What Karim Foundation does

Karim Foundation is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1191413), founded in September 2020 and headquartered in Cambridge, that delivers poverty-relief services to vulnerable residents of Cambridge and the surrounding Cambridgeshire region. Its core services comprise urgent food support (including culturally appropriate halal meat, chicken, fish, and rice that mainstream foodbanks do not stock), domestic fuel and energy-bill assistance, emergency financial aid, and structured referral pathways for individuals and families facing financial hardship. The foundation serves a diversified beneficiary base including refugees and asylum seekers, low-income families, ethnic-minority residents and migrants, domestic violence survivors, single parents, disabled individuals, the elderly, and those with no recourse to public funds.

The organization has no proprietary technology stack; it operates through a traditional charity model anchored by a Board of Trustees, a small team of staff, and named volunteers. Its technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website, a downloadable referral form, standard organic social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), and an email newsletter distributed via Mailchimp-style list management. Its flagship program, the Cambridge Ramadan Appeal, has run annually since 2021, with supplementary fundraising generated through community events (Arbury Carnival, Cambridge Mela, Mill Road Winter Fair), third-participant challenges (Cambridge Half Marathon, Mam Tor hike), and minor partner-led events (AlAnsaar Cup).

Karim Foundation is entirely donation-funded, with no fee-bearing services, and is governed as an independent registered charity with no parent company or institutional investment structure. It sustains operations through long-standing strategic partnerships with Cambridge City Council, Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum, Cambridge Central Mosque, Omar Faruque Mosque, and a broader Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance network. Recognition includes BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Make a Difference Awards (2022, Highly Commended) and Anglia Ruskin University Vice Chancellor's Outstanding Alumni Awards (2025, Highly Commended). The annual revenue base is modest and not publicly disclosed, with disclosed campaign receipts suggesting low-tens-of-thousands of pounds per year.

Name

Karim Foundation

Legal name

The Karim Foundation

Website

https://karimfoundation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Karim Foundation is a Cambridge-based UK registered charity (No. 1191413), founded in 2020, that delivers food, fuel, and emergency financial support to vulnerable residents across Cambridgeshire, with a distinctive focus on culturally appropriate provision for ethnic-minority, refugee, and no-recourse-to-public-funds populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Poverty Relief Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Poverty relief services
• Food bank services
• Fuel assistance
• Emergency support
• Charitable donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General donations from individuals via JustGiving platform, bank transfers, and standing orders. Donors can make one-off or regular contributions.
2. Fundraising Campaigns: Annual Ramadan fundraising campaigns including the Cambridge Ramadan Appeal, which has raised between £1,000 to over £3,000 annually since 2021.
3. Corporate and Community Fundraising: Third-party fundraising events including half marathons, hiking challenges, football tournaments, and student-led fundraisers generate additional donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Karim Foundation is a registered charity that provides food support (including culturally appropriate halal meat, chicken, fish, and rice), fuel and domestic cost assistance, and emergency relief to vulnerable individuals and families in Cambridge and surrounding Cambridgeshire. It also runs the annual Cambridge Ramadan Appeal fundraising campaign, distributing funds raised to beneficiaries in need. Services are delivered free of charge and funded through donations, fundraising events, and partner campaigns.

Product overview

The Karim Foundation is a UK-registered charity (Registered Charity No. 1191413) providing poverty relief services in Cambridge and surrounding Cambridgeshire. The organization offers a unified suite of support services centered on food assistance, fuel support, and emergency relief for vulnerable populations including refugees, asylum seekers, ethnic minorities, single parents, the disabled, elderly, and those with no recourse to public funds. Core services include culturally appropriate food provision (halal meat, chicken, fish, rice), utility assistance, and emergency support during crises such as COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis. The Foundation operates through downloadable referral systems and collaborates with local partners including Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum and Cambridge City Council to deliver targeted assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Support Services Provides urgent food assistance and culturally appropriate food items including halal meat, chicken, fish, and rice to vulnerable individuals and families in Cambridge experiencing financial hardship.
• Fuel Support Services Provides assistance with domestic costs and utility top-ups to help vulnerable residents manage household energy bills and heating expenses.
• Emergency Support Offers emergency financial assistance for those in financial crisis, including support during the COVID-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis.
• Referral Services Facilitates referrals for individuals and families seeking support through downloadable referral forms, with team follow-up to determine appropriate assistance.
• Cambridge Ramadan Appeal Annual Ramadan fundraising campaign providing essential food and fuel support to vulnerable families and individuals in Cambridge, running since 2021 with annual totals between £1,000 and over £3,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided food and fuel support to thousands of vulnerable residents since 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum (CECF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partner since 2021, working collaboratively to identify and support vulnerable families and individuals. CECF is an umbrella organization providing racial equality services. Eddie Stadnik, CEO, has publicly endorsed the partnership as key to reaching economically deprived communities with culturally appropriate food support.
• Cambridge City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership since 2021 for annual Ramadan Appeals and broader community support initiatives. Robert Pollock, Chief Executive, has encouraged donations to support vulnerable residents.
• Cambridge Sustainable FoodsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance and joint campaigns including Cost of Food and Living Crisis Fund.
• Cambridge City FoodbanksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner organization providing food bank services in Cambridge.
• Wintercomfort for the HomelesssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing day center services for homeless individuals.
• Jimmy's CambridgesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting people experiencing homelessness.
• Cambridge CyrenianssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing accommodation, support and specialist services for homeless men and women.
• Cambridge Central MosquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for community events including Health and Wellness Day, Women's Wellness Day, and Ramadan Appeal support. Imam Sejad Mekić has publicly supported Ramadan Appeals.
• Resettle ChestertonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization helping resettle refugee families in Cambridge. Partnership began in 2023 to support newly arriving refugee families.
• AlAnsaarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCambridge-based community group that organized 2023 AlAnsaar Cup football tournament, donating £100 to Karim Foundation from proceeds. Co-founded by Sayful Alam in 2012.
• University of Cambridge MuseumssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer families special museum access during school summer holidays, funded by Cambridge City Council.
• Cambridge Women's AidsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting women facing domestic violence.
• Cambridge Women's Resources Centre (CWRC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing women's community space in Cambridge.
• Omar Faruque Mosque and Cultural CentresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner mosque with Imam Rayhan Gani supporting Ramadan Appeals.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FareShare: UK's largest charity fighting food poverty by redistributing surplus food. Comparable as a broad incumbent in UK food poverty relief, though operating at national scale with corporate food supply chain integration rather than grassroots community delivery.
• Trussell Trust: UK's largest food bank network operating a national federation of foodbanks. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in emergency food provision, sharing beneficiary profile and donor base, but operating at vastly greater scale than Karim Foundation.

Direct peers

• Muslim Aid: UK-based Islamic charity providing humanitarian aid, food assistance, and poverty relief. Shares Karim Foundation's faith-aligned community funding model and emergency support orientation, though operating globally.
• Cambridge Cyrenians: Cambridge charity providing accommodation and support for vulnerable adults experiencing homelessness. Listed as Karim Foundation partner, serving overlapping beneficiaries in the same local service ecosystem.
• Islamic Relief UK: Faith-based (Islamic) humanitarian charity active in the UK providing poverty relief, food aid, and emergency support. Comparable to Karim Foundation in faith-aligned donor base and poverty-relief mission, but operating internationally at significantly larger scale.
• Jimmy's Cambridge: Cambridge-based charity supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Another Karim Foundation partner, demonstrating directly comparable beneficiary overlap (rough sleepers, vulnerably housed) and geographic focus.
• Wintercomfort for the Homeless: Cambridge-based charity supporting people experiencing homelessness with day center services. Listed as Karim Foundation's partner, indicating direct operational overlap in serving overlapping vulnerable populations within the same Cambridge geography.
• Cambridge City Foodbank: Direct peer operating in the same Cambridge food aid space as Karim Foundation. Provides emergency food parcels to individuals and families in financial hardship and is listed as one of Karim Foundation's own partner organizations, confirming direct overlap in beneficiary base and service category.
• Cambridge Sustainable Food: Direct peer coordinating food poverty responses across Cambridge, including running the Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance alongside Karim Foundation. Operates in the same local food poverty ecosystem with overlapping beneficiary and partner networks.
• Cambridge Women's Aid: Cambridge-based charity supporting women and children affected by domestic abuse. Karim Foundation partner with directly overlapping beneficiary segment (women in crisis, recently featured in 2026 Ramadan Appeal focus).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@karimfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/karimfdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karim-foundation-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/karim.foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Karim Foundation