investment Committees.
Trustees
Correct as of 9 February 2023.[5]
| Name | Role | Date Appointed | Date of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janet Wolfson de Botton | Chair | 06 March 2014 | 31 March 1952 |
| Allegra Berman | Trustee | 01 October 2021 | |
| Charles Wolfson Townsley | Trustee | 31 August 2018 | |
| Rebecca Marks | Trustee | 31 August 2018 | |
| Peter Ratcliffe | Trustee | 01 April 2015 | |
| Michael Pepper | Trustee | 06 March 2014 | |
| Laura Wolfson Townsley | Trustee | 06 March 2014 | |
| Jean Thomas | Trustee | 06 March 2014 | |
| Leslie Turnberg | Trustee | 06 March 2014 | |
| Hermione Lee | Trustee | 06 March 2014 | |
| David Cannadine | Trustee | 27 September 2010 |
Staff
- Paul Ramsbottom - Chief Executive
- Sue Hall - PA to the Chief Executive
- Simon Fourmy - Director of Grants
- Caitlin Foley - Programme Manager (Science and Medicine)
- James Randall - Programme Manager (Arts and Humanities)
- Natasha Wright - Grants and Finance Administrator
- Sophie Gibbon- Grants Assistant
- Geoff Hunt - Finance Director
- Emma Coyle - Office Manager
Contact
- The Wolfson Foundation
- 8 Queen Anne Street
- London
- W1G 9LD
- Tel: 020 7323 5730 (with voicemail message system)
- Media/Press enquiries: 020 7323 3124 (voicemail not available)
Affiliations
See also
- Charitable spending of the largest 100 UK family foundations - 2009
- Top 300 Foundations ranked by giving in the UK - 2019
- Top 300 Foundations ranked by giving in the UK - 2021
- Zionist Family Foundations ranked by charitable spending 2021-2
- The Sunday Times Rich List 2022
- Top 100 philanthropists in the UK - The Sunday Times Giving List 2022
Notes
- ↑ Wolfson Foundation, About us, Wolfson Foundation, Accessed 27-February-2014
- ↑ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021, Wolfson Foundation. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ↑ Patrons, Patrons, University of Buckingham, Accessed 03-September-2010
- ↑ Wolfson Foundation, About us, Wolfson Foundation, Accessed 27-February-2014
- ↑ The Wolfson Foundation Trustees, Charity Commission. Last retrieved 9 February 2023.
