Reuben Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Expenditure: £11,094,654
• Foundation Assets: Established with US$100 million initial endowment (2002), with subsequent additional endowments
• Application Method: Invitation only (no public application process)
• Geographic Focus: UK, Canada, Greece, Israel, United States
• Primary Focus Areas: Education, Healthcare, Culture, Community
• Major Program: Reuben Scholarship Programme (1,300+ scholars to date)

Contact Details

Address:

The Reuben Foundation

Millbank Tower

21-24 Millbank

London SW1P 4PQ

Email: contact@reubenfoundation.com

Phone: 020 7780 25014

Website: www.reubenfoundation.com

Overview

The Reuben Foundation was established in 2002 by billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben with an initial endowment of US$100 million, followed by substantial additional endowments. The foundation is committed to “the betterment of society in the UK and around the globe through focused charitable giving in the areas of education, health and the community.”

With annual expenditure exceeding £11 million, the foundation operates as a private philanthropic vehicle making transformational gifts rather than numerous small grants. Notable recent donations include £80 million for the establishment of Reuben College at Oxford University (the first new Oxford college in 30 years), £30 million to The Courtauld (the largest gift in its 93-year history, announced in 2024), and multi-million pound endowments for healthcare facilities at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The foundation has supported over 1,300 scholars through its flagship Reuben Scholarship Programme since 2012.

David and Simon Reuben, who were named the third-richest family in the UK by the Sunday Times Rich List in 2024 with a net worth of £24.9 billion, maintain close personal involvement in all funding decisions through the foundation's board of trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Reuben Foundation operates through strategic, high-impact philanthropic partnerships rather than discrete grant programs. Major initiatives include:

Education:

• Reuben Scholarship Programme (established 2012): Multi-million pound endowment supporting undergraduate and postgraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds at Oxford, Cambridge, Russell Group universities, and ARK Schools. Over 1,300 scholars supported to date, with 132 new scholars in the current academic year.
• Reuben College, Oxford (2020): £80+ million donation to establish Oxford's first new college in 30 years
• BAFTA Reuben Scholarships: Annual scholarships for talented individuals in film and television arts
• Reuben Business Faculty at Oxford Spires Academy (2013)
• Reuben Graduate Scholarship Programme - Israel (2017): For Israeli residents pursuing postgraduate degrees at Oxford or Cambridge

Healthcare:

• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital: Reuben Foundation Maternity Centre (opened 2018) and Reuben Young People's Centre (largest of its kind in London, combining mental and physical care for adolescents)
• Great Ormond Street Hospital: Reuben Foundation Children's Cancer Centre (largest centre for paediatric cancer treatment in Europe) and Centre for Paediatric Virology and Metagenomics (with UCL)
• Royal Marsden Hospital: Reuben Imaging Centre
• Nancy Reuben Comprehensive Breast Care Centres in Israel (2005)
• Support for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem

Culture:

• The Courtauld (2024): £30 million donation (largest in its history) for campus development and ongoing partnership
• BAFTA: Support for redevelopment of 195 Piccadilly, including The Reuben Gallery
• British Film Institute: Principal sponsorship of BFI Reuben Library at Southbank
• Support for Design Museum, Imperial War Museum, Tate, Museum of London exhibitions

Community:

• Team London (2011): £2 million donation (matched by £2 million from Greater London Authority) for three-year volunteering initiative. Grants of up to £10,000 to voluntary sector organizations
• Centrepoint: Long-standing partnership supporting homeless young people, including Reuben House (opened 2023 by The Prince of Wales)
• British Red Cross: £100,000 to We Love Manchester Emergency Fund (2017)
• Support for Outward Bound Trust and Haiti relief projects

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on causes “where the money will have maximum impact, and where we know what the money is being used for,” according to Simon Reuben. Specific priorities include:

1. Education for disadvantaged students: Particularly university access and support for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds
2. Life-saving and life-enhancing medical research: With emphasis on paediatric care, cancer treatment, and maternity services
3. Cultural institutions: Major arts and cultural organizations that serve broad public benefit
4. Youth empowerment and homelessness: Supporting vulnerable young people
5. Community volunteering: Initiatives that mobilize volunteers to transform communities

The foundation's approach is rooted in Jewish values. As Simon Reuben explained: “From Jewish values, an emphasis has always been placed on education, and with regards to health, we have always wanted to help both in terms of supporting research as well as practical health care.”

What They Don't Fund

Based on their giving patterns, the foundation does not:

• Make small grants (typical donations are in the millions)
• Support individual applicants (except through established scholarship programmes administered by partner institutions)
• Fund organizations outside their core focus areas of education, healthcare, culture, and community
• Accept unsolicited applications from organizations

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• David Reuben (Co-founder)
• Simon Reuben (Co-founder)
• Annie Benjamin
• Robin Turner
• Michael Gubbay

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The board maintains close involvement in all funding initiatives and charitable donations, with David and Simon Reuben personally engaged in major funding decisions.

Key Quotes from Leadership:

On their approach to philanthropy, David Reuben stated: “We were making substantial donations before the Reuben Foundation was created, and realizing this was something we wanted to continue, we decided it would be best to make such donations through a charitable foundation. $100 million was an appropriate size for the endowment.”

Simon Reuben emphasized their strategic approach: “We support causes where the money will have maximum impact, and where we know what the money is being used for, so we can be assured it is creating the best value.”

Regarding Reuben College, David Reuben said: “Establishing Reuben College accomplished many goals for us,” expressing pride that “Reuben College will be the hub of learning and research for generations to come.”

About the Founders:

David Reuben (born 1941) and Simon Reuben (born 1944) are British businessmen and philanthropists who were named the third-richest family in the UK in 2024. The brothers are notably private, with Simon having given only one interview to a British publication in his entire career. They gather their philanthropic philosophy from “their Jewish culture, their parents.”

How to Apply to Reuben Foundation

How to Apply

The Reuben Foundation does not have a public application process. All grants are made by invitation only and require approval from the Board of Trustees.

As stated on their website and confirmed by Charity Commission records: “Grants will be made by invitation only and on the approval of the Trustees.”

Organizations cannot submit unsolicited applications for funding. The foundation identifies potential beneficiaries through the trustees' own research, networks, and strategic interests rather than through an open application process.

Getting on Their Radar

The Reuben Foundation has demonstrated a pattern of building long-term, strategic partnerships with major institutions rather than making one-off grants. Based on analysis of their funding history, organizations might position themselves favorably by:

1. Demonstrating transformational impact potential

• The foundation makes large, transformational gifts rather than numerous small grants
• Projects should have the potential for significant, measurable societal impact
• Focus on initiatives that can become flagship programs or facilities

2. Alignment with strategic partnerships

• Many beneficiaries are prestigious institutions (Oxford, Cambridge, GOSH, BAFTA, The Courtauld)
• The foundation shows preference for established organizations with strong reputations
• Partnership opportunities that offer naming rights or create lasting legacy (e.g., Reuben College, Reuben Scholarship Programme)

3. Operating in their geographic areas of interest

• Strong focus on London and UK institutions
• International work primarily in Israel, with some support in Canada, Greece, and United States
• Community initiatives often have London focus (Team London, Centrepoint)

4. Trustees' personal connections

• The foundation is privately managed by a small group of trustees who are closely involved in all decisions
• Existing relationships with trustees or their business networks may be important
• The brothers' Jewish heritage influences giving, particularly support for Israel-related causes

Note: Given the private nature of the foundation and the trustees' close involvement in all decisions, building relationships through intermediaries, shared board connections, or demonstrating exceptional alignment with their stated values may be the only routes to consideration.

Application Success Factors

Since the Reuben Foundation operates by invitation only, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their funded projects reveals clear patterns:

What Makes a Project Attractive to the Reuben Foundation:

1. Scale and ambition: Projects with budgets in the millions that can create lasting institutional change (Reuben College: £80m+, The Courtauld: £30m, GOSH Children's Cancer Centre)

1. Legacy and naming opportunities: The foundation consistently supports projects that bear the Reuben name, creating a lasting family legacy (Reuben College, Reuben Scholars, Reuben Gallery, Reuben Maternity Centre)

• Simon Reuben: “An emphasis has always been placed on education... we have always wanted to help both in terms of supporting research as well as practical health care”

1. Institutional prestige and excellence: Beneficiaries include Oxford, Cambridge, BAFTA, BFI, The Courtauld, Great Ormond Street - top-tier institutions in their fields

• Simon Reuben: “We support causes where the money will have maximum impact, and where we know what the money is being used for”
• Physical buildings, scholarship numbers, medical facilities - concrete deliverables

• Ongoing relationship with The Courtauld described as “long-term partnership”
• Multi-year support for BAFTA Scholarships
• Sustained support for Centrepoint over many years

1. Alignment with Jewish values: Support for Israeli healthcare and education institutions, emphasis on education and healthcare as core Jewish values

Recent Examples of Funded Projects:

• The Courtauld campus development (2024): £30 million for new campus opening in 2029, plus ongoing support through sharing of Reuben family art collection
• Reuben Young People's Centre at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (2025): State-of-the-art facility combining mental and physical healthcare for adolescents
• Reuben College, Oxford (2020-ongoing): £80 million+ for college establishment, buildings, and scholarships

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Given the invitation-only nature of this funder, traditional grant writing is not applicable. However, understanding the foundation is valuable if your organization might enter their sphere of interest:

• No public application process exists - all funding is by trustee invitation only
• Think transformational, not incremental - typical grants are in the millions and create flagship programs or buildings
• Legacy matters - nearly all major donations involve naming rights that create lasting recognition for the Reuben family
• Young people are the priority - whether through education, healthcare, or community support, the focus is consistently on future generations
• Quality over quantity - the foundation makes fewer, larger grants to prestigious institutions rather than numerous small grants
• Long-term impact is essential - Simon Reuben's emphasis on “maximum impact” and knowing “what the money is being used for” suggests rigorous outcome assessment
• Personal trustee engagement - the small board (5 trustees) is closely involved in all decisions, making this a highly personal, strategic philanthropy
• If you're not Oxford, Cambridge, or GOSH-caliber, your organization is unlikely to be in their target range unless you have direct trustee connections

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Thompson Family Charitable Trust
• Screenskills Limited
• The David Lean Foundation
• The Arts Council Of England
• The J J Charitable Trust
• The Polonsky Foundation
• The Dorfman Foundation
• The Charles Skey Charitable Trust
• The Heritage Foundation
• Thriplow Charitable Trust
• National Lottery Heritage Fund
• National Lottery
• Inspirations
• Awe-inspiring
• Help Fund
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• King's College
• The Crown Estate
• Bloomberg
• King's College London

References

1. Charity Commission for England and Wales. (2024). “REUBEN FOUNDATION - Charity 1094130.” Register of Charities. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1094130

1. Reuben Foundation. (2024). “The Reuben Foundation | About Us.” www.reubenfoundation.com/about-us/

1. Reuben Foundation. (2024). “Overview | Global Initiatives.” www.reubenfoundation.com/global-initiatives/

1. Reuben Foundation. (2024). “The Reuben Scholarship Programme.” www.reubenfoundation.com/initiative/universities-of-oxford-and-cambridge-ark-schools/

1. Wikipedia. (2024). “Reuben Foundation.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Foundation

1. Lifestyles Magazine. (2024). “$130 million latest gift from philanthropists David and Simon Reuben deepens their global impact.” https://lifestylesmagazine.com/latest-news/130-million-latest-gift-from-philanthropists-david-and-simon-reuben

1. The Courtauld. (2025). “The Courtauld receives the largest gift in its history from the Reuben Foundation.” https://courtauld.ac.uk/news-blogs/2025/the-courtauld-receives-the-largest-gift-in-its-history-from-the-reuben-foundation/

1. University of Oxford. (2020). “Reuben Foundation donates £80 million for first new Oxford college in 30 years.” https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-06-11-reuben-foundation-donates-80-million-first-new-oxford-college-30-years

1. Reuben Foundation. (2024). "Chelsea & Westminster Hospital." www.reubenfoundation.com/chelsea-westminster-hospital/

1. Third Sector. (2011). “London mayor Boris Johnson unveils £4m volunteering fund for the capital.” https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/london-mayor-boris-johnson-unveils-4m-volunteering-fund-capital/infrastructure/article/1058351

1. Reuben Foundation. (2024). “Centrepoint.” www.reubenfoundation.com/initiative/centrepoint-4/

1. Companies House. (2024). “REUBEN FOUNDATION - Company 04481304 Officers.” https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04481304/officers

1. Reuben Scholars. (2024). “About Reuben Scholars.” https://reubenscholars.com/about/

All websites.