About Us

The Berkeley Foundation was set up in 2011 to support young people and their communities to thrive, in the places where Berkeley works.  

Today, we are working in partnership with around 30 frontline charities. We recognise that the best solutions come from within communities, and work with organisations that are closely connected to the people they serve. 

What We Do

Berkeley Foundation, Partners, Team Photo

We Fund

We make grants to expert frontline charities, supporting their work with young people and communities.

We Strengthen

We help our partners build capacity and resilience, investing a stronger voluntary sector.

We Mobilise

We enable Berkeley colleagues to raise funds, build awareness, and share their time and expertise – and we match fund their efforts.

We Convene

We convene our charity partners, the Berkeley business and our wider stakeholders to collaborate, network and share expertise.

We Share

We share learning from our programmes and partnerships to influence policy and practice.

Our Approach to Working in Partnership

Everything we do starts with a clear goal: to support young people and their communities to thrive. We invest for the long term, funding flexibly, listening to what is needed, and coming together to find solutions that work. 
Long term partnerships

Long-Term Partnerships

Most of our grants are for a minimum of three years. This enables us to build deep and impactful partnerships and helps our funded charities plan for the future. 

Berkeley Foundation, partner, team photo

Open and Trusting Grant-Making

We are part of a community of funders and charities committed to open and trusting grant-making. You can find out more about this approach and the commitments we have made here.

Berkeley Foundation partners, empowering youth voices

Flexible Funding

We are committed to increasing the proportion of unrestricted funding we are providing. At least 25% of every new grant is unrestricted, giving our charity partners the flexibility to apply funds where they are needed most.

Berkeley Foundation, partner, team photo

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. We launched our EDI plan in 2023, and you can read about our progress here.

Berkeley Foundation, partner, group of children enjoying fun outdoor activities

Transparent Funding

We believe transparency supports better grant-making. We publish all our grants data through 360Giving, an initiative that aims to help UK funders share their data in an open and standard format online.

Berkeley Foundation, partner, team awards photo

Learning and Sharing

We work with our partners to evaluate and learn from the work we do together and use this to inform and improve our strategy and funding decisions. We share insights through our regular programme of learning events.  

Berkeley Foundation, Team Photo

How We Work With Berkeley Group

Berkeley Group provides core funding for the Berkeley Foundation’s work and covers all our operating costs. 

Our work is also supported by more than 2,000 colleagues across Berkeley, whose ideas, energy and enthusiasm mean we can have a much deeper impact in our communities. 

In 2025/2026:

59%

of Berkeley colleagues got directly involved in our work

£660,000

raised for the Foundation and our charity partners 

1,980

hours volunteered with our charity partners

"Volunteering gives me a real sense of purpose and perspective. It allows me to meet inspiring people, develop new skills, build confidence and connect with colleagues from across the business who share a passion for giving back. My advice to other apprentices, graduates, and colleagues would be to get involved whenever you can. Even a few hours of your time can make a significant difference."

Mabel Sodenbge. Apprentice Site Supervisor

"It was a great opportunity to step away from my desk and see the impact of the Foundation's work in our communities first hand. The team was very welcoming and the children were fabulous to be around. There were smiles on everyone's faces!"

Clare Maddison, Head of Partnerships, Berkeley Foundation

"This is the third time I have volunteered, and each time I have come away with a great feeling that I have made a real difference."

Stephen Dean, Health & Safety Systems Manager

Our People

We are a small, dedicated team supported by a Board of Trustees and a network of Foundation Champions who work for Berkeley Group. 

Together, we bring expertise, local knowledge and a shared commitment to creating positive change.

Meet The Team

Berkeley Foundation, Our People

We Are Proud Members Of:

London Funders logo

London Funders

Open and Trusting logo

Open and Trusting Grantmaking

360 Giving Logo award

360Giving