Cinven Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,354,391 (2024)
• Annual Income: £1,355,100 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation/partnership only)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Grant Range: £100,000+ for major partnerships; matched giving for employee fundraising
• Geographic Focus: UK-based with some international partnerships (especially education)
• Charity Number: 1121875
• Company Number: 06428771
• Founded: 2007

Contact Details

Main Office (via Cinven Partners LLP)

• Address: 21 St. James's Square, London SW1Y 4JZ
• Phone: +44 (0)20 7661 3333
• Email: info@cinven.com
• Website: www.cinven.com/cinven-foundation/

Note: The Foundation is administered by Cinven Partners LLP and funded entirely by the firm. All inquiries should be directed through Cinven's main contact channels.

Overview

The Cinven Foundation was established in 2007 as the corporate foundation of Cinven Partners LLP, one of Europe's leading private equity firms. The Foundation operates with a dual approach: making substantial grants to a limited number of pre-selected charity partners annually, and running a matched giving programme that supports employees' personal charitable activities worldwide. With annual expenditure of approximately £1.35 million (2024), the Foundation focuses on three core areas: Education and Social Inclusion; Environmental Causes; and Health Outcomes. The Foundation is funded entirely by Cinven Partners LLP and makes strategic, long-term partnerships with charities rather than responding to unsolicited applications. The Charity Commission describes their activities as “mainly support[ing] education-related programmes, making donations to a limited number of charities each year” while also matching staff donations to various charitable causes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Approach

The Cinven Foundation operates through two distinct funding mechanisms:

1. Strategic Charity Partnerships (No public application process)

• Makes substantial grants to a limited number of pre-selected charities annually
• Focuses on long-term partnerships rather than one-off grants
• Grant amounts: £100,000+ for major partnerships (e.g., £100,000 to School-Home Support in 2009)
• Partnerships selected by trustees based on alignment with Foundation priorities

2. Matched Giving Programme

• Matches employee fundraising and donations to causes of their choice
• Available to Cinven employees worldwide
• No specified limit mentioned publicly

Priority Areas

Education and Social Inclusion (Primary Focus)

The Foundation's main area of activity, supporting organizations that:

• Improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people
• Support social mobility and access to top universities
• Provide tutoring and mentoring for under-resourced students
• Address barriers to educational achievement (e.g., attendance, home environment)
• Work with early years education

Environmental Causes

• Supports environmental projects and sustainability initiatives
• Part of three core areas but less publicly documented than education focus

Health Outcomes

• Third core area of focus
• Supports health-related charitable work
• Specific partnerships in this area less publicly documented

Current and Recent Charity Partners

Education & Social Inclusion Partners:

• Impetus: Venture philanthropy organization supporting education and employment charities
• School-Home Support (SHS): Improves school attendance through whole-family support (received £100,000 in 2009)
• The Access Project: Tutoring and mentoring for under-resourced students to access top UK universities
• ThinkForward: Youth employment support (Cinven supported their first apprenticeship programme)
• SEO/London: Diversity and inclusion in the investment sector
• The Tutor Trust: Tutoring for disadvantaged students
• All Child: Children's services and support

International Education Partnership:

• Greater Share Education Fund: Multi-year partnership announced in 2022 supporting eight NGOs globally:
• aeioTU (Latin America) - early childhood development
• CAMFED (Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Kaivalya (India)
• KIPP (US)
• London Early Years Foundation (UK)
• National Institute for Student Success (US)
• Teach For All (Global)
• West London Zone (UK)

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation does NOT:

• Accept unsolicited applications from organizations
• Fund organizations outside their three core priority areas
• Make one-off responsive grants to unknown organizations
• Support causes unrelated to education, environment, or health
• Fund individual beneficiaries directly (only through partner charities)

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Governance and Leadership

Foundation Trustees

The Foundation is governed by five trustees, all senior figures at Cinven:

• Alison Raymond - Chief Communications Officer at Cinven
• Ben Osnabrug - Partner at Cinven
• Caroline Rawes - Partner and Chief Human Resources Officer at Cinven
• Maxim Crewe - Partner at Cinven
• Sarah Verity-Thomas - Partner at Cinven

Governance Structure:

• No trustees receive remuneration or payments from the Foundation
• No trading subsidiaries
• No employees (administered by Cinven Partners LLP)
• Four trustees as of 2024 Charity Commission filing

Leadership Perspective

Stuart McAlpine, Managing Partner at Cinven, stated regarding the Greater Share partnership: “Cinven is delighted to join Greater Share in tackling the significant global challenge of transforming education for children in under-served communities.”

This quote reflects the Foundation's commitment to systemic, long-term approaches to educational inequality rather than small-scale or short-term interventions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Cinven Foundation does not have a public application process.

The Foundation operates through:

• Cinven's existing network and sector relationships
• Strategic alignment with the firm's values and interests
• Recommendations from trustees and partners at Cinven
• Sector-leading organizations with proven impact

1. Employee Matched Giving: Available only to Cinven employees for their personal charitable activities. Not accessible to external organizations directly.

The Charity Commission describes their approach as “making donations to a limited number of charities each year,” confirming the selective, partnership-based model rather than an open grants programme.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded through trustee discretion and strategic partnership decisions rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since the Cinven Foundation does not accept applications, traditional success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have been selected as partners share common characteristics:

Characteristics of Funded Partners

1. Education Focus with Social Impact

The vast majority of funded partners work in education and social mobility. Successful partners:

• Address educational inequality and access for disadvantaged groups
• Have evidence-based, scalable models
• Focus on young people from under-resourced or under-served communities
• Support pathways to employment, university, or improved life outcomes

2. Sector Leadership and Proven Track Record

All named partners are established organizations with:

• Strong track records of impact
• National or international reach
• Professional governance and infrastructure
• Reputation as sector leaders (Impetus, Teach For All, The Access Project, etc.)

3. Alignment with Private Equity Values

Partners tend to work in areas relevant to Cinven's business community:

• Diversity and inclusion in the investment sector (SEO/London)
• Social mobility and access to professional careers
• Skills development and employment readiness

4. Strategic, Long-Term Partnership Potential

The Foundation favors:

• Multi-year partnerships over one-off grants
• Unrestricted or flexible funding (as seen with Greater Share model)
• Opportunities for employee engagement beyond funding
• Partnerships that demonstrate Cinven's commitment to social impact

What Makes Organizations Stand Out

Based on the documented partnerships:

• Scale and Ambition: Partners like Greater Share support eight international NGOs; School-Home Support aimed to double pupils helped
• Innovation: Greater Share's fund-of-funds model; aeioTU's “innovative and sustainable models”
• Professional Infrastructure: All partners are professionally run charities with strong governance
• Measurable Impact: Focus on organizations with clear outcomes (school attendance, university access, employment)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: The Cinven Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Do not submit proposals or applications through standard channels.

• Partnership Model: The Foundation makes strategic, multi-year partnerships with a limited number of charities. These relationships are cultivated through networks and trustee connections, not open calls.

• Education Focus Dominates: While the Foundation lists three priority areas, education and social inclusion clearly dominate their charitable activity. Organizations outside education face very limited prospects.

• Scale Matters: Documented partnerships are with established, sector-leading organizations with national or international reach (Impetus, Teach For All, The Access Project, School-Home Support), not emerging or small local charities.

• Corporate Connection: As a corporate foundation of a private equity firm, partners often align with business sector interests (diversity in investment, employability, professional skills).

• Employee Matched Giving Only External Route: The only way for smaller charities to benefit is if a Cinven employee chooses to fundraise for or donate to them through the matched giving programme.

• International Education via Greater Share: The Greater Share partnership represents Cinven's international education giving, supporting eight specific NGOs. This avenue appears closed to other international education organizations.

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, “Cinven Foundation - 1121875,”. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4036157

• Cinven, “Cinven Foundation,”. https://www.cinven.com/cinven-foundation/

• Cinven, “Cinven Partners with Greater Share Education Fund,” 2022. https://www.cinven.com/news-insights/cinven-partners-with-greater-share-education-fund/

• Private Equity Wire, "Private Equity Foundation and Cinven invest in children's charity," November 30, 2009. https://www.privateequitywire.co.uk/2009/11/30/25518/private-equity-foundation-and-cinven-invest-children's-charity

• Companies House, “Cinven Foundation - Company Number 06428771,”. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06428771

• Greater Share Education Fund, organizational information accessed through Cinven partnership announcement, January 2025.