Graff Foundation

The Graff Foundation, a UK-registered charitable trust established in December 1991 and closely tied to the Graff family and Graff Diamonds Limited, pursues a broad philanthropic mission to support charitable institutions for public benefit through trustee-led, discretionary grants. With founding trustee Laurence Graff and active involvement from Francois Graff, it embodies family-oriented philanthropy emphasizing legacy, quality, and global social commitment. Its generalist approach avoids fixed themes, relying on annual trustee decisions informed by family values, enabling flexible responses to emerging needs like the $1 million COVID-19 pledge to the World Health Organization.

The Foundation funds health initiatives, community wellbeing, museums, cultural institutions, and notably education, health, and wellbeing programs for disadvantaged children and young people in southern Africa via substantial recurring grants to the FACET Foundation. It supports UK-wide projects including unrestricted core costs, capacity building, capital, and multi-year commitments to robust organizations, prioritizing public benefit and alignment with trustees' interests in community development.

Eligible applicants are exclusively UK-registered charities of medium to large size with institutional strength; there are no geographic restrictions within the UK, though international impact occurs through partners. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—funding is invitation-only at trustees' discretion, with no open calls, guidelines, or deadlines; decisions occur on a rolling basis.

Distinctive for its understated, high-capacity giving backed by Graff Diamonds' resources, the Foundation avoids prescriptive schemes or small grants below £10,000, focusing instead on significant, sustained partnerships without religious restrictions or income caps, differentiating it through trustee autonomy and international legacy via Africa-focused work.