The Greater Share Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £2,266,041 (2024 income)
• Fund Size: $52 million (first education fund close)
• Grant Range: Long-term unrestricted funding (specific amounts not disclosed)
• Geographic Focus: UK, US, Colombia, India, Sub-Saharan Africa (global)
• Application Type: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Address: c/o Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Citypoint, One Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9HU

Phone: 020 7275 6525

Email: contact@greatershare.com

Website: www.greatershare.com

Charity Number: 1199157

Overview

The Greater Share Foundation, registered in 2022 as a UK charity, operates an innovative philanthropic investment model that bridges private equity expertise with high-impact education NGOs. The foundation deploys investors' capital in leading private equity funds through a fund-of-funds structure, donating the majority of capital gains and all private equity firms' fees and carried interest to a curated selection of education NGOs. With £2.27 million in income during its 2024 financial year and £590,061 in charitable activities, Greater Share focuses on closing the global education gap affecting over 700 million children who cannot meet minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. The organization's first education fund raised $52 million from more than 50 individual investors and organizations worldwide, aiming to generate hundreds of millions in long-term grants over the next decade.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Greater Share does not operate traditional grant programs with defined amounts. Instead, they provide:

• Long-term Unrestricted Funding: Multi-year general operating support to eight carefully selected education NGOs
• Coaching and Mentoring: Strategic support from the Greater Share community including private equity professionals and education experts
• Sustained Revenue Stream: Funding derived from private equity investment returns, providing predictable long-term support

Priority Areas

Education Focus - Closing the Education Gap

• Early childhood education and care
• Education system transformation and leadership development
• Support for disadvantaged and marginalized communities
• Evidence-based, child-centric education models
• Systemic approaches to educational equity
• Programs serving underserved populations based on gender, race, or socioeconomic status

Geographic Priorities

• United Kingdom
• United States
• Latin America (Colombia)
• India
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Global programs

Current Portfolio Organizations

The foundation currently supports eight education NGOs selected from more than 4,000 organizations:

1. aeioTU (Latin America) - High-quality early childhood education to reduce social inequality
2. CAMFED (Sub-Saharan Africa) - Campaign for Female Education
3. Kaivalya Education Foundation (India) - Education system leadership development across 11 states
4. KIPP Foundation (United States) - Charter school network for underserved communities
5. National Institute for Student Success (United States) - Support for low-income, disadvantaged, and minority college students
6. London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) (United Kingdom) - Affordable, accessible nursery education across London
7. AllChild formerly West London Zone (United Kingdom) - Holistic support for children and young people
8. Teach For All (Global) - Network of 61 partner organizations developing education leaders worldwide

What They Don't Fund

• Organizations outside their pre-selected portfolio of eight NGOs
• Short-term projects
• Restricted or project-specific grants
• Organizations without demonstrated evidence of systemic impact
• Programs not aligned with education equity for underserved populations

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Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team

Paul Fletcher - Co-Founder and Chairman

• Former CEO of CDC Group plc (2002)
• Provided leadership to Actis, creating a market-leading investment firm
• Founded Greater Share with vision to marry private equity expertise with sustained NGO funding

Dana Bezerra - Former CEO (until May 2024)

• Helped launch Greater Share
• Previously served nearly two decades at Heron Foundation, including as President
• Now Regional President, Americas at CREO Syndicate

Dorothea Arndt - Executive Director

• Based in London
• Executes the organization's strategic vision

Investment Committee

Chair: Graham Elton MBE

• Chair of Bain & Company's EMEA Private Equity business
• Served on Bain's Investment Committee since 2009
• Co-founder of Greater Share

Members:

• Jim Strang
• Andrew Sealey
• Jane Rowe
• Kathleen Bacon

Education Committee

Chair: Liesbet Steer

• Executive Director of the Education Commission
• President and CEO of Education Development Center
• Board member of Greater Share
• Led assessment of more than 4,000 education NGOs to identify the eight partner organizations

Quote from Liesbet Steer: “Our global panel of education experts, led by the Executive Director of the Education Committee, Lisbet Steer, undertook a painstaking assessment of more than 4,000 education NGOs to identify the eight strongest organisations, all focused on evidence-based child-centric models of education.”

Private Equity Partners

Greater Share has secured commitments from major private equity firms who donate 100% of their fees and carried interest:

• Advent International
• Bain Capital
• Cinven
• Hg Capital
• Lexington Partners
• Nautic Partners
• Permira

Quote from Graham Elton: "We've been very, very fortunate to get the likes of Bain Capital and Advent and Hg and Nautic, Permira, Lexington, and Cinven."

Trustees

The charity has 4 trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the organization.

Staff

The organization employs 1 person with benefits in the £70-80k range and 1 employee earning £120-130k (2024 financial year).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

Greater Share operates through a highly selective, invitation-only model. The eight current beneficiary organizations were chosen from more than 4,000 education NGOs through a rigorous assessment process led by the Education Committee in partnership with The Bridgespan Group.

Selection was based on three core criteria:

1. Commitment to the Underserved: Intentional focus on groups historically disadvantaged due to gender, race, or socioeconomic status

1. Evidence-Based Approach: Insights-driven culture, frequent assessments of project outcomes, and demonstrated robust impact from previous work

1. Systemic Approach to Change: Focus on systemic change targeting root causes of educational inequities and the systems that perpetuate them

Current Status: There is no indication that Greater Share is accepting new NGO applications or planning additional selection rounds at this time. The foundation appears focused on supporting its current portfolio of eight organizations over the next decade.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no open application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The initial selection involved assessing more than 4,000 education NGOs to select 8 organizations (0.2% selection rate).

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

While Greater Share does not accept applications, their selection criteria and funding philosophy provide valuable insights into what they value in education organizations:

Evidence of Systemic Impact

Greater Share prioritizes organizations demonstrating systemic change rather than incremental improvements. As their materials state: "The Greater Share Education Fund's eight beneficiary NGOs were chosen for their focus on underserved children, their evidence of impact, and an approach aligned with the Greater Share Education Fund's philosophy of change."

Scale and Reach

Selected organizations demonstrate significant scale:

• Kaivalya Education Foundation operates across 11 states, engaging with 50,000 public education officials and influencing 1.5 million teachers
• Teach For All operates a global network of 61 partner organizations with 15,000 current teaching fellows and 90,000 alumni
• LEYF supports over 4,000 children via 39 nurseries throughout London

Evidence-Based, Child-Centric Models

All selected organizations use “evidence-based child-centric models of education with proven track records of transforming learning systems.”

Alignment with Unrestricted Funding Philosophy

Quote from Greater Share materials: “The long-term funding model enables the NGOs to do what they do best – create effective education models, transform communities, and scale their impact – without having to rely on resource-intensive incremental fundraising.”

Greater Share was founded on the belief that traditional philanthropy places too much burden on NGOs: “Non-profit organisations have had to write lengthy applications for grants, and those lucky enough to get funding have received money ring-fenced for specific projects.”

Commitment to Measurement and Learning

Organizations selected demonstrate “an insights-driven culture, frequent studies and assessments of project outcomes, and demonstrated robust impact from previous work.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No open application process: Greater Share works exclusively with eight pre-selected education NGOs and does not accept unsolicited applications
• Systemic focus required: The foundation prioritizes organizations addressing root causes of educational inequity through systemic change, not just direct service delivery
• Evidence is paramount: Selected partners demonstrate rigorous impact measurement, evidence-based approaches, and proven track records of transformation
• Unrestricted, long-term support: Greater Share's model provides multi-year general operating support rather than project-specific grants, enabling NGOs to focus on mission rather than fundraising
• Highly competitive selection: Only 8 organizations were selected from more than 4,000 assessed, representing a 0.2% selection rate
• Scale matters: Partner organizations demonstrate ability to influence education systems at scale (thousands to millions of beneficiaries)
• Not a traditional funder: Greater Share's innovative model combines private equity returns with philanthropy, requiring patient capital and decade-long commitments
• Future opportunities uncertain: There is no public information about whether Greater Share will select additional NGO partners or launch new education funds

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Eranda Rothschild Foundation
• The Gaudio Family Foundation (UK) Limited
• UGGLA FAMILY FOUNDATION
• David and Elaine Potter Foundation
• HUO FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED
• Alliance Family Foundation Limited
• The Ethos Foundation
• GREATGREEN LIMITED
• The David and Claudia Harding Foundation
• The Charities Aid Foundation

References

• The Greater Share Foundation, UK Charity Commission Register of Charities, Charity Number 1199157, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5200038
• Greater Share official website, https://www.greatershare.com
• “Greater Share announces $52m close of first education fund,” Impact Investor, https://impact-investor.com/greater-share-announces-52m-close-of-first-education-fund/
• “Greater Share: A new fund investing in learning teams for learning transformation,” The Education Commission, https://educationcommission.org/updates/greater-share-a-new-fund-investing-in-learning-teams-for-learning-transformation/
• “Expert view: Greater Share on closing the education gap with a novel take on philanthropy,” Impact Investor, https://impact-investor.com/expert-view-greater-share-on-closing-the-education-gap-with-a-novel-take-on-philanthropy/
• “Paul Fletcher of Greater Share,” Family Office Insights, https://familyofficeinsights.com/pir-qa/paul-fletcher-of-greater-share/
• “The Genesis of Greater Share,” Greater Share Blog, https://www.greatershare.com/blog/the-genesis-of-greater-share
• “Meet the funder: Greater Share,” Civil Society, https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/fundraising/meet-the-funder-greater-share.html
• “Cinven Partners with Greater Share Education Fund,” Cinven, https://www.cinven.com/media/news/cinven-partners-with-greater-share-education-fund/
• “Greater Share Partnership,” AllChild (formerly West London Zone), https://www.allchild.org/resource/greater-share-partnership