Horne Foundation

The Horne Foundation, established by a trust deed on 23 October 1981 by members of the Horne family, is a grant-making charity dedicated to advancing education through substantial investments in infrastructure, initiatives, and student support, primarily in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Its ethos emphasizes educational opportunity and long-term community benefit, blending major capital projects—like new buildings and facilities—with smaller grassroots efforts and bursaries for local students pursuing higher education. With a legacy-minded approach, the Foundation is in its wind-down phase, planning to distribute remaining assets to aligned educational charities before closing, prioritizing high-impact, time-limited interventions over ongoing grant-making.

It funds transformational educational capital developments for institutions, recurring local projects, and bursaries (up to £5,000 per student) channeled through Northamptonshire schools, benefiting young people and communities via enhanced learning environments. Exceptional national grants occur at trustee discretion, but the focus remains on regional educational enhancement.

Eligible entities are limited to UK-registered charities and academic institutions based strictly in Northamptonshire or Oxfordshire, with no income thresholds specified; it supports both large institutions and small grassroots groups. Grants do not accept unsolicited applications—awards are proactive and trustee-selected via direct contact—with ad hoc meetings and no published deadlines or rounds.

Distinctively invite-only and regionally focused, the Foundation avoids general public funds, direct people-focused support, or non-educational causes, differentiating itself through its blend of scale-spanning grants, historical consistency, and strategic closure to maximize final educational legacy.