Symondson Foundation

The Symondson Foundation, established in 2021 by Kate Symondson and her parents, is a UK-focused philanthropic fund transitioning family giving into strategic, impact-driven philanthropy. Replenished by Alexander Square Partners and managed as a named fund within The Master Charitable Trust, it is overseen by a family-led board emphasizing trust-based, relational partnerships for systemic change. At its core, the Foundation tackles entrenched inequity by empowering society's most vulnerable—those facing disadvantage, exclusion, or intersectional challenges—through organisations that dismantle barriers, unlock individual potential, and ensure fair access to opportunities. Its values prioritize long-term, unrestricted support for underfunded areas blending emotional/physical wellbeing, social justice, research, education, and the arts, fostering resilience, community, and pioneering interventions beyond traditional charity silos.

It funds transformative efforts like core capacity building, multi-year projects, research, and care initiatives addressing complex hardships, with a generalist remit focused on UK impact. Beneficiaries include disadvantaged individuals and communities, particularly via grassroots efforts in education, arts, and inclusion that drive enduring change.

Eligible organisations must be UK-based, with a strong preference for small to medium-sized and grassroots charities overlooked by larger funders; no strict income thresholds apply, and entities are not specified beyond alignment with values. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications—instead proactively identifies and invites partners via research and recommendations—with ad hoc trustee decisions, no fixed deadlines, and typical grants of £10,000–£100,000 tailored flexibly.

Distinctively relational and reflective, it avoids perpetuating funding barriers, champions unrestricted multi-year grants for systemic impact, and rejects conventional silos, setting it apart through openness to innovative, expert-led solutions in chronically under-resourced fields without religious or other exclusions.