The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £4.5 million
• Success Rate: N/A (Does not accept applications)
• Decision Time: N/A (Proactive grantmaking only)
• Grant Range: £25,000 - £5,000,000+
• Geographic Focus: UK, Israel, and Europe (UK emphasis)

Contact Details

Website: www.wohl.org.uk

Email: info@wohl.org.uk (for enquiries only, not applications)

Phone: 020 7384 3119

IMPORTANT: The Wohl Legacy does not accept applications for funding, nor will they respond to unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation (charity number 244519) was established in 1965 by Maurice Wohl, with the Wohl Legacy fully endowed after Vivienne Wohl's death in 2005 and Maurice's in 2007. Operating under the collective “Wohl Legacy” umbrella (comprising three independent charities), the foundation distributed £4.5 million in grants in 2024, funded primarily by investment income of £1.1 million and investment gains of £6.2 million. With total assets substantially supporting long-term philanthropic work, the foundation is one of the larger funders of the Jewish community in the UK. The foundation operates through proactive grantmaking, with a full-time team working alongside trustees to identify projects aligned with their mission: “to act as a catalyst for sustainable change, and to ensure strong, viable Jewish communities and a healthy society at large.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The Wohl Legacy does not operate open grant programmes but proactively identifies and funds projects across six priority areas:

Pathways to Employment

• Supports organisations enabling individuals to find work opportunities and develop careers
• Focuses on sustainable employment outcomes that allow individuals to contribute to their communities

Jewish Education

• Funds high-quality Jewish schools and educational initiatives
• Range: £25,000 - £500,000+ for major projects
• Example: Gesher School (special education for children with mild to moderate special educational needs)
• Supports small Jewish communities across Europe through initiatives like “Educating for Impact”

Medical Advancement

• Infrastructure funding for cutting-edge research with universal disease impact
• Range: £500,000 - £5,000,000+ for major medical facilities
• Example: Wohl Institutes for Translational Medicine at Hadassah Medical Organization ($6.5 million of an $8 million project) and Sheba Medical Centre in Israel

Care & Welfare

• Building and supporting organisations delivering high-quality care services
• Range: £1,000,000+ for major infrastructure projects
• Example: Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Campus (£multi-million facility with 54-bed nursing home and 45 independent living apartments, opened 2010)

Arts & Culture

• Major institutional grants to cultural organisations
• Range: £2,000,000 - £5,000,000 for significant projects
• Example: £5 million shared between National Gallery and Royal Academy for 50th anniversary (National Gallery used funds for 19th Century and Impressionist galleries renovation, now named “The Wohl Galleries”)

Jewish & Communal Life

• Funds communal projects supporting Jewish life across UK, Europe, and Israel
• Includes community centres, synagogues, and communal infrastructure

Priority Areas

• Organisations with excellent leadership and strong governance
• Projects demonstrating sustainability and long-term viability
• Infrastructure development over operational costs
• Universal impact initiatives (particularly in medical research)
• Jewish community strengthening across UK, Europe, and Israel
• Projects that enable individuals to contribute to their communities

What They Don't Fund

• Unsolicited applications (proactive grantmaking model only)
• Organisations without demonstrated strong governance
• Projects lacking sustainability plans
• Researcher salaries or direct research costs (except through specific programmes like Wohl Clean Growth Alliance)
• Organisations outside their geographic focus (UK, Israel, Europe)

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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Kate Goldberg

Chair: Prof David S Latchman CBE MA PhD DSc FRCPath FRSA FKC (nephew and heir to Maurice Wohl)

Additional Trustees:

• Mrs Ella Latchman
• Mr Martin D Paisner CBE MA LLM FKC (specialist in charity law)
• Sir Ian Gainsford
• Mr Daniel I Dover

Governance Philosophy

The foundation operates with a distinctive unanimous decision-making philosophy, where each trustee has the right to veto any proposal without providing explanation. This reflects Maurice Wohl's belief that the foundation should operate “in a business-like manner.”

Key Leadership Quotes

Martin Paisner, CBE (Trustee):

"It is said, that the good that people do lives after them. So it will be with Maurice & Vivienne… in the philanthropic ventures which will flow over the years from the Wohl Legacy."

Maurice Wohl's Mother (Founder's inspiration):

“If you give to twelve and only one is genuine then it is still worthwhile.”

This philosophy, shared by Maurice Wohl's mother when explaining her approach to charitable giving, reflects the foundation's commitment to taking calculated philanthropic risks.

How to Apply to The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation

How to Apply

The Wohl Legacy does NOT accept applications for funding. The foundation operates exclusively through proactive grantmaking.

Their Approach:

• A full-time team works with trustees to identify suitable projects
• The foundation proactively approaches organisations that align with their priorities and values
• All funding decisions are made through unanimous trustee agreement
• The foundation conducts its own research and due diligence on potential grantees

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation initiates all funding relationships

Success Rates

Not applicable - no open application process

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organisations cannot apply or reapply

Application Success Factors

While organisations cannot apply directly, understanding what the Wohl Legacy seeks can inform relationship-building strategies:

What They Value

Organisational Excellence:

The foundation seeks organisations with excellent leadership, strong governance, and clear plans towards sustainability - these three pillars guide all grantmaking decisions.

Business-Like Operations:

Maurice Wohl believed in philanthropic investments that demonstrated:

• Minimal risk in asset management
• Careful evaluation of organisational sustainability
• Assessment of leadership quality and governance structures

Transformative Potential:

• Projects must have “the potential to change lives”
• Universal impact (particularly in medical research)
• Infrastructure development that serves communities long-term

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

Jewish Care - Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Campus (2010):

• £multi-million investment in 54-bed nursing and dementia care home
• 45 independent living apartments
• Community centre with social activities
• Demonstrated: comprehensive solution, long-term infrastructure, quality of life focus

Jewish Care - Wohl Court (2019):

• 32 additional independent living apartments in Hendon
• Demonstrated: building on successful partnership, meeting identified need

National Gallery & Royal Academy (50th Anniversary):

• £5 million shared for arts infrastructure
• National Gallery used funds for gallery renovation
• Demonstrated: institutional excellence, public benefit, lasting legacy (galleries named “The Wohl Galleries”)

Gesher School:

• Special education for children with mild/moderate special educational needs
• Demonstrated: filling gap in Jewish education provision, inclusive community building

British Academy Transformation:

• £1 million donation towards £9.6 million redesign of headquarters
• New Wohl Atrium providing access to state-of-the-art event spaces
• Demonstrated: institutional excellence, public benefit, infrastructure development

Strategic Approach

The foundation prefers:

• Multi-year commitments to organisations
• Capital projects and infrastructure over operational funding
• Organisations that align wages with London Living Wage (where relevant)
• Projects in UK with particular emphasis, plus Israel and Europe
• Jewish communal organisations alongside broader medical and cultural institutions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Do not submit unsolicited applications - The foundation will not respond and does not accept applications. Any application process is by invitation only.

• Focus on organisational excellence - If your organisation has exceptional leadership, strong governance, and a clear sustainability plan, you may come onto the foundation's radar through your demonstrated work and reputation in the Jewish community or relevant sectors.

• Build visibility through excellence - The foundation's team actively researches and identifies potential grantees. Excellence in your field, strong outcomes, and strategic relationships within the Jewish community or medical/arts sectors may lead to the foundation approaching you.

• Sustainability is paramount - The foundation seeks organisations with long-term viability. One-off projects or those requiring ongoing operational support are less likely to attract interest than infrastructure or capacity-building initiatives.

• Alignment with Jewish community - While the foundation funds broader medical and cultural initiatives, their primary emphasis is on causes within the UK Jewish community across education, care, welfare, and communal life.

• Infrastructure over operations - Capital projects, building developments, and major organisational infrastructure investments are preferred over operational or programme funding.

• Network strategically - Given the proactive model, connections within the UK Jewish philanthropic community, particularly with organisations already funded by the Wohl Legacy, may provide visibility. However, networking should be genuine and mission-focused, not grant-seeking.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Wellcome Trust
• The Leverhulme Trust
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• The Royal Academy Of Engineering
• Alzheimer's Research Uk
• The Wolfson Foundation
• The Nuffield Foundation
• Academy Of Medical Sciences
• Council For At-risk Academics
• The Exilarch's Foundation
• P F Charitable Trust
• The Sino-british Fellowship Trust
• Marc Fitch Fund
• The Foyle Foundation
• Frontiers
• Help Fund
• Hawthornden Foundation
• Cambridge University Press
• University Of East Anglia
• Dr William Zachs

References

1. Wohl Legacy Official Website - Homepage. https://www.wohl.org.uk/

1. Wohl Legacy - What We Do. https://www.wohl.org.uk/what-we-do/

1. Wohl Legacy - Who We Are. https://www.wohl.org.uk/about/who-we-are/

1. Wohl Legacy - History. https://www.wohl.org.uk/about/history/

1. Wohl Legacy - Contact Us. https://www.wohl.org.uk/contact/

1. Wohl Legacy - Jewish Care UK Project. https://www.wohl.org.uk/project/jewish-care-uk-maurice-and-vivienne-wohl-campus-and-wohl-court/

1. UK Charity Commission - THE MAURICE WOHL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION (244519). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=244519&subid=0

1. Kate Goldberg, Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation - NFP Consulting. https://nfpconsulting.co.uk/content/kate-goldberg-maurice-wohl-charitable-foundation

1. Turning a Seed of an Idea into Reality – Kate Goldberg, Gesher School. https://gesherschool.com/turning-a-seed-of-an-idea-into-reality-kate-goldberg/

1. “Wohl Foundation Grant Funds National Gallery Overhaul,” Artnet News. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/wohl-foundation-grant-funds-national-gallery-overhaul-238110

1. “£1 million gift from the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation boosts British Academy Transformation,” The British Academy. https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/1-million-gift-from-the-maurice-wohl-charitable-foundation-boosts-british-academy-transformation/

1. “Jewish charities gifted £6.5million in grants,” Jewish News. https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/jewish-charities-gifted-6-5million-grants/

1. The Wohl Clean Growth Alliance Grants, British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.org.il/en/programmes/science/wohl-clean-growth-alliance/grants

1. “Wohl Institute for Translational Medicine Inaugurated at Hadassah,” Hadassah. https://www.hadassah.org/story/wohl-institute-for-translational-medicine-inaugurated-at-hadassah

1. “Educating for Impact - Europe,” Wohl Legacy. https://www.wohl.org.uk/project/educating-for-impact-europe/