Khodorkovsky Foundation

Charity Number: 1106885

Stay updated on changes from Khodorkovsky Foundation and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £13,488,818 (latest filing)
  • Total Assets: Approximately £13.1 million (2023)
  • Grant Distribution (2023): $15,182,075 (approximately £12 million)
  • Founded: 2003
  • Initial Endowment: $500 million
  • Geographic Focus: Previously Russia; now operates throughout England and Wales, and Lithuania
  • Application Process: No public application process currently available

Contact Details

Registered Office:

C/O TGW Law

4 Hill Street

London W1J 5NE

Phone: 020 7318 1180

Email: atulloch@atulloch.com

Website: khodorkovskyfoundation.org

Overview

The Khodorkovsky Foundation is a UK-registered charity (No. 1106885) established in 2003, inspired and endowed with $500 million by Russian business leader and philanthropist Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The Foundation is one of the UK's largest charitable organizations focused on advancing education in Russia and supporting the long-term development of a strong, vibrant, and dynamic civil society. Its mission is to “give young generations of ordinary Russians the educational opportunities, skills and support needed to build and participate in a strong, vibrant and dynamic civil society in Russia.”

In July 2021, the Russian government designated the Khodorkovsky Foundation as an “undesirable organization,” effectively ending all operations within Russia. This designation forced the trustees to suspend activities in Russia for an uncertain period and review alternative ways to achieve their charitable purposes. Despite this significant operational change, the Foundation continues as an active UK charity, having distributed over $15 million in grants in 2023. The Foundation now operates throughout England and Wales, and in Lithuania, continuing its mission of supporting Russian civil society and education outside of Russia.

Funding Priorities

Historical Grant Programs (Pre-2021)

Podmoskovny Lyceum (1994-2021)

  • Mikhail Khodorkovsky's first educational project, established in 1994
  • Boarding school for socially disadvantaged children, many of them orphans
  • Located outside Moscow, serving approximately 168-200 pupils at any given time
  • Nearly 3,000 graduates by the time funding ceased in 2021
  • Sole funder from 2005 onwards
  • Students received education including lessons in civil society and democracy

Oxford Russia Fund (2005-2021)

  • Distributed over 41,000 scholarships to Russian students
  • Supported no less than 2,000 students per year
  • Focused on undergraduate and graduate scholarships in social sciences and humanities
  • Covered 20 Russian universities from Novgorod in the west to Vladivostok in the east
  • Scholarship amounts: 6,000-10,000 rubles per month depending on location
  • Also distributed English language academic books to Russian universities

Hill Foundation Scholarships (2001-present)

  • Over 200 Russian students enabled to undertake postgraduate courses at Oxford University
  • Fully covers fees and provides grants towards living costs
  • Related but separate initiative

Current Focus Areas

The Foundation continues to provide support to:

  • Academic institutions: Universities and educational establishments
  • Civil Society organizations: Organizations working on Russian civil society development, democracy, and human rights
  • Educational documentaries: Films of educational value that tell stories relevant to Russia

Grant Policy: The long-term aim of the charity is to make annual grants of at least 3% of the charity's funds.

Topic Areas

The Foundation gives grants in the following areas:

  • Children and adolescents
  • Culture and art
  • Humanitarian and disaster relief
  • Education and civil society development
  • Human rights and democracy
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for Khodorkovsky Foundation?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

The Foundation's Board of Trustees consists of five members selected for their skills and experience in education in Russia and the UK, as well as expertise in investment management and charity administration:

Mr. Alastair Tulloch (Contact: atulloch@atulloch.com)

UK solicitor with extensive experience in grant-giving charities supported by his clients. Brings expertise in charity administration and legal governance.

Mr. Anton Drel

Certified lawyer specializing in human rights litigation in Eastern European courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Served as Mikhail Khodorkovsky's personal attorney in the YUKOS case from 2003-2013. Native of Moscow, now permanently based in London. Brings deep understanding of Russian legal context and human rights issues.

Ms. Maria Logan

International lawyer and human rights campaigner who previously worked in litigation practice at international law firm Greenberg Traurig. Joined the campaign for Mikhail Khodorkovsky's release in 2008 and has spearheaded initiatives supporting Russian civil society since his release. Brings expertise in human rights advocacy and civil society development.

Mr. Pavel Khodorkovsky

President of the Institute of Modern Russia, an organization he founded. Son of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Co-founded Enertron, a cleantech energy monitoring company in 2011. Focuses on promoting civil society development through rule of law strengthening. Brings entrepreneurial experience and commitment to Russian civil society.

Mr. Rupert Caldecott

Over four decades of experience in financial services, principally investment management. Has served on investment committees of various charitable foundations. Brings expertise in asset allocation and financial stewardship of charitable funds.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Khodorkovsky Foundation does not currently have a public application process. Following the designation as an “undesirable organization” by the Russian government in July 2021, the Foundation suspended its grant programs in Russia. According to a trustee statement: "Because of the fact that the Russian government has designated the Foundation as 'undesirable organization', the trustees had to suspend its activities in Russia for an uncertain period of time and to review other ways to achieve purposes set for us."

The Foundation's website states that it is “no longer operating active grant programs” in their traditional form. While the Foundation continues to make significant grants (over $15 million in 2023), these appear to be made through trustee discretion and established relationships rather than through an open application process.

Organizations interested in the Foundation's support should contact the trustees directly:

  • Email: atulloch@atulloch.com
  • Phone: 020 7318 1180
  • Mail: 4 Hill Street, London W1J 5NE

Related Entities

Organizations may also explore related Khodorkovsky-linked initiatives:

Future of Russia Foundation (London-based)

Has made grants to organizations including The Atlantic Council (£151,900 in 2020) and Chatham House (£50,000 in 2017, £100,000 in 2018).

Institute of Modern Russia

Led by Pavel Khodorkovsky, focuses on promoting civil society development and rule of law.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No open application process: This is not a foundation where you can submit an unsolicited application through a formal process. Funding decisions appear to be made through trustee discretion and established relationships.
  • Significant ongoing activity: Despite the 2021 designation, the Foundation remains highly active with over £13 million in annual giving, indicating they are still making strategic grants.
  • Mission-critical alignment required: Given the sensitive political context and lack of public application process, organizations would need demonstrable connection to the Foundation's core mission of supporting Russian education and civil society.
  • Geographic shift: Operations have moved from Russia to other locations including Lithuania, reflecting the changing landscape for Russian civil society support.
  • Relationship-based grantmaking: Contact the trustees directly if your organization has a compelling case for alignment with their mission, particularly if working with Russian diaspora, exiled civil society organizations, or educational/documentary projects about Russia.
  • Historical scale provides insight: The Foundation's previous work (41,000 scholarships, supporting 168-200 boarding school students) demonstrates capacity for both numerous small grants and sustained major institutional support.
  • Values democracy and civil society: Educational components explicitly included teaching about democracy, civil society, and market economics, suggesting preference for organizations with these values.

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References