The Dorfman Foundation

Charity Number: 1120714

Annual Expenditure: £1.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ??1,306,412 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not specified - discretionary
  • Grant Range: ??200,000 - ??10,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with emphasis on London institutions

Contact Details

  • Email: charity.correspondence@bdo.co.uk
  • Phone: +44 20 7725 1221
  • Address: 22 Manchester Square, London W1U 3PT
  • Charity Number: 1120714
  • Website: No public website

Note: The foundation does not appear to have formal application procedures or pre-application support. Contact via the email address above for written applications.

Overview

The Dorfman Foundation was established in 2007 by Sir Lloyd Dorfman CBE CVO, founder of Travelex and prominent British philanthropist. Sir Lloyd was knighted in 2018 for services to philanthropy and the arts. The foundation is a family grant-making charity with total expenditure of ??1,306,412 in the year ending April 2024, operating throughout England and Wales. The foundation focuses on supporting well-known institutions in the arts???particularly museums, galleries, and theatre???as well as Jewish causes. The foundation operates with significant discretion, with trustees determining grants at their absolute discretion. Sir Lloyd serves as chair of the Royal Opera House (since 2022) and has been recognized as Spear's Philanthropist of the Year 2019. The foundation emphasizes flexibility in timing and scale of grant-making, continuing to support causes aligned with the founder's interests in creative arts and Jewish community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with fixed funding tiers. Instead, it makes grants ranging from smaller awards to transformational multi-million pound gifts. Applications may be made in writing at any time, though the foundation appears to operate primarily through trustee-identified opportunities rather than open competition.

Historical Grant Examples:

  • ??10,000,000 - National Theatre Future redevelopment project (2013), leading to the Dorfman Theatre naming
  • ??2,000,000 - Great Ormond Street Hospital surgery wing
  • ??1,000,000 - JW3 Jewish community centre
  • ??500,000 - JCoSS Jewish community secondary school
  • ??200,000 - Royal Academy of Dance (2023)
  • Support for Royal Academy architecture awards and restoration
  • Support for Chickenshed inclusive theatre group

Priority Areas

Arts and Culture:

  • Major national theatres and performing arts venues
  • Museums and galleries
  • Architecture initiatives
  • Inclusive arts organizations
  • Projects that create something “out of nothing” (reflecting the founder's entrepreneurial philosophy)

Jewish Causes:

  • Jewish community centres and infrastructure
  • Jewish education (including pluralist institutions serving Orthodox to Reform communities)
  • Community security initiatives
  • Organizations supporting the spectrum of Jewish community

Healthcare:

  • Major children's hospitals and pediatric care facilities

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly stated, but the foundation's history suggests:

  • Small, unknown organizations without established track records
  • Organizations outside arts, Jewish causes, and healthcare
  • Individual applicants
  • International organizations (focus is England and Wales)
  • The foundation appears to primarily support major established institutions rather than grassroots organizations
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Governance and Leadership

Key Trustees:

  • Sir Lloyd Dorfman CVO CBE (Founder and Trustee) - Chair of Royal Opera House, Deputy Chairman of Community Security Trust

The foundation is managed by 7 trustees who exercise absolute discretion over grant-making decisions. The trustees hold the trust capital and income generated from it to apply towards charitable purposes or institutions as they determine.

Philanthropic Philosophy:

Sir Lloyd has articulated a straightforward approach to giving:

"I wouldn't want to over-intellectualise the whole philanthropy experience. You support things you want to support, give back to organisations you believe in: it's just about trying to make a difference."

“It is quite important not to over-intellectualise philanthropy: we enjoy the arts and the National Theatre needed support, so you do what you want to do.”

"Being brought up in the Jewish community, philanthropy is something you become aware of from an early age... it's in our DNA to give."

On his attraction to the arts: "I have always been drawn to the creative process for whatever reason??? it's in my DNA... Performing arts ??? you create something out of nothing. This is a sort of recurring theme across what I do."

On giving back: "If you've been fortunate enough to have some success in business, I think it's important to put something back."

The foundation has stated it intends to “continue providing grants in a similar way to the recent past but retaining flexibility as to the timing, and scale of grant-making.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Requests for grant support may be made at any time in writing to charity.correspondence@bdo.co.uk. There is no public website, online portal, or formal application form.

Important Context: The foundation does not operate open grant rounds. Historical evidence suggests most grants are made through trustee-initiated relationships with major established institutions rather than in response to unsolicited applications. Organizations should expect that building a relationship or having existing connections with trustees may be necessary.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates with absolute trustee discretion, suggesting decisions are made on an ongoing basis rather than at fixed intervals.

Success Rates

Success rates are not published. Given the foundation's focus on major established institutions and apparent preference for trustee-identified opportunities, unsolicited applications likely face significant competition.

Reapplication Policy

No information is publicly available regarding reapplication policies or waiting periods for unsuccessful applicants.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Founder's Interests:

The foundation's giving closely reflects Sir Lloyd Dorfman's personal connections and passions. Organizations most likely to succeed will align with:

  • Major established arts institutions, particularly theatre and museums
  • Projects involving creative entrepreneurship (“creating something out of nothing”)
  • Jewish community infrastructure and pluralist Jewish institutions
  • High-profile capital projects with naming opportunities
  • Organizations where trustees already have governance or advisory roles

Strategic Considerations:

  • Established credibility: All known major grants have gone to nationally recognized institutions
  • Transformational impact: Large grants support capital projects, naming opportunities, and infrastructure that creates lasting legacy
  • Personal connection: The founder's direct involvement (e.g., Royal Opera House chair, JW3 trustee) appears to correlate with funding
  • Jewish pluralism: For Jewish causes, the foundation supports organizations serving the spectrum from Orthodox to Reform communities
  • Access initiatives: The founder pioneered the Travelex ??10 ticket scheme, suggesting interest in making arts accessible

Language and Values:

  • Emphasize creative process and entrepreneurship
  • Focus on institutional transformation and legacy
  • Highlight community-building aspects
  • For arts applications, connect to accessibility and public benefit
  • For Jewish causes, emphasize inclusive approach across denominational spectrum

Projects Recently Funded:

  • Major capital redevelopments (National Theatre)
  • Healthcare facilities (Great Ormond Street Hospital)
  • Community infrastructure (JW3 Jewish centre)
  • Institutional capacity building (Royal Academy restoration and awards)
  • Pluralist education (JCoSS school)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Relationship-driven funding: This foundation operates primarily through trustee networks and established relationships rather than open competition. Cold applications are unlikely to succeed without prior connection.
  • Scale and profile matter: Focus on major established institutions with national or London-wide profile. The foundation supports transformational gifts to well-known organizations rather than small grants to emerging groups.
  • Align with founder's active roles: Organizations where Sir Lloyd Dorfman serves in governance or advisory capacity appear most likely to receive support. His current role as Royal Opera House chair and involvement with JW3 suggest active funding interests.
  • Arts focus on creativity and access: For arts applications, emphasize creative entrepreneurship, making culture accessible to diverse audiences, and transformational capital projects with legacy potential.
  • Jewish pluralism valued: Jewish organizations should highlight inclusive approach serving diverse denominational communities. The foundation supports infrastructure and education that brings community together.
  • Patient relationship building: Given the discretionary nature and high-profile focus, success likely requires long-term relationship cultivation with trustees rather than one-off applications.
  • Consider alternatives first: Unless your organization is a major established institution with existing trustee connections, this foundation may not be the most accessible funding source. Smaller arts and Jewish organizations should consider other funders with more open application processes.

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