Burberry Foundation

The Burberry Foundation, established in 2014, is the philanthropic arm of the luxury brand Burberry, dedicated to driving positive social change by harnessing creativity as a catalyst for young people, especially those from underserved and marginalised communities in the UK. Guided by principles of inclusion, strategic collaboration, and evidence-based impact, it focuses on building confidence, life skills, employability, and innovative thinking through safe spaces and programmes that enable youth to flourish and contribute to society. Its distinctive approach emphasises scalable interventions, trustee-led research into impact gaps, and partnerships with organisations like Teach First, Ideas Foundation, and OnSide Youth Zones.

The Foundation prioritises education, employability, creativity-led initiatives, and community empowerment for disadvantaged young people, funding creative workshops, digital skills training, school partnerships, and youth development programmes that deliver measurable outcomes in self-confidence, aspiration, and skills for employment or further education. While primarily UK-focused, it occasionally supports international projects in Burberry's key markets like the US, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

Eligible applicants are limited to UK-registered charities and academic institutions with medium-to-large scale, proven delivery in youth, education, or creative engagement; unsolicited applications are not accepted—organisations must be invited via trustee outreach. Grants range from £50,000 to £500,000 annually (higher for multi-year projects), awarded on a rolling basis for project funding, programme support, and collaborations covering innovative initiatives and some core costs, with rigorous due diligence.

Unlike traditional funders, it avoids one-off relief or unrestricted grants, instead catalysing systemic change through creative, innovative programming and private-sector synergies, setting it apart for charities seeking long-term youth empowerment via evidence-led, scalable creativity.