What Berkeley Foundation does

The Berkeley Foundation is the working name of The Berkeley Charitable Foundation, a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number 1152596, Company Number 8548400) operating as the philanthropic arm of The Berkeley Group PLC, one of the UK's largest housebuilders. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Cobham, Surrey, the foundation supports young people and their communities across London, Birmingham, and the South of England through long-term, trust-based partnerships with 40-50 expert frontline charities at any one time.

The foundation operates four funding mechanisms: Strategic Partnerships (invitation-only, long-term transformational partnerships), Community Partnerships (minimum three-year local charity partnerships selected by Berkeley Group operating businesses), a Resilience Fund (currently closed, supporting organisational development of small-to-medium charities), and a Development Fund (flexible funding for new opportunities). These programs are organised around five impact goals: A Safe Place to Call Home, Journey to Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Youth Leadership, and A Resilient Voluntary Sector. In 2023/24 the foundation distributed £3.6 million through grants, staff fundraising, and payroll giving, with 51% of total funding allocated to unrestricted or core costs.

The foundation derives its funding from The Berkeley Group and its operating businesses (Berkeley, St Edward, St George, St James, St Joseph, and St William), with colleagues contributing through fundraising events, volunteering hours that the foundation match-funds, and payroll giving. The foundation maintains a small core team of 1-10 employees, opens all grants data via 360Giving, and publishes an annual review; it does not sell products or services, has no proprietary technology stack, and is not commercially traded.

Name

Berkeley Foundation

Legal name

The Berkeley Charitable Foundation

Website

https://berkeleyfoundation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Berkeley Foundation is the charitable arm of UK housebuilder The Berkeley Group PLC, distributing approximately £3.6 million annually in grants to 40-50 frontline charities across London, Birmingham, and southern England. It supports young people and communities through long-term partnerships spanning housing, employment, health, leadership, and voluntary sector resilience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation and Grant-making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation
• Grant funding
• Youth support
• Community partnerships
• Corporate philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cobham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Grant Distribution: The foundation distributes grants to charity partners through four funding streams: Strategic Partnerships (long-term transformational partnerships), Community Partnerships (local charity support via Berkeley operating businesses), Resilience Fund (organizational development grants for small-to-medium charities), and Development Fund (flexible funding for new opportunities). In 2023/24, £3.6m was distributed through grants, staff fundraising, and payroll giving donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Berkeley Foundation is a UK registered charity that distributes grants and provides long-term, trust-based funding and non-financial support (volunteering, fundraising, payroll giving, and job-brokering) to 40–50 expert frontline charities serving young people and communities across London, Birmingham, and the South of England. Its work is organised around four funding streams — Strategic Partnerships, Community Partnerships, the Resilience Fund, and the Development Fund — and five impact goals covering housing, employment, health and wellbeing, youth leadership, and voluntary sector resilience. In 2023/24 the foundation distributed £3.6 million through grants, staff fundraising, and payroll giving.

Product overview

The Berkeley Foundation is a charitable foundation (working name of The Berkeley Charitable Foundation) that operates as a platform of funding programs rather than a technology product company. The Foundation's offering consists of four core funding mechanisms: Strategic Partnerships (long-term, invitation-only partnerships with aligned charities), Community Partnerships (local charity partnerships selected by Berkeley staff), the Resilience Fund (grants for small-to-medium charity organisational development, currently closed), and the Development Fund (flexible funding for new opportunities). These programs are organized around five impact goals: A Safe Place to Call Home, Journey to Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Youth Leadership, and A Resilient Voluntary Sector. In 2023/24, the Foundation distributed £3.6m through grants, staff fundraising, and payroll giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Partnerships
• Community Partnerships
• Resilience Fund
• Development Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• £3.6m distributed to charity partners in 2023/24
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Change of ScenecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026New three-year Community Partnership launched February 2026 between Berkeley Group and Berkeley Group IT with Change of Scene. Charity provides animal assisted learning to young people with complex emotional, social and behavioural needs. Many beneficiaries are excluded or at risk of exclusion from education. Partnership includes fundraising and volunteering at their site in Surrey/Hampshire.
• Surrey Young Carers (Action for Carers Surrey)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Eight-year collaboration with Surrey Young Carers ending with new Change of Scene partnership. Total amount reached £150,000 including £70,000+ staff fundraising, £40,000 match funding, £13,000 payroll giving. Activities included skydiving, Three Peaks challenges, Christmas Pantomime. Partnership finale included Berkeley Group IT Insight session for young carers.
• Honeypot Children's CharityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Berkeley St George's 10-year Community Partnership with Honeypot ending in May 2026. Raised £627,000 over the partnership. During the partnership, Honeypot opened a new house and significantly increased respite breaks for young carers. Also introduced health and wellbeing breaks delivered in partnership with schools.
• SPEARflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Berkeley St George's 13-year Community Partnership with SPEAR ending in May 2026. Raised £776,000 over the partnership. SPEAR provides homelessness support in west London. Introduced Wellbeing Days supporting over 600 people to access vital health services. Partnership ended as part of Berkeley St George's charity rotation.
• DemelzaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Berkeley Capital partnership with Demelza children's hospice since 2012. Partnership reached £1 million milestone in February 2026. Berkeley colleagues contribute through fundraising and practical volunteering (warehouse work, garden maintenance). Foundation match funds volunteering hours. Partnership renewed for three years until 2029.
• CrisiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity working to end homelessness. Partner under 'A Safe Place to Call Home' impact goal. Foundation supports Crisis's work in helping people experiencing homelessness.
• St BasilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity working with young people to end youth homelessness. Partner under 'A Safe Place to Call Home' impact goal.
• New Horizon Youth CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDay centre for homeless young people in London. Partner under 'A Safe Place to Call Home' impact goal.
• MyBnK / Money ReadycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial education charity for young people. Partner under 'A Safe Place to Call Home' impact goal.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner under 'Journey to Employment' impact goal. Supports career development and employment opportunities for young people.
• Mission EmployAblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment support charity. Partner under 'Journey to Employment' impact goal helping young people prepare for work.
• The Change Foundation (Street Elite)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUses sport to engage hard-to-reach young people. Partner under 'Journey to Employment' impact goal. Published Street Elite Toolkit and SROI Report.
• Streets of GrowthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development charity. Partner under 'Journey to Employment' impact goal. Testimonial indicates partnership has been transformative for young people served.
• Alexander Devine Children's Hospice ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's hospice. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• Lords Taverners (Super 1s)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCricket charity with disability cricket programme Super 1s. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• Mayor's Fund for LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity addressing youth unemployment in London. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• Mencap (Ealing Mencap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning disability charity. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• Richard House Children's HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's hospice in east London. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• St GilescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting people affected by crime, poverty or poor mental health. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• St Matthews ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth project in south London. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• The GrangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for young people with complex needs. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• West Youth ZonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth facility in west London. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• Your StorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting care-experienced young people. Partner under 'Health and Wellbeing' impact goal.
• Build Up FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding capacity in the voluntary sector. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• CARAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting refugees and asylum seekers. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• EsteemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth empowerment charity. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• Leaders In CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding leadership in communities. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• My Life My SaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth civic engagement charity. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• Poetic UnitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoetry and creative arts for young people. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• SettlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting young people with housing. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• Social ArkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting young people. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• The Foyer FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of youth foyers. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• Youth ConcerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth support charity. Partner under 'A Resilient Voluntary Sector' impact goal.
• Groundwork LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental and community charity. Partner under 'Youth Leadership' impact goal.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Henry Smith Charity: Established UK grantmaking charity supporting work with disadvantaged communities, including youth; comparable multi-year, trust-based grantmaking approach.
• The Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Major UK private grantmaking foundation with overlapping themes including youth opportunity, wellbeing, and the voluntary sector; operates a similar open-data, long-term partnership model.
• The Co-op Foundation: Corporate charitable foundation of The Co-operative Group; closely comparable as a UK corporate foundation delivering strategic, capacity-building grants to charities serving young people and communities.
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: UK grantmaking foundation with comparable focus on social inclusion, young people, and a commitment to long-term, trust-based, flexible funding including unrestricted grants.
• Lloyds Bank Foundation: Corporate charitable foundation of a major UK bank with a portfolio focused on disadvantaged and vulnerable groups across the UK; directly comparable as a UK corporate foundation with multi-year partnership grants to charities.
• The Prince's Trust: Major UK charitable foundation focused on young people (employment, education, wellbeing); directly comparable mission orientation to Berkeley Foundation and similar regional UK operating scope.
• The Tudor Trust: Independent UK grantmaker renowned for trust-based, long-term, unrestricted funding to small and medium charities; strongly comparable funding philosophy and beneficiary segments.

Regional players

• The John Lyon's Charity: London-focused grantmaking foundation supporting youth opportunities and community organisations; directly comparable to Berkeley's London/South-East emphasis and youth mission.
• City Bridge Foundation: London-focused charitable grantmaker and the charitable arm of the City of London Corporation; shares Berkeley's strong London geographic emphasis and youth/social-issue portfolio, though is publicly endowed rather than corporate-funded.

Broad incumbents

• The Garfield Weston Foundation: One of the UK's largest family-established grantmaking foundations; comparable as a UK private foundation making multi-year unrestricted grants across social-welfare themes, though with much larger annual distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/b__foundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCC6uDAA9MqXsg_JKILDmucQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkeley-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/berkeleyfoundation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Berkeley Foundation