Funding
We fund the organisations making change happen in our local communities. We know that the best solutions often come from young people and communities themselves, and we partner with charities that are closely connected to the people they serve.
We work hard to build long-term, trust based relationships with the charities we fund. You can read more about our approach to working in partnership here.
Our charity partnerships fall into three main categories:
Strategic Partners
We have a small number of long-term Strategic Partnerships with organisations that share our goals and values. These are multi-layered relationships that aim to create transformational change.
Community Partners
Each Berkeley Group operating business selects a local charity to partner with over a minimum period of three years. These are usually small-to-medium sized organisations working in the local area and are supported through staff fundraising and volunteering.
Resilience Fund Partners
Our Resilience Fund enables small-to-medium sized charities to invest in their organisational development, building resilience for the future.
Our Priorities for 2026/27
This year, we’re focused on strengthening our work with our brilliant portfolio of charity partners, including by developing a Foundation-wide resilience framework that will be embedded across all our partnerships.
We’re deepening our work with colleagues across Berkeley Group, with the aim of increasing the pre-employment support and pathways to work available to young people referred by our partners.
We’re developing a joined-up programme of learning events, cutting across our different funding streams.
And we’re investing in our work on EDI and youth participation, opening up more opportunities for young people to get directly involved in our work.
We are not currently running any open grant programmes, and we are unable to accept unsolicited funding applications.
How We Make Funding Decisions
Our funding is guided by our 2030 strategy, A Force for Change, and our five impact goals, as well as by what our charity partners and young people tell us is needed most.
Our funding programmes are developed in collaboration with charities, communities and young people with professional and lived experience of the issues we are working to solve. Wherever possible, we involve the people and communities we serve in making decisions about how our funding is awarded.
Each time we launch a new grant programme, we publish clear funding criteria, including information on who we will and won’t fund, details of the application process, and clear timelines so applicants know when they can expect to hear from us.You can see the funding guidelines for our most recent grant programme here.
See the Impact of Our Funding
Crisis: investing in local systems change to end homelessness
Our partnership with Crisis funds its work with Brent Council to develop place-based initiatives aimed at addressing homelessness within the borough. This cross-sector collaboration has led to Brent becoming the first UK community to pilot the ‘Built for Zero’ (BfZ) methodology – a data-driven framework designed to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring by using real-time data to respond swiftly to individuals’ needs.
Bridie Lane-Williams, Built for Zero Project Lead at Crisis, comments:
“BfZ went live in Brent in October 2023 with the development of a 'By Name List' (BNL), which tracks all rough sleepers. A key feature of BfZ is its innovation: testing change ideas in 90-day sprints. Rather than committing significant resources upfront, BfZ relies on creative problem-solving within available resources.
“Achievements include a more efficient referral process for the winter shelter and 27% more women captured on the BNL than CHAIN. BfZ’s success hinges on community collaboration and flexibility. Through this partnership, we aim to create lasting, systemic change that serves as a model for other communities, ultimately advancing the long-term goal of ending homelessness.”
Delivery partners for the project agree:
“We have seen improvements in partnership working as a whole, but specifically with the local drug and alcohol service. When the project started, we weren’t doing any joint outreach shifts, and now they are frequent. The communication has vastly improved between our teams.”
Outreach team rep for BfZ
“With BfZ’s multidisciplinary team approach, we were able to support the member to be assessed, accepted and moved into the supported accommodation within one month. Prior to this, the case moved very little and was met with multiple barriers for several months. Without the multi-disciplinary management level team, this case would have remained stuck and this member would have remained street homeless.”
Crisis team rep for BfZ
Imperial College London: Inspiring and Empowering Young People by Providing Hands-on Experience in Design and Technology
Our partnership funds the Maker Challenge programmes. Angelina is one of the graduates:
“Participating in the Maker Challenge programme meant that I could explore and access much more work experience and pathway opportunities, as well as gain insight into different careers, such as civil engineering and construction, from the various trips offered to Maker Challenge graduates.
“I have also learned how to use equipment and develop the skills required for them as well as being more conscious of the materials and the overall costs of the project.
“The main takeaway from the programme was the freedom to create whatever you wanted as long as it is feasible and you have a good plan of what it would look like.
“The site visit to Berkeley was very interesting as the site manager took us around the site showing us the different phases of constructing an apartment complex, including the CGI planning to the exterior and interior work and all the way to the final showroom.
“The visit gave me a really good insight into what going into the field means on a day-to-day basis. My advice to someone thinking of joining the programme is that the skills you learn are incredibly interchangeable in countless ways, and whether you regard yourself as a creative person or not, the programme really encourages you to think outside of the box and problem solve when something doesn't quite go your way.
“Companies could encourage young people to look into careers in STEM by providing outreach programmes, work experience offers, and hands-on STEM events.”
Our Charity Partners
We work with brilliant frontline charities delivering change in our local communities.