The David And Claudia Harding Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,152,226 (2024)
• Total Assets: Significant (£10.38m income in 2024)
• Success Rate: N/A (no public application process)
• Decision Time: N/A (trustee-initiated grants)
• Grant Range: £5,000 - £100,000,000
• Geographic Focus: UK and international
• Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Contact Details

Address: Woodlands House, Wargrave Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2LT

Phone: 020 8576 5800

Website: Not publicly available

Important Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Overview

The David and Claudia Harding Foundation was established in 2007 by Sir David Harding, founder and CEO of Winton Group, a global investment management and data science company. The foundation operates as a major private grant-making trust with a primary focus on funding academic scholarships and fellowships, alongside significant support for scientific research, museums, art galleries, and humanitarian appeals. With an income of over £10 million in 2024, the foundation takes a strategic, long-term approach to philanthropy, often retaining funds for major initiatives. Sir David and Lady Claudia Harding are signatories of the Giving Pledge, committing to give away more than half their wealth during their lifetimes. The foundation was recognized at the Beacon Awards for their philanthropy, and Claudia Harding serves as Managing Trustee and is also a Trustee of the Science Museum Foundation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with application cycles. Instead, they make strategic grants through trustee discretion to organizations and causes they proactively identify. Grant sizes range dramatically based on strategic importance:

• Major Academic Initiatives: £5,000,000 - £100,000,000 (multi-year commitments to universities)
• Scientific Research Institutions: £3,000,000 - £5,000,000 (research centres and institutes)
• Museums and Cultural Institutions: £5,000,000 - £10,000,000 (major capital projects)
• Community and Humanitarian Causes: Varies (through partnerships like Oxfordshire Community Foundation)

Priority Areas

Academic Scholarships and Fellowships

• PhD scholarships across all disciplines
• Postgraduate distinguished scholar programmes
• Support for basic scientific research
• Mathematical and statistical research

Scientific Research and Communication

• Cancer research institutions
• Risk literacy and public understanding of science
• Extrasolar planetary research
• Scientific innovation and discovery

Cultural and Educational Institutions

• Science museums and mathematics galleries
• Public engagement with science
• Art galleries

Humanitarian and Community Causes

• Grassroots community projects (particularly in Oxfordshire)
• Humanitarian appeals
• Addressing inequality through local philanthropy

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so organizations outside their strategic focus areas or without existing relationships are unlikely to receive funding. There is no evidence they fund:

• Individual personal appeals
• Organizations outside their core interests
• Projects unrelated to science, education, culture, or community development

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees: 3 trustees (no names publicly disclosed beyond the founders)

Key Personnel:

• Claudia Harding - Managing Trustee of The David and Claudia Harding Foundation; Trustee of the Science Museum Foundation
• Sir David Harding - Founder and CEO of Winton Group; Patron of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin

Staff: 1 employee

Trustee Remuneration: No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Quotes from Leadership

Sir David Harding on philanthropy: "Giving money has been surprisingly satisfactory; you meet people you wouldn't meet and enjoy experiences you wouldn't have otherwise enjoyed."

On his motivation: David uses philanthropy as “a counterweight to growing inequality” through giving to grassroots community projects in Oxfordshire.

On universities and education: "Cambridge and other British centres of learning have down the ages contributed greatly to improvements in the human condition and can continue in future to address humanity's great challenges."

On his approach: Consistent with his professional life, David is committed to the notions of risk and the application of data within his philanthropic giving. His philanthropy is primarily motivated by the science itself, including his boyhood passions in areas like extrasolar planetary research.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The David and Claudia Harding Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis. The foundation does not make contributions in response to unsolicited requests. Instead, the trustees proactively identify and select the causes and organizations they wish to support, primarily focusing on major gifts to specific institutions rather than operating as a traditional grant-maker open to applications.

Grants are awarded through:

• Trustee discretion: The trustees identify organizations and causes aligned with their strategic priorities
• Existing relationships: Often with major institutions they already know and trust
• Strategic partnerships: Including work through intermediary organizations like Oxfordshire Community Foundation for community-level giving

Getting on Their Radar

Note: The following strategies are based on documented patterns of how the Harding Foundation has discovered and engaged with organizations, rather than generic advice.

Through Intermediary Organizations:

The Hardings established a £600,000 fund with Oxfordshire Community Foundation in 2014, which allows them to support grassroots community projects. Organizations working in Oxfordshire may benefit from applying to Oxfordshire Community Foundation programmes that the Harding Foundation supports.

Through Major Institutions:

The foundation has a track record of supporting major scientific and educational institutions. Organizations affiliated with or endorsed by institutions they already support (such as Cambridge University, the Science Museum, the Francis Crick Institute, or Max Planck Institute) may have better access.

Alignment with Core Values:

Organizations that can demonstrate clear alignment with the foundation's core themes - basic scientific research, communication of scientific ideas, risk literacy, mathematical sciences, or addressing inequality - and that operate at a significant scale may be more likely to come to the trustees' attention through sector networks.

Science Philanthropy Networks:

Sir David Harding has found it valuable to interact with other members of the Science Philanthropy Alliance. Organizations visible within high-level science philanthropy networks may have increased visibility.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature of this foundation, traditional “application success factors” don't apply. However, analysis of their funding patterns reveals what attracts their support:

What Attracts Harding Foundation Support

Scale and Long-term Impact:

The foundation favors major, transformational gifts that create lasting impact. Their £100 million gift to Cambridge University was the largest donation by a British citizen to any university, designed to fund scholarships “in perpetuity.” They think in terms of endowments and permanent change rather than short-term projects.

Scientific Excellence:

Organizations must demonstrate world-class scientific or mathematical excellence. Recipients include Cambridge University, the Francis Crick Institute (Europe's largest biomedical research centre), and the Max Planck Institute - all internationally renowned institutions.

Public Understanding of Science:

The foundation has a distinctive interest in communicating scientific ideas to the public. Examples include:

• The £5 million donation to the Science Museum for a mathematics gallery (the museum's largest single donation at the time)
• Funding the Winton Professorship of the Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge (£3.3 million)
• Patronage of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at Max Planck Institute (€3 million)

Quantitative and Data-Driven Approaches:

Reflecting David Harding's professional background in quantitative finance, the foundation appears to favor approaches that apply mathematical, statistical, or data-driven methods. The Winton Professorship explicitly aims to increase understanding of the mathematics of risk.

Addressing Inequality:

While the foundation makes major gifts to elite institutions, David Harding has explicitly stated his motivation to use philanthropy as “a counterweight to growing inequality.” This is demonstrated through their fund with Oxfordshire Community Foundation supporting grassroots projects.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects

• Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme at Cambridge University (£79 million, 2019): Fully funded PhD scholarships for over 100 students in residence at any time, taking around 25 scholars per year across all disciplines

• The Harding Challenge at Cambridge (£20 million from the £100m gift, 2019-2024): The first collegiate-wide matching scheme in Cambridge's history to support students in need across Collegiate Cambridge

• Science Museum Mathematics Gallery (£5 million, 2014): Capital funding for the largest single donation in the museum's history to build a gallery dedicated to mathematics

• Francis Crick Institute (£5 million): Support for cancer research at Europe's largest biomedical research centre

• Harding Center for Risk Literacy, Max Planck Institute, Berlin (€3 million, 2009): Establishment funding for a center dedicated to improving public understanding of risk

• Winton Professorship of the Public Understanding of Risk, Cambridge (£3.3 million, 2007): Permanent professorship within the Statistical Laboratory at Cambridge

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No unsolicited applications: Do not send unsolicited grant applications to this foundation - they will not be considered. The foundation operates purely on trustee initiative.

• Major grants only: The foundation focuses on transformational, large-scale gifts (typically £3-100 million) rather than small grants. They are not suitable for organizations seeking typical £10,000-£50,000 grants.

• Science and mathematics focus: Unless your organization operates in scientific research, mathematical sciences, science communication, or related educational activities, you are unlikely to align with their priorities.

• Long-term, permanent impact: The foundation favors endowments and permanent programmes (scholarships “in perpetuity,” permanent professorships) over time-limited projects.

• Consider intermediaries: For smaller community organizations in Oxfordshire, approaching Oxfordshire Community Foundation may be the only viable route to access Harding funding.

• Elite institutional partners: The foundation's giving history shows preference for world-leading institutions and organizations operating at the highest level of their fields.

• Public understanding of science: Organizations that combine scientific excellence with public engagement, communication, or improving understanding of science and risk have demonstrated alignment with the foundation's distinctive interests.

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities. “THE DAVID AND CLAUDIA HARDING FOUNDATION - 1120878.” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1120878&subid=0

• University of Cambridge. “Cambridge University secures unprecedented £100 million gift to support students.” February 2019. https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-university-secures-unprecedented-ps100-million-gift-to-support-students

• Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme. “David and Claudia Harding.” https://www.hardingscholars.fund.cam.ac.uk/about-us/david-and-claudia-harding

• The Giving Pledge. “David and Claudia Harding.” https://givingpledge.org/pledger?pledgerId=381

• Oxfordshire Community Foundation. “Top OCF donors David and Claudia Harding recognised at the Beacon Awards.” https://oxfordshire.org/top-ocf-donors-david-and-claudia-harding-recognised-at-the-beacon-awards/

• University of Cambridge. “The Harding Challenge wraps up: A brief history of long-lasting impact through innovation in philanthropy.” https://www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/impact-of-giving/impact-stories/the-harding-challenge-wraps-up

• Science Philanthropy Alliance. "UK Philanthropists' Views on Supporting Science Research."

• Wikipedia. “David Harding (financier).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Harding_(financier)

• Wikipedia. “Harding Professor of Statistics in Public Life (formerly Winton Professorship of the Public Understanding of Risk).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winton_Professorship_of_the_Public_Understanding_of_Risk

• Max Planck Institute. “Harding Center for Risk Literacy.” https://www.mpg.de/8286648/project-harding-center