The Hargreaves Foundation

Charity Number: 1187297

Annual Expenditure: £2.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £2,000,000 (target distribution)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Reviewed monthly following submission; smaller grants (£10k or less) may be approved after first Trustees Review; larger grants require additional information and site visits
  • Grant Range: No minimum or maximum
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide, with priority to South West England

Contact Details

Website: www.thehargreavesfoundation.org

Email: info@thehargreavesfoundation.org

Phone: 07768935532

Based: Bristol

Overview

The Hargreaves Foundation was established in 2020 by Peter Hargreaves, co-founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, and his family. Funded through a transfer of shares valued at approximately £100 million, the Foundation aims to distribute around £2 million annually in grant funding. The Foundation focuses exclusively on supporting young people under 18 who are living with mental health problems, physical disabilities, or growing up in poverty, through the mediums of sport and education. Led by Managing Director Alexandra Butler (former Hargreaves Lansdown head of new business), the Foundation takes a strategic approach to improving wellbeing, self-esteem, and independence among disadvantaged youth. Total grants awarded in the year ending 31 January 2023 were £1,326,924, with the Foundation continuing to scale its grant-making activities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation operates a single rolling grant programme with no minimum or maximum grant amounts. Applications are accepted year-round and reviewed monthly.

  • Application Method: Online portal only (rolling basis)
  • Project Duration: Must be one-off or time-limited, completed within 12 months
  • Payment: Typically made directly to suppliers

Priority Areas

The Foundation funds projects that achieve one or more of the following objectives:

  • Sport for Health: Enabling individuals to experience the mental and physical health benefits of participatory sport
  • Accessibility: Ensuring participatory sport is accessible (including affordability)
  • Life Skills Development: Providing sporting or educational activities that foster life skills
  • Academic Engagement: Aiming to improve academic engagement and attainment
  • Employability: Encouraging development of skills and personal attributes to aid future employability

Target Beneficiaries: Young people under 18 who are:

  • Living with mental health problems
  • Living with physical disabilities
  • Growing up in poverty (defined as eligible for free school meals or college bursary for ages 16-18)

Geographic Priority: While UK-wide applications are accepted, priority is given to organisations based in and/or working in the South West of England

What They Don't Fund

Ineligible Applicants:

  • Individuals
  • Social Enterprises
  • Community Interest Companies
  • Private Companies
  • Local Authorities

Ineligible Funding Types:

  • Crisis funding
  • Core funding
  • Items or projects which statutory bodies have a duty to fund
  • Retrospective costs
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Peter Hargreaves (Founder)
  • Robert Hargreaves (Son)
  • Louisa Hargreaves (Daughter)
  • Nigel Spence (Former Hargreaves Lansdown Chief Operating Officer)

Management:

  • Alexandra Butler, Managing Director (Former Hargreaves Lansdown Head of New Business, 2000-2017)

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

Quote from Founder:

Peter Hargreaves stated: “While I am proud of my professional achievements, my family and I now wish to establish a more formal and sustainable structure to enable us to make a positive and significant contribution outside of the world of work. Having spent the last few years in retirement, I have had time to reflect on and discuss with my family how best to make that contribution and to which causes.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Review the Foundation's objectives and ensure your project aligns with at least one
  2. Read the “Further Information for Applicants” document on the website
  3. Prepare application materials in advance (the online form cannot be saved mid-completion)
  4. Submit application through the online portal at www.thehargreavesfoundation.org/apply/

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Be low risk with formal structure
  • Have at least one set of published accounts at point of application
  • Have a bank account in the organisation's name with at least two unconnected signatories
  • Be a Registered Charity, Charitable Incorporated Organisation, School, Further Education College, or NHS Trust

Decision Timeline

  • Applications reviewed in the month following online submission
  • Initial acknowledgement sent after submission
  • Update provided after initial screening
  • Smaller grants (£10,000 or less): May be approved after first Trustees Review
  • Larger grants: Foundation requests further information (budget, quotations, policies, plans) and undertakes site visits or face-to-face meetings before decision

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. However, the Foundation acknowledges receiving a high volume of grant requests and explicitly states they “will not be able to offer funding to every application.”

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Contact the Foundation directly for information about reapplication after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

What They Fund - Recent Examples

The Foundation has supported over 80 organizations since 2020, including:

2025 Recipients:

  • Hestia Housing and Support
  • 1625 Independent People
  • Brighton Table Tennis Club
  • Chances Educational Support Services
  • Chapter One
  • Debate Mate Schools

Notable Grants:

  • South Bristol Youth: Funded expansion of 'Learning to Lead' programme for disadvantaged youth aged 9-12 in Hartcliffe and Withywood
  • Square Food Foundation: Grant for 16-18 year olds no longer in mainstream education to attend specialist cookery course 'A Toolkit for Independent Living'

Key Terminology

The Foundation emphasizes:

  • “Participatory sport” (not spectator or elite sport)
  • “Improving wellbeing, self-esteem and independence”
  • “Time-limited” and “one-off” projects
  • “Defined projects, initiatives or purchase of specific items”
  • “Academic engagement and attainment”
  • “Life skills” and “employability”

Strategic Advice

  • Demonstrate clear alignment: Show how your project directly achieves at least one of the Foundation's five core objectives
  • Be specific: Applications must detail defined projects or specific item purchases, not general operational support
  • Show accessibility focus: Particularly for sport projects, demonstrate how you're making activities accessible and affordable
  • Evidence need: Clearly identify how beneficiaries meet the criteria (mental health, physical disability, or poverty)
  • 12-month timeframe: Projects must be completed within one year
  • South West advantage: While not mandatory, being based in or working in the South West region improves your chances
  • Prepare thoroughly: Since the application cannot be saved mid-completion, prepare all information in advance
  • Smaller first ask: Consider that grants under £10,000 have a faster approval pathway

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Rolling deadlines work in your favor: No competition with quarterly deadline rushes; submit when your project is ready
  • No grant caps: The absence of minimum/maximum amounts means you can request what you genuinely need
  • Fast track for smaller grants: Applications under £10,000 can be approved more quickly, making this a good starting point for new relationships
  • Family foundation values: The involvement of Peter Hargreaves and his children suggests a personal commitment; align with their stated desire to “make a positive and significant contribution”
  • South West priority is real: Being based in or working in the South West region is explicitly prioritized
  • One-year limit is strict: Only apply for projects that can be completed within 12 months
  • Sport and education only: Stay within these two mediums; the Foundation does not fund outside these areas
  • Demonstrate measurable outcomes: With objectives focused on wellbeing, self-esteem, independence, academic attainment, and employability, show how you'll measure impact in these areas

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