The Sanghera Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £89,040 (FY ending August 2024)
• Success Rate: Not yet publicly available (applications not yet open)
• Decision Time: Not yet established
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: United Kingdom
• Status: Newly established, currently running pilot programmes

Contact Details

Website: https://www.sfoundation.com

Email: enquiries@sfoundation.com

Phone: 2075976000

Charity Number: 1196864

Registered: 16 August 2021

Overview

The Sanghera Foundation is a newly established UK charity founded by the Sanghera family, led by Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE, CEO and co-founder of Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Registered in August 2021, the Foundation is currently in its pilot phase, developing its donation and impact strategies through initial programmes before opening formal applications. With total expenditure of £89,040 in its first full financial year (ending August 2024), the Foundation focuses on supporting small to medium-sized charities that work with communities or individuals with fewer opportunities, particularly young people in challenging home or school environments. The Foundation's mission reflects Gordon Sanghera's personal journey through state education from a migrant family background to becoming a successful biotech entrepreneur, aiming to improve social mobility and broaden opportunities for young people across all backgrounds in the UK.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation is currently operating pilot programmes with selected charities before establishing a formal grant application process. Based on their supported charities list, they fund organisations across three main areas:

Education: Supporting educational opportunities and youth development programmes

Sport: Funding sports-based community and youth engagement initiatives

Music: Supporting music education and community music programmes

The Foundation has already supported 18+ charities during its pilot phase, including:

• Football Beyond Borders (youth education through football)
• Oxfordshire Schools Football Association
• The Oxford Academy
• MusicSpace (music education)
• Autism Bedfordshire
• Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA)
• Listening Books
• For Baby's Sake
• Various local youth clubs and community organisations

Priority Areas

The Foundation prioritises support for:

• Small to medium-sized UK charities
• Organisations supporting communities or individuals with fewer opportunities
• Programmes focused on young people in challenging home or school environments
• Education-based interventions
• Sport as a vehicle for youth development and social mobility
• Music as a tool for community engagement and personal development
• Charities working on social mobility issues
• Grassroots community organisations

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation explicitly does not support:

• NGOs/international charities (UK focus only)
• Animal welfare organisations
• Environmental activities
• Hospitals or healthcare delivery
• Charities with specific religious focus
• Charities with specific political focus

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Governance and Leadership

Founder

Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE - CEO and Co-founder of Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Gordon was born in Swindon into a family which migrated to the UK from the Punjab region in India. He worked through state education to achieve a bioelectronics PhD at Cardiff University and pursued postdoctoral work at Oxford. Before co-founding Oxford Nanopore, he held key positions at MediSense, an Oxford University spin-out, where he was instrumental in launching glucose monitoring systems. He was awarded a CBE in 2023 for services to the Technology Sector.

Gordon has stated: “Just under half of FTSE 350 CEOs attended independent schools, compared to 7% of the population. Social mobility may be increasing but many challenges remain, especially where young people have additional challenges in their home or school environments.”

Board of Trustees (4 trustees appointed 16 August 2021)

1. Isabella Sanghera - Trustee
2. Elizabeth Shand - Trustee
3. Gurdial Singh Sanghera - Trustee
4. Philip Munro - Trustee

Charity Structure

• 4 Trustees
• 3 Volunteers
• No employees
• No trustee remuneration
• No trading subsidiaries

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are not currently open. The Foundation is in its initial development phase, running pilot programmes to develop its donation and impact strategies. According to their website: “The newly established Foundation will develop its donation and impact strategies in its first year with a number of pilot programmes, after which the Foundation intends to invite applications for funding.”

The Foundation has not yet announced when formal applications will open or what the application process will look like.

Current Approach: During the pilot phase, the Foundation appears to be proactively identifying and supporting charities that align with their mission, rather than accepting unsolicited applications.

Decision Timeline

Not yet established - will be announced when formal application process opens.

Success Rates

Not yet applicable as formal applications are not yet accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not yet established - will be announced when formal application process opens.

Application Success Factors

While formal applications are not yet open, the Foundation's current portfolio of supported charities provides insights into their priorities:

Strong Focus on Youth Development: The majority of supported charities work directly with young people, particularly those facing educational or social challenges. Football Beyond Borders, which uses football to engage young people struggling in mainstream education, is a notable example.

Local and Grassroots: The Foundation supports local clubs and associations (like Tower Hill Football Club, Headington Youth, Oxfordshire Schools Football Association) alongside more established charities, suggesting openness to smaller, community-based organisations.

Social Mobility Alignment: Given Gordon Sanghera's personal story and explicit commitment to social mobility, organisations demonstrating how they break down barriers for disadvantaged young people are likely to resonate strongly.

Education Through Alternative Means: The Foundation supports organisations using sport and music as vehicles for education and development, not just traditional academic programmes.

Inclusion and Accessibility: Support for organisations like Autism Bedfordshire and Riding for the Disabled Association shows commitment to ensuring opportunities for young people with additional needs.

Evidence of Impact: While specific metrics haven't been published, organisations should be prepared to demonstrate tangible impact on young people's opportunities and life outcomes.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Monitor their website (sfoundation.com) for announcements about when applications will open - this is a newly established funder still developing their processes
• Align with the founder's story: Gordon Sanghera's journey from a state-educated child of migrants to a successful biotech CEO is central to the Foundation's mission - demonstrate how your work creates similar opportunities
• Focus on social mobility: Explicitly connect your work to improving opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Small to medium charities are the target: This is not a large grant-maker; they specifically want to support organisations similar in size to those they've already funded
• Three clear pillars: Education, sport, or music - ensure your work clearly fits within at least one of these areas
• UK-focused only: International work and overseas charities are explicitly excluded
• Evidence from pilot portfolio: Look at the 18+ charities they've already supported for examples of their preferences - grassroots, youth-focused, often using sport or creative activities
• Be patient: As a new foundation, processes and criteria will evolve - early engagement when applications open could be advantageous

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Carmela & Ronnie Pignatelli Foundation
• The Greenslade Family Foundation
• Hedley Foundation Limited
• The David Wilson Foundation
• The Patrick Rowland Foundation
• The Eranda Rothschild Foundation
• The Sterry Family Foundation
• Hollick Family Foundation
• The Danson Foundation
• The Considered Ask Foundation

References

1. The Sanghera Foundation official website - https://www.sfoundation.com/
2. The Sanghera Foundation About page - https://www.sfoundation.com/about
3. The Sanghera Foundation Supported Charities page - https://www.sfoundation.com/supported-charities
4. UK Charity Commission Register - Charity Number 1196864 - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5186396
5. Oxford Nanopore Technologies - Gordon Sanghera biography - https://nanoporetech.com/about/executive-team