The Diageo Foundation
A registered charity with its own board of trustees, the Diageo Foundation's aim is to create positive, long-term change in the community. It focuses on areas of humanitarian need, primarily in developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, where it can make the most difference. The Foundation provides kick-start funding and expertise in establishing local projects, some of which are run in partnership with our local businesses.
The Foundation makes charitable donations, matches employee fundraising in the UK and provides longer-term social investment in areas where we can make the most difference.
To comply with UK charity law, grants and donations made from the Diageo Foundation must be for charitable purposes, i.e. the relief of poverty, or the advancement of education.
How to apply for funding from the Diageo Foundation
To be eligible for funding from the Diageo Foundation, projects must fall within one of the four key focus areas: Skills for Life, Water of Life, Local Communities or Disaster Relief. They must also demonstrate the following:
- addressing a community/social need, in particular excluded and disadvantaged people who, with support, can help themselves to transform their own lives
- building partnerships with community groups and NGOs
- helping build the skills-base of individuals or communities
- maximising grants to make them as effective as possible
- building the economic prosperity of a community
- planning a clear exit strategy and appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the benefits derived from the project are sustainable
- having clear, well-defined objectives in place, including planned outcomes, desired impact, measurement and evaluation
- enhancing the project, if appropriate, by working in partnerhsip with a local Diageo business
There is normally a three-year limit to any funding commitment
Outside our guidelines
Unfortunately, due to the demands made on the Foundation’s funds, it is not possible to support all requests.
The main areas normally considered to be outside the Foundation’s guidelines are:
- organisations which are not registered charities
- individuals
- loans, business finance or endowment funds
- medical charities or hospitals
- promotion of religion
- animal welfare
- expeditions or overseas travel
- political organisations
- advertising
- product donations
- capital projects (e.g. buildings)
Financial limits
The maximum funding available for any one project is £50,000. Payments are made normally over a maximum period of three years.
The Diageo Foundation encourages projects which obtain additional funding from external sources as this can lead to sustainability.
If you wish to apply, please write to us providing details of the project, how it relates to the Diageo Foundation’s focus areas and the amount of funding required – on no more than two sides of a sheet of A4 paper. We will contact you if we require further details. You will normally receive written notification of whether your application has been successful or not within 6-8 weeks.
Please send applications to:
The Administrator
Diageo Foundation
8 Henrietta Place
London
W1G 0NB
Tel: +44(0) 207 927 5417
Email: diageofoundation@diageo.com