Porter Foundation
Charity Number: 261194
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Quick Stats
- Registered Charity Number: 261194
- Annual Income: £101,181 (2024)
- Annual Expenditure: £834,601 (2024)
- Geographic Focus: Israel and United Kingdom
- Application Process: No public application process - invitation only
- Established: 1970
Contact Details
Registered Address: 63 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 3JG
Note: The foundation does not publish contact details for grant applications as it does not accept unsolicited applications.
Overview
The Porter Foundation was established in 1970 by Dame Shirley Porter DBE and the late Sir Leslie Porter (1920-2005). As a private charitable trust, the foundation is committed to funding a small number of major capital projects in Israel and the United Kingdom. The foundation's grant-making focuses on education (particularly environmental studies), culture and the arts, health and welfare, and support for elderly populations. With annual expenditure of £834,601 (2024), the foundation maintains long-term commitments to specific institutions rather than operating an open grant-making programme. Sir Leslie Porter was chairman and managing director of Tesco Stores and married Shirley Cohen (daughter of Tesco founder Jack Cohen) in 1948. The foundation represents the couple's philanthropic legacy across both countries.
Funding Priorities
Major Grant Commitments
The Porter Foundation operates through long-term commitments to pre-selected major capital projects rather than discrete grant programmes:
Israel:
- Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University - Founded in 2000 by Dame Shirley and Sir Leslie Porter, this flagship environmental research and teaching institution receives ongoing support
- Porter Institute for Poetics and Semiotics, Tel Aviv University
- Shirley and Leslie Porter School of Cultural Studies, Tel Aviv University
- Cohen-Porter United Kingdom Building of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University
- Daniel Marcus Nautical Centre - Built in memory of the Porters' grandson Daniel Amichai Marcus
- Porter Senior Citizen Centre, Jaffa - A facility for elderly and poor Jewish populations
- Porter Environmental Interns Program - Student grants covering yearly tuition in exchange for environmental work (since 2008)
United Kingdom:
- Victoria & Albert Museum - Continuing commitment to supporting access to the arts through Porter Galleries
- National Portrait Gallery - Porter Gallery room
- Care for the elderly - Services and facilities benefiting elderly populations
Priority Areas
The foundation's documented priorities include:
- Environmental education and research
- Cultural studies and the arts
- Support for elderly populations and palliative care
- Educational institutions and scholarship programmes
- Major capital building projects
What They Don't Fund
As a private foundation with pre-committed relationships, the foundation does not fund:
- Unsolicited applications from organizations
- General operating costs for organizations outside their committed partnerships
- Short-term or one-off projects from new organizations
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Governance and Leadership
Trustees
The Porter Foundation is governed by four trustees who receive no remuneration:
Professor Sir Walter Fred Bodmer FRS FRSE (appointed March 2006)
- Distinguished human geneticist and former Principal of Hertford College, Oxford (1996-2005)
- Former Director General of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (1991-1996)
- Former Chairman of Trustees of the Natural History Museum (1989-1993)
- Chancellor of the University of Salford (1995-2005)
Steven Nigel Porter (appointed September 1994)
- Family connection to the Porter Foundation's founders
Linda Streit (appointed April 1970)
- Daughter of Dame Shirley Porter and Sir Leslie Porter
- Also trustee of The Daniel Howard Trust
Brian Padgett
- Trustee of The BP Foundation and The John Porter Charitable Trust
Founding Legacy
Dame Shirley Porter DBE served as Chairman of the Porter Foundation and as Chairman of Tel Aviv University's Development Committee. Sir Leslie Porter was appointed Chancellor of Tel Aviv University in 1993, during which time the couple established numerous scholarship funds and funded major campus expansions.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process.
The Porter Foundation operates as a private trust that makes grants through trustee discretion to a small number of pre-selected major capital projects. The foundation maintains long-term relationships with specific institutions in Israel and the UK, primarily Tel Aviv University and major UK cultural institutions.
Organizations cannot submit unsolicited applications. Grants are awarded based on the trustees' strategic decisions and the foundation's existing commitments to partner institutions.
Decision Timeline
Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.
Application Success Factors
Since the Porter Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following insights relate to their documented grant-making patterns:
Strategic Focus on Major Capital Projects: The foundation consistently funds substantial infrastructure and building projects rather than programmes or operating costs. Examples include the green architecture living laboratory building for Tel Aviv University's Environmental Studies Department and major gallery spaces at UK museums.
Long-Term Institutional Relationships: The foundation maintains decades-long commitments to specific institutions. The Porter School of Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University (founded 2000) and ongoing support for the V&A Museum demonstrate sustained partnerships rather than one-off grants.
Environmental Education Priority: Named projects consistently emphasize environmental research and education, particularly through Tel Aviv University's Porter School of Environmental Studies and related programmes like the Porter Environmental Interns Program.
Memorial and Legacy Giving: The foundation has funded projects in memory of family members, such as the Daniel Marcus Nautical Centre (named for the Porters' grandson).
Focus on Access and Equity: In the UK, grants specifically support “access to the arts” through gallery funding. In Israel, grants include facilities for elderly and poor populations, such as the Porter Senior Citizen Centre in Jaffa.
Educational Infrastructure: Beyond buildings, the foundation supports scholarship programmes and research fellowships, including the Porter Fellows Program for post-doctoral researchers.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- The Porter Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications and operates through trustee discretion
- Grant-making focuses on a small number of major capital projects in Israel and the UK, with emphasis on environmental education, arts access, and elderly care
- The foundation maintains long-term relationships with specific institutions rather than making individual project grants
- Primary beneficiaries are Tel Aviv University (Porter School of Environmental Studies and related facilities) and UK cultural institutions (V&A Museum, National Portrait Gallery)
- Grants typically support major capital infrastructure, endowments, and named programmes rather than operating costs or short-term projects
- The foundation's priorities reflect the personal interests and legacy of founders Dame Shirley Porter and Sir Leslie Porter, particularly in environmental studies, education, and support for elderly populations
- With annual expenditure of £834,601 (2024) exceeding income of £101,181, the foundation appears to be drawing on capital to fulfill existing major commitments
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References
- UK Charity Commission Register, Porter Foundation (261194): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/261194
- Giving is Great, Porter Foundation Factsheet: https://givingisgreat.org.uk/charity-factsheet/?regNo=261194
- Tel Aviv University, Porter School of Environmental Studies: https://english.tau.ac.il/porter_school
- Tel Aviv University, School Founder - Dame Shirley Porter: https://en-environment.tau.ac.il/Founder_Dame_Porter
- Wikipedia, “Shirley Porter”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Porter
- Wikipedia, “Leslie Porter”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Porter
- UK Charity Commission, Porter Foundation Trustees: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/261194/trustees
- Wikipedia, “Porter School of Environmental Studies”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_School_of_Environmental_Studies