The Baring Foundation
The Baring Foundation is an independent UK charitable foundation (est. 1969) that distributes grants across three programmes — Arts and Mental Health, International Development (LGBTI+ rights in sub-Saharan Africa), and Strengthening Civil Society (using law to tackle corporate harm) — serving civil society organisations principally in the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Baring Foundation does
The Baring Foundation is an independent UK charitable foundation (Registered Charity No. 258583) that distributes grants to civil society organisations across three thematic programmes: Arts and Mental Health (promoting creativity in the lives of people with mental health problems), International Development (empowering LGBTI communities in sub-Saharan Africa), and Strengthening Civil Society (supporting the use of the law to tackle corporate harm). The Foundation was established in 1969 as a corporate foundation of Barings Bank and became independent in 1995 following the bank's collapse; it is now funded by an endowment originating from the separate Manor Park Charitable Trust, with ING Bank providing donated services and office accommodation at its 8-10 Moorgate, London headquarters.
The Foundation is not a product or technology company. Its "product" is strategic grant-making, supplemented by research publications, programme reports, e-newsletters, and case studies documenting grantee outcomes. Distribution runs through open funding rounds advertised on the website and via programme bulletins, with applications assessed against programme-specific criteria and reporting requirements imposed on grantholders. Notable funded work includes racial justice grants (£1.7 million across 42 arts grants benefiting over 200 artists, plus £1.4 million across 32 criminal legal system grants during 2021-2025), corporate accountability funding (up to £150,000 over three years), and the Creatively Minded Directory listing around 320 arts-and-mental-health organisations.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Vicki Amedume (appointed June 2025) and managed by a small team of approximately 6-7 core staff led by Director David Cutler and Deputy Director David Sampson. Grants distributed through the Strengthening Civil Society programme alone total over £14.6 million across 225 grants between 2015 and 2026. The Foundation publishes its grants openly via 360 Giving and holds Living Wage Employer accreditation.
The Baring Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Baring Foundation
- Legal name
- The Baring Foundation
- Website
- https://baringfoundation.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Baring Foundation is an independent UK charitable foundation (est. 1969) that distributes grants across three programmes — Arts and Mental Health, International Development (LGBTI+ rights in sub-Saharan Africa), and Strengthening Civil Society (using law to tackle corporate harm) — serving civil society organisations principally in the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Baring Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Foundation / Strategic Philanthropy
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
Keywords
Where The Baring Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Baring Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Grant-making from endowment: The Baring Foundation is an independent grant-giving foundation that distributes funds from an endowment (originating from Manor Park Charitable Trust after Barings Bank collapse in 1995). The foundation does not generate revenue but distributes grants to civil society organisations. ING Bank provides donated services and office accommodation. The foundation publishes open grants data through 360 Giving.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Baring Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Baring Foundation is an independent charitable foundation that distributes grants from its endowment to civil society organisations through three programmes: Arts and Mental Health (supporting participatory creativity for people with mental health problems), International Development (empowering LGBTI communities in sub-Saharan Africa), and Strengthening Civil Society (supporting the use of the law to tackle corporate harm, with Corporate Accountability as the new main theme from 2026). It also publishes research, reports, and resources documenting its grant-making impact.
Product overview
The Baring Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation established in 1969 that protects and advances human rights and promotes inclusion. The Foundation operates through three core grant-making programmes: (1) Arts and Mental Health - promoting the role of creativity in the lives of people with mental health problems, (2) International Development - empowering LGBTI communities in sub-Saharan Africa, and (3) Strengthening Civil Society - supporting the use of the law to tackle corporate harm. The Foundation also produces publications, reports, e-newsletters, and resources documenting its grant-making activities across these thematic areas. The Foundation is not a technology product company but rather a charitable organization focused on strategic philanthropy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arts and Mental Health Grant Programme
- International Development Grant Programme (LGBTI+ Rights)
- Strengthening Civil Society Grant Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 artists benefited from racial justice arts funding
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Baring Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Baring Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Baring Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 360 GivingcoreTransparency partnership working to create common dataset on grant-making data in the UK. Foundation publishes open grants data (2016-2025) freely accessible under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
- Funders for Race Equality AllianceminorCollaborative funder alliance supported by Equally Ours, focused on race equality and reviewing funding practices to minimise racial bias.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Baring Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lloyds Bank Foundation: UK grant-making foundation supporting civil society organisations tackling disadvantage — directly comparable in supporting small/medium charities with strategic funding.
- The Tudor Trust: UK independent grant-making trust funding small community-led organisations — comparable in approach to flexible, trust-based UK grant-making for civil society.
- LankellyChase Foundation: UK grant-making foundation funding systemic change on social issues including criminal justice and race — directly comparable on thematic focus and foundation-led grant-making model.
- Trust for London: UK grant-making foundation focused on tackling poverty and inequality in London — comparable as a strategic UK grant-maker funding civil society capacity and rights-based approaches.
- Paul Hamlyn Foundation: UK grant-making foundation with overlapping focus on arts, social justice, and human rights; comparable as a peer independent foundation with multi-programme thematic grant-making.
- Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust: UK Quaker-rooted grant-making trust funding social justice, human rights, and peace — closely comparable in civil society and rights-based grant-making ethos.
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: Large UK independent grant-making foundation funding social change, the environment, and the arts — directly comparable to the Baring Foundation in mission, geography, and programme-led structure.
- City Bridge Foundation: UK-wide grant-making charity funding disadvantage reduction — comparable as a strategic UK grant-maker; Baring's Programmes Manager Jannat Hossain sits on its funding committee.
- Henry Smith Charity: Large UK independent grant-making trust funding disadvantage reduction — directly comparable as a long-established UK foundation with structured grant programmes.
Broad incumbents
- Comic Relief: Larger UK grant-making charity funding poverty and social justice — comparable mission but at much greater scale and with a public fundraising model rather than endowment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Baring Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Baring Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Baring Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Baring Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Baring Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Baring Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Baring Foundation
What does The Baring Foundation do?
The Baring Foundation is an independent charitable foundation that distributes grants from its endowment to civil society organisations through three programmes: Arts and Mental Health (supporting participatory creativity for people with mental health problems), International Development (empowering LGBTI communities in sub-Saharan Africa), and Strengthening Civil Society (supporting the use of the law to tackle corporate harm, with Corporate Accountability as the new main theme from 2026). It also publishes research, reports, and resources documenting its grant-making impact.
Is The Baring Foundation a public or private company?
The Baring Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Baring Foundation founded?
The Baring Foundation was founded in 1969. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Baring Foundation based?
The Baring Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Baring Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant-making from endowment.
Who are The Baring Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lloyds Bank Foundation, The Tudor Trust, LankellyChase Foundation, Trust for London, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, City Bridge Foundation and Henry Smith Charity. Comic Relief is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Baring Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Baring Foundation.
What industry is The Baring Foundation in?
The Baring Foundation's product category is Charitable Foundation / Strategic Philanthropy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.