Stellenbosch University Sa Foundation UK

Stellenbosch University SA Foundation UK, established in December 2004 by William Frankel OBE as a registered UK charity and company limited by guarantee, serves as a dedicated fundraising arm for Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa. Its sole charitable object is advancing education at SU by mobilizing UK alumni and supporters through tax-efficient mechanisms like Gift Aid. The Foundation aligns with SU's strategic vision of becoming an inclusive, innovative, world-class institution, emphasizing widened access to higher education for talented, financially disadvantaged students and enhancements to university facilities and projects. Governed by a small, unpaid board of university and alumni representatives, it upholds rigorous financial controls, transparency, and Charity Commission compliance.

It exclusively channels funds to SU and its affiliated initiatives, supporting bursaries, scholarships, hardship funds, faculty-specific projects (e.g., Positive Sexology Project, Move for Food, Old Dagbreek Fund, Dean’s Fund, Armicus Fund, Covid Relief), and capacity-building efforts. Priorities center on student financial aid, academic excellence, and institutional development, benefiting primarily low-income students and SU-wide educational advancements rather than broader thematic causes.

Unsolicited applications are not accepted; eligibility is limited to SU-proposed priorities, with no requirements for external entities, income thresholds, or geographic restrictions beyond SU in South Africa. Grants, awarded at trustees' discretion via internal dialogue, range from £5,000 for named scholarships to £250,000+ for major projects, often multi-year; meetings occur annually without fixed deadlines or public calls.

Distinctively, as a specialist 'friends of' foundation, it does not fund UK charities, external organizations, unrestricted support, or non-SU projects, positioning it solely as a trusted conduit for UK philanthropy targeting one South African university's educational impact.