Wisley Foundation

The Wisley Foundation, established in January 2009 by members of The Wisley Golf Club, is a strategic charitable funder addressing hidden social deprivation in affluent Surrey through targeted support for small, local charities. Rooted in values of community responsibility, proactivity, and transparency, it prioritizes grassroots organizations delivering transformative, measurable impact on local needs obscured by public funding cuts. Its mission focuses on empowering nimble groups to assist people across all ages facing acute challenges, fostering community wellbeing via catalytic interventions rather than broad-scale efforts.

Funding emphasizes health, disability, poverty alleviation, and educational disadvantage, including specialist cancer/hospice care, social-emotional support for children and families with additional needs, resources for disabled individuals, and capacity-building for mental health or poverty initiatives. Beneficiaries span young people, children with special needs, the elderly, those with life-limiting illnesses, carers, and hardship-affected families, with grants covering specific project costs that yield clear, reportable outcomes like reduced isolation or enhanced wellbeing.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities based in Surrey (with occasional support for adjoining counties), favoring small, low-income grassroots operations over larger entities—no formal income thresholds, but a clear preference for local focus. Grants typically range from £2,000 to £15,000, awarded adhoc without deadlines.

Exclusively invite-only, the Foundation proactively identifies and approaches organizations via its networks, rejecting unsolicited applications, core/unrestricted funding, or general-purpose support. This hands-on, results-oriented approach, deeply embedded in Surrey's community, distinguishes it as an ideal partner for regionally nimble charities pursuing innovative, high-impact projects.