Michael And Sarah Spencer Foundation

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1184658
• Annual Giving: £10 million (committed annually)
• Recent Annual Income: £57,999 (FY ending March 2025)
• Recent Annual Expenditure: £54,282 (FY ending March 2025)
• Geographic Focus: Worldwide (with emphasis on Africa, particularly Kenya)
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Application Process: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: 3rd Floor, 39 Sloane Street, London, SW1X 9LP

Email: office@michaelandsarahspencerfoundation.com (also office@spencerfoundation.com)

Phone: 020 7448 0377

Website: www.michaelandsarahspencerfoundation.com

Overview

The Michael and Sarah Spencer Foundation was established in 2019 as a charitable trust by billionaire businessman Michael Spencer, Baron Spencer of Alresford (founder of NEX Group/ICAP) and his wife Sarah. The foundation represents the formalization of the couple's commitment to give £10 million annually to charitable causes. With a strategic focus on conservation, military causes, education, and Africa, the foundation provides grants to registered charities worldwide addressing health, poverty relief, and education. The trustees bring extensive experience in conservation work, particularly through their co-trusteeship of the Borana Conservation Trust in Kenya, which manages a 94,000-acre sanctuary and successfully reintroduced 21 black rhinos to the region in 2013. Michael Spencer's broader philanthropic legacy includes founding ICAP Charity Day in 1993, which has raised over £170 million for more than 3,100 charitable causes globally.

Funding Priorities

Core Themes

The foundation focuses on four primary areas:

• Conservation: Environmental protection and conservation of animals, particularly in Africa
• Military: Support for veterans and military memorials
• Education: Educational advancement globally
• Africa: Development and humanitarian work across the continent

Charitable Objects

The foundation's registered purposes include:

1. Relief of sickness and the preservation of health among people anywhere in the world
2. Prevention and relief of poverty anywhere in the world by providing grants, items and services
3. Benefit of the public to promote education of people anywhere in the world by grants and financial assistance
4. The advancement of environmental protection and improvement for the benefit of the public by the protection and conservation of animals

Grant Topics

• Healthcare and medical relief
• Culture and arts
• Humanitarian and disaster relief
• Wildlife conservation and environmental protection
• Military heritage and remembrance

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Michael Alan Spencer (Chair)

• Appointed: 10 April 2019
• Baron Spencer of Alresford
• Founder of NEX Group (formerly ICAP), acquired by CME Group in 2018
• Estimated net worth: £1.2 billion (Sunday Times Rich List 2021)
• Also serves as trustee of the Borana Conservation Trust
• Founded ICAP Charity Day in 1993, his self-described proudest business achievement

Sarah Georgina Spencer (Trustee)

• Appointed: 10 April 2019
• Married to Michael Spencer in June 2016
• Also serves as trustee of the Borana Conservation Trust

Marina Bozica Ritossa (Trustee)

• Appointed: 10 April 2019

Governance Structure

• All three trustees serve without remuneration, payments or benefits
• The charity has no trading subsidiaries
• No employees receive benefits over £60,000
• The charity maintains up-to-date reporting with the Charity Commission

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Michael and Sarah Spencer Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for funding.

The foundation identifies and approaches potential beneficiaries through trustee discretion rather than accepting open applications from organizations seeking funding. This is a proactive grant-making model where trustees select causes aligned with their strategic priorities.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's approach to grant-making, organizations working in the foundation's priority areas should consider:

1. Conservation Connections: Organizations working in African conservation, particularly in Kenya's Laikipia region, may benefit from connections to the Borana Conservation Trust network, where both Michael and Sarah Spencer serve as trustees.

1. Military and Veterans Causes: Given the substantial support for the British Normandy Memorial, organizations supporting military heritage, veterans' welfare, or remembrance initiatives aligned with British military history may be of interest.

1. ICAP Charity Day Network: Michael Spencer's annual ICAP Charity Day has supported over 3,100 charitable causes since 1993. Organizations that have been selected for ICAP Charity Day may have enhanced visibility to the foundation, as this represents Spencer's established charitable network.

1. Collaborative Funding Initiatives: The foundation participated in The Fore's RAFT collaborative funding initiative, suggesting openness to working with other funders on emergency response and sector-support programs.

1. Established Reputation: As a foundation that operates on trustee discretion, having a strong track record, recognition in the sector, and potential connections through other major funders or shared networks may be valuable.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Founder's Interests

Michael Spencer has demonstrated long-term commitment to specific causes:

• Conservation in Kenya: Over a decade of hands-on involvement with Borana Conservancy, including substantial personal investment in the region
• Military heritage: Significant donations to British military memorials and veterans' causes
• Emergency response: Willingness to support collaborative emergency funds during crises like COVID-19

Scale and Impact

The foundation has made substantial single gifts (£1 million to the British Normandy Memorial), suggesting preference for:

• Projects with significant, measurable impact
• Capital appeals for lasting memorials or infrastructure
• Initiatives with clear outcomes

Geographic Priorities

While the foundation operates worldwide, there is clear emphasis on:

• Africa: Particularly Kenya, where trustees have direct experience and property
• United Kingdom: Military memorials and heritage projects, emergency response funding

Operational Excellence

With no paid staff and minimal overhead, the foundation values:

• Organizations with strong governance and financial management
• Clear project outcomes and accountability
• Efficient use of charitable funds

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is not an open grant-making foundation: Do not submit unsolicited applications. The foundation operates entirely on trustee discretion.

• Think strategic partnerships: The foundation has participated in collaborative funding initiatives (like The Fore's RAFT fund), suggesting openness to working alongside other funders on shared priorities.

• Conservation and military causes are strongest areas: The most significant known grants have been to the British Normandy Memorial (£1 million) and ongoing conservation work in Kenya.

• Personal connection matters: Both trustees are actively involved in the Borana Conservation Trust, indicating hands-on engagement with causes they support rather than distant philanthropy.

• The £10 million commitment is through multiple vehicles: The stated £10 million annual giving includes ICAP Charity Day, this foundation, and potentially other Spencer family philanthropic activities - this specific foundation's recent accounts show much smaller turnover.

• Crisis response capability: Support for the Remember Me Covid memorial and RAFT fund demonstrates willingness to respond to urgent humanitarian needs.

• Long-term relationships over transactions: Michael Spencer founded ICAP Charity Day 30+ years ago and has maintained conservation work in Kenya for over a decade, suggesting preference for sustained engagement over one-off grants.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• TARA GETTY FOUNDATION
• Dullatur Foundation
• The Dow Clewer Foundation
• Ida Davis Family Foundation
• Manolo Blahnik Foundation
• The Breadsticks Foundation
• The Sterry Family Foundation
• Wyss Foundation
• Veronica and Lars Bane Foundation CIO
• MONSTER ENERGY CARES EMEA

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities. (2025). “Michael and Sarah Spencer Foundation - Charity 1184658.” Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1184658&subid=0

• Michael and Sarah Spencer Foundation website. (2025). Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://www.michaelandsarahspencerfoundation.com/

• Charity Choice. (2025). “Michael And Sarah Spencer Foundation | Wildlife Conservation - Environment Charities.” Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/michael-and-sarah-spencer-foundation-270155

• Wikipedia. (2025). “Michael Spencer.” Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Spencer

• The Fore. (2020). “COVID-19 Response: RAFT.” Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://thefore.org/covid-19-response-raft/

• TP ICAP. (2025). "ICAP's 33rd annual global Charity Day raises £5.7 million." Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://tpicap.com/tpicap/media/press-releases/2025/icaps-33rd-annual-global-charity-day-raises-ps57-million

• ICAP Charity Day website. (2025). Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://icapcharityday.com/

• Western Business. (2025). “Michael Spencer: The Visionary Lord Who Revolutionized Global Finance.” Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://westernbusiness.co.uk/michael-spencer/

• Borana Conservancy website. (2025). Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://www.boranaconservancy.com/

• St Paul's Cathedral. (2025). “Remember Me Memorial.” Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://www.stpauls.co.uk/remember-me-memorial