The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation

What The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation does

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation registered as a charity in England and Wales (number 1111587) and established in 2006 to structure the ongoing giving of co-founders and trustees Rory and Elizabeth Brooks, who are joined by trustees Bridget Fury and Rebecca Eastmond, with Greenwood Place providing operational support. The foundation operates from a registered address at Suite 104, 14 Hanover Square, London W1S 1HN and is funded by the Brooks family's private wealth rather than earned revenue. It is governed as a grant-making entity: proposals are by invitation only and unsolicited applications are not considered, reflecting a deliberately limited capacity focused on long-term, high-engagement partnerships rather than broad-based open grant rounds.

The foundation concentrates its giving across four interconnected programme areas — higher education and global development, arts and culture, youth education and social mobility, and social-justice / community infrastructure — with flagship commitments to the University of Manchester's Global Development Institute (continuous support since 2005 and a £2M transformational gift in 2024, the foundation's largest-ever five-year grant) and to Tate, where the 10-year Brooks International Fellowship Programme has supported over 20 museum professionals in collaboration with the Delfina Foundation. Beyond these flagships the foundation supports a portfolio of roughly twelve partner organisations including IntoUniversity, Rugby Portobello Trust, ARTiculation at the National Gallery, Create, AllChild, The Line, the Whitley Fund for Nature, the Quintessentially Foundation's Firefly Project, and the CSJ Foundation.

The foundation's model differs materially from a conventional company. There is no product, no pricing structure, and no commercial go-to-market: distribution is direct, invitation-only grant-making to partner organisations, supported by Rory and Elizabeth Brooks' personal engagement as trustees and advisors to many of those organisations. Its competitive position rests on reputation, the trustees' governance credentials (including Rory Brooks' 2023 appointment as a Charity Commissioner for England and Wales and his prior CBE for charitable services), and the depth of its UK institutional relationships rather than on any scalable technology or revenue model.

Name

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation

Legal name

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation

Website

https://rebrooksfoundation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation is a London-based private philanthropic foundation, established in 2006 and funded by the Brooks family's wealth, that makes invitation-only grants across global development, arts and culture, and youth education to a long-term portfolio of UK and international partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Private philanthropic foundation
• Charitable grant-making
• Global development research funding
• Arts and culture philanthropy
• Youth education grants

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic endowment and family giving: The foundation receives its funding from the Brooks family's private wealth. As a registered charity (number 1111587), it distributes grants to partner organisations working in focus areas including global development, arts and culture, and youth education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation is a private, philanthropic foundation that makes grants and provides long-term trusteeship to a small set of partner organisations working in global development research, arts and culture, and youth education. Its principal asset-backed initiative is a multi-year £2 million grant to the University of Manchester's Global Development Institute, alongside flagship programmes such as the Brooks International Fellowship Programme at Tate and Delfina Foundation and sustained support for IntoUniversity and the Rugby Portobello Trust.

Product overview

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 2006 that manages charitable giving across four main programme areas: Higher Education (through the Brooks World Poverty Institute/Global Development Institute and Brooks Doctoral College at the University of Manchester); Arts and Culture (including the Brooks International Fellowship Programme at Tate, ARTiculation at the National Gallery, and support for Create, South London Gallery, and The Line); Community Support (including Rugby Portobello Trust, IntoUniversity, and AllChild); and Social Justice (including the Centre for Social Justice Foundation, Quintessentially Foundation's Firefly Project, and Whitley Fund for Nature). The Foundation operates as a grant-making organisation rather than a product-based company, providing transformational gifts and long-term support to organisations aligned with their focus on social disadvantage, education, and arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brooks International Fellowship Programme at Tate A fully-funded international fellowship programme enabling curators, researchers, art historians, and other museum professionals to work with Tate colleagues for six months while also participating in a residency at the Delfina Foundation. Now in its 10th year, the programme has supported more than 20 research fellows across cohorts.
• Global Development Institute and Brooks Doctoral College Support Multi-year anchor funding and ongoing foundation trusteeship for the Global Development Institute (successor to the Brooks World Poverty Institute) and the Brooks Doctoral College at the University of Manchester, supporting postgraduate research into global poverty and equitable partnerships with developing-world universities.
• ARTiculation Programme A national public-speaking and arts-appreciation initiative working with 50 museums, galleries, universities, and arts associations, engaging over 4,000 young people from 200 schools annually. The foundation provides ongoing support via the Roche Court Educational Trust, with the National Gallery as its new operational home since 2022.
• IntoUniversity Programme Support Sustained grant-making and trustee-level governance support for IntoUniversity, a national charity supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in school and attain university places or other aspirations via a network of community-based learning centres for students aged 9–18.
• Rugby Portobello Trust Football Academy Foundation funding for the RPT Football Academy supporting up to 120 children each year in North Kensington, with 15 players trained with or signed to professional clubs, alongside Elizabeth Brooks' trusteeship of P3 (People, Potential and Possibilities).
• Create Charity Programme Support Foundation grant-making support for Create, the UK's leading charity empowering marginalised children, young people, and adults through creative-arts programmes, with the foundation announcing support in 2023 as part of its arts strategy.
• Whitley Fund for Nature Support Foundation grant-making support for the Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK-based nature conservation charity providing funding, training, and recognition to wildlife conservationists across biodiversity-rich countries in the Global South, with awards presented annually by HRH The Princess Royal.

Quantifiable outcome

• £2 million transformational gift to GDI in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• British CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Rory and Elizabeth Brooks support the British Pavilion at the 60th International Arts Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2024. The British Council commissions the pavilion and is working with partners on an expanded public programme.
• CSJ FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The CSJ Foundation generates and directs philanthropic giving to charities in the CSJ Alliance network of over 300 grassroots charities. Rory is an inaugural Trustee of the newly formed CSJ Foundation, having previously been Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Social Justice.
• IntoUniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IntoUniversity is a national charity supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in education. Rory has served as trustee since 2019 and is currently Chair of the Campaign Committee. The foundation supports this organisation's network of community-based learning centres for students aged 9-18.
• Tate and Delfina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The Brooks International Fellowship Programme at Tate, now in its 10th year, enables curators, researchers, and art historians to work at Tate for six months with a residency at Delfina Foundation. Over 20 fellows have been supported. Elizabeth serves as co-Chair of Tate's Photography Acquisition Committee and both are members of the International Council.
• Quintessentially FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Rory served as Chair from 2021-2024 and has supported the foundation since its inception in 2010. The Quintessentially Foundation provides grants to aspiring charities and has launched the Firefly Project supporting disadvantaged youth in London.
• Rugby Portobello Trust / P3coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008The Rugby Portobello Trust is a children's, youth and family support charity supporting the local community for over 135 years. Elizabeth became a trustee in 2008 and later served on P3's board. The foundation supports RPT Football Academy which works with up to 120 children annually.
• ARTiculation / National GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006ARTiculation is a national public speaking initiative for students aged 14-23, championing appreciation and discussion of art. Working with 50 museums, galleries, and universities, over 4,000 young people from 200 schools participate annually. The National Gallery became its new home in 2022. The foundation supports this through the Roche Court Educational Trust.
• University of Manchester - Global Development InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005The foundation has supported the University of Manchester since 2005, funding the Brooks World Poverty Institute (now Global Development Institute) and making its largest-ever £2 million grant in 2024. Rory serves on the International Advisory Board and Elizabeth chairs the Director's Circle of the Whitworth Art Gallery. The foundation has also funded major conferences including the Johannesburg Global Poverty Summit.
• Whitley Fund for NatureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Whitley Fund for Nature provides funding, training and recognition to wildlife conservationists working in biodiversity-rich countries in the Global South. Awards are presented annually by HRH The Princess Royal.
• CreateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreate is the UK's leading charity empowering lives through creative arts, focusing on the most marginalised children, young people and adults. The foundation announced support for this organisation in 2023 as part of its arts strategy.
• AllChildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllChild supports communities in underserved UK neighbourhoods to help children build social, emotional, and academic skills through tailored programmes in schools. The foundation's grant supports arts-based specialist delivery partners.
• The LineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Line is East London's public art trail connecting Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2. The foundation supports this organisation's engagement projects focusing on well-being, learning, and youth employability.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Linbury Trust: UK family (Sainsbury) foundation supporting arts, education, and environment; closely comparable as a multi-decade family foundation with arts and education focus areas.
• The Tudor Trust: UK grantmaking foundation focused on smaller charities and community organisations; comparable as a long-tenure, UK-resident grantmaking foundation with similar operational philosophy.
• Wolfson Foundation: UK grantmaking foundation funding research, education, and the arts at UK universities and cultural institutions; closely comparable in university and cultural institution partnership focus.
• Leverhulme Trust: Major UK private grantmaking foundation funding research and education across UK universities, directly comparable as an established family-linked endowment with similar long-tenure, multi-decade partnership model with academic institutions.
• Gatsby Charitable Foundation: UK private foundation funding education, plant science, and arts with deep, multi-decade institutional partnerships; directly comparable operating model with focused programmatic areas and long-tenure grants.
• Garfield Weston Foundation: UK family foundation supporting arts, education, and community causes; closely comparable structure, multi-generational family governance, and portfolio of long-standing UK institutional partnerships.
• Paul Hamlyn Foundation: UK family foundation with overlapping focus on arts, education, and social disadvantage; directly comparable thematic priorities, grantmaking approach, and partner portfolio.
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: UK grantmaking foundation funding arts, education, and social change; directly comparable thematic priorities and grantmaking scale, with similar long-tenure UK partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Trust: The UK's largest research-focused charitable foundation; directly comparable in supporting global health and development research at UK universities but operates at vastly greater scale and broader scope than the Brooks Foundation.
• Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): Major UK-based philanthropic foundation operating globally on children and climate; comparable structure as a UK-resident, family-founded foundation with substantial endowment and global development grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation