The Donald Gordon Third Foundation

Charity Number: 1122870

Annual Expenditure: £0.4M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £334,388 (year ending February 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available (trustee-discretion grants)
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: Republic of South Africa
  • Charity Number: 1122870

Contact Details

Registered Address:

c/o Stonehage Fleming

6 St James's Square

London SW1Y 4JU

Phone: 020 7087 0000

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website separate from the main Donald Gordon Foundation network. For general information about the Donald Gordon Foundation family, see: https://donaldgordon.org/

Overview

The Donald Gordon Third Foundation was established in 2007 by Sir Donald Gordon (1930-2019), the South African-born British businessman who founded Liberty Life Association of Africa and Liberty International. Registered as a UK charity in 2008, it operates as one of three related foundations created by Sir Donald, alongside The Donald Gordon Second Foundation. With annual expenditure of £374,679 (year ending February 2024), the foundation makes grants exclusively to organizations and projects in South Africa across four key areas: scientific, medical and technological research and education; relief of poverty; promotion and support of the arts; and general charitable purposes. The foundation operates as a private trust with grants awarded at the discretion of its board of eight trustees, which includes members of the Gordon family. Sir Donald Gordon, knighted in 2005 for his services to the arts and business, established the original Donald Gordon Foundation in 1971, making it one of South Africa's oldest and largest philanthropic foundations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-directed grant-making rather than formal grant programs with set application deadlines. Grants are awarded on a discretionary basis to organizations working in the foundation's priority areas within South Africa.

Application Method: Invitation only / trustee discretion (no public application process)

Priority Areas

Healthcare & Medical Research

  • Scientific and medical research initiatives
  • Technological research in healthcare
  • Medical education programs
  • Health service delivery projects

Poverty Relief

  • Programs addressing poverty and social inequality
  • Community development initiatives
  • Support for vulnerable populations
  • Humanitarian and disaster relief

Arts & Culture

  • Promotion and support of the arts
  • Cultural heritage projects
  • Arts education initiatives

Education

  • Scientific and technological education
  • Research capacity building
  • Educational programs that support the foundation's broader objectives

Geographic Focus

All grants are directed to projects and organizations operating in the Republic of South Africa. This reflects the foundation's commitment to supporting the country where Sir Donald Gordon built his business empire and where the main Donald Gordon Foundation has operated since 1971.

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation:

  • Does not support projects outside South Africa
  • Does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations
  • Does not operate through open competitive grant rounds
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The foundation is governed by eight trustees who make grant decisions at their discretion:

  1. Michael Abraham Abel - Trustee
  2. Wendy Appelbaum - Trustee and daughter of Sir Donald Gordon; one of South Africa's most prominent philanthropists, trustee of the Donald Gordon Foundation, and owner of the De Morgenzon wine estate. Forbes named her to its list of Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women in 2020. She has donated $23 million to fund the creation of the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the Donald Gordon Medical Centre.
  3. Graeme Gordon - Trustee and son of Sir Donald Gordon
  4. Anton Sternberg - Trustee
  5. Hylton Ira Appelbaum - Trustee; serves as the Executive Trustee of the main Donald Gordon Foundation

The foundation has policies in place for financial reserves, investing charity funds, and managing trustee conflicts of interest. No trustees receive remuneration for their service.

Administrative Support

The foundation is administered through Stonehage Fleming, a wealth and investment management firm, at their St James's Square, London offices.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Donald Gordon Third Foundation operates as a private charitable trust with grants awarded at the discretion of its board of trustees. Unlike foundations with open application processes, this foundation identifies and selects beneficiary organizations through trustee decision-making rather than responding to unsolicited proposals.

According to the foundation's broader philosophy (shared across the Donald Gordon Foundation network): “The need for philanthropic funding is infinite but, sadly, our resources are not unlimited.” Over more than 50 years, the foundation family has “honed and focused its funding priorities and policies,” preferring “larger initiatives to address social needs that will make a lasting impact.”

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded through trustee discretion on an ongoing basis rather than through scheduled decision rounds.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate an open application system.

Application Success Factors

As this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding the foundation's approach may be valuable:

Foundation Philosophy (from the Donald Gordon Foundation family):

  • Focus on lasting impact: The foundation prefers “larger initiatives to address social needs that will make a lasting impact” rather than numerous small grants
  • Historical commitment to social justice: The broader Donald Gordon Foundation has historically focused on “supporting those who had suffered under apartheid” and aims to “empower [individuals] to break free from the shackles of discrimination”
  • Strategic focus: Over 53 years, the foundation network has “honed and focused their funding priorities and policies” to maximize impact with limited resources

Flagship Approach:

The main Donald Gordon Foundation operates three major “flagship” projects that exemplify their funding philosophy:

  • The Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (DGMC) - major contribution to health and wellbeing
  • The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) - business and leadership education
  • The Chevra Kadisha - community support organization

This suggests the foundations favor substantial, transformational partnerships rather than numerous smaller grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: The Donald Gordon Third Foundation operates as a private trust and does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations
  • Family foundation structure: Grant decisions are made by a small board of eight trustees including family members Wendy Appelbaum and Graeme Gordon
  • Exclusive South African focus: All grants support projects and organizations in the Republic of South Africa, reflecting the foundation's roots
  • Four core areas: Funding is limited to scientific/medical/technological research and education, poverty relief, arts and culture support, and general charitable purposes
  • Substantial partnerships preferred: The foundation family favors “larger initiatives” that create “lasting impact” rather than numerous small grants
  • Legacy of Sir Donald Gordon: The foundation continues the philanthropic vision of its founder (1930-2019), who created one of South Africa's oldest and largest philanthropic foundations in 1971
  • Private wealth management: Administrative functions are handled through Stonehage Fleming, suggesting professional wealth management oversight of charitable assets

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References