Dorfman Foundation

The Dorfman Foundation, established in 2007 by British entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Lloyd Dorfman CVO OBE—founder of Travelex and key supporter of bodies like the National Theatre and Prince's Trust—is a family-led grant-making charity deploying private wealth for public benefit. Its mission emphasizes enhancing quality of life through impactful, lasting change in arts and culture, education, employment, youth leadership opportunities, and community life, guided by trustee discretion to address evolving social needs while upholding Charity Commission standards of public benefit.

The foundation funds diverse initiatives for the general public and disadvantaged/vulnerable groups, particularly young people, including access to arts, cultural programs, educational pathways, employability schemes, youth leadership, and community infrastructure. Notable support goes to established arts institutions like the National Theatre (home to the Dorfman Theatre) and projects fostering social impact, with grants for projects, capital builds, capacity building, or unrestricted costs.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, voluntary bodies, and public-interest institutions primarily in England and Wales (UK-wide possible), favoring medium-to-large established organizations with proven track records over small grassroots groups; no income thresholds or religious restrictions apply. Typical grants span hundreds of thousands to multi-million pounds, with flexibility in scale. Unsolicited applications are accepted via email to charity.correspondence@bdo.co.uk at any time—no forms, deadlines, or rounds—but success is rare without prior trustee relationships, as decisions occur ad hoc at undisclosed trustee meetings. Distinctively relationship-driven and versatile, it avoids routine small grants, prioritizing transformative, high-impact giving to strategic national players.