The Rigby Foundation

Registered charity 1207788 · since 2024rigbyfoundation.org.uk·Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£869k
Annual giving, year to 31 March 2025
From filed accounts
£10,000 to £200k
Grant range
From the annual report's grant list
From the named grants only. A further £37,264 went in grants the report doesn't itemise.
£50,000
Typical grant (median)
11 published grants
Invitation only
Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

  • The Rigby Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, and its partners are chosen through research, due diligence and consultation, so a cold application is unlikely to be the right route.
  • Its focus is education and employability for young people, with a priority on the West Midlands, particularly central and south Birmingham, and most of its money goes through Inspiring Futures.
  • The annual report shows that most grants fall between £10,000 and £200,000, with a median of £50,000, so a small organisation should expect any request to be judged against that typical range and only if it has been invited to apply.
  • Youth mental health, employability and school attainment are its stated themes, so a group working in these areas nearby may wish to check the annual report for any invitation process before doing anything else.
  • Organisations whose work does not reach young people from low-income families facing significant deprivation and multiple challenges should not apply to Inspiring Futures.

Overview

The Rigby Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1207788).

The Rigby Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It funds programmes that enable young people, regardless of their background, to access the best education possible and to have the chance of securing meaningful and sustainable employment. Its annual giving was £868,629 in its latest reported year, and the majority of its funding goes through Inspiring Futures, which brings schools, colleges and evidence-based charity partners together.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Rigby Foundation funds programmes that enable young people, regardless of their background, to access the best education possible and secure meaningful, sustainable employment. Its priority is the West Midlands, particularly central and south Birmingham. It supports young people to succeed in school, pursue further education and secure fulfilling work; its partners also help young people build employability skills and access good-quality work experience. The majority of funding is channelled through Inspiring Futures, which brings schools, colleges and evidence-based charity partners together. The programme supports attainment in English and Maths, essential skills, post-school destinations, employability and wellbeing, particularly mental health. The Foundation also funds a small number of bespoke projects that complement this work. Its approach identifies evidence-based programmes led by expert charities.

Themes

  • Education
  • Youth employment
  • Employability skills
  • Youth mental health

Geographic Focus

Priority: West Midlands: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and 3 more counties in United Kingdom; central and south Birmingham.

What they don't fund

  • Unsolicited requests for support
  • Inspiring Futures only: programmes that do not support students from low-income families that experience significant deprivation and multiple challenges

How to apply

Charities and education partners applied to be part of Inspiring Futures; those not selected received a donation in recognition of their time applying.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

  • Charity partners are selected after deep research, due diligence and consultation.
  • Education partners are selected through a robust application process in consultation with Birmingham City Council and local education experts.
  • The Foundation identifies evidence-based programmes led by expert charities.

Where they fund

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Rigby Foundation.

Grants

11 published grants analysed · median £50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 11 grants in year to 31 March 2025 by size

£10k–£25k45%
£25k–£50k0%
£50k–£100k27%
£100k–£250k18%
£250k–£500k9%

Median £50,000 (year to 31 March 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:

  • The Schools Programme
    £286,365year to 31 March 2025
  • Generation UK
    £200,000year to 31 March 2025
  • The SCC Academy
    £100,000year to 31 March 2025
  • City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
    £80,000year to 31 March 2025
  • Birmingham Childrens Hospital
    £50,000year to 31 March 2025
  • The King's Trust
    £50,000year to 31 March 2025
  • Think Forward
    £20,000year to 31 March 2025
  • Molly Olly's Wishes
    £15,000year to 31 March 2025

Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 line covering other, unnamed recipients (£37,264).

1 year of accounts

Financial yearIncomeExpenditureGrants paidAccounts document
year to 31 March 2025£1,054,849£1,029,645£868,629Accounts for year to 31 March 2025
  • Grants paid, all years: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.

Sources

Other sources

  • Annual report (year to 5 April 2025)

This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.

Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.

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