Tony and Sheelagh Williams Charitable Foundation

The Tony and Sheelagh Williams Charitable Foundation, established in 1997 by Anthony Graham Williams and Sheelagh Williams, is a family-led philanthropic entity chaired by Madeleine Graham Harding, dedicated to empowering families and communities to develop sustainable, place-based solutions to local challenges. Rooted in values of trust, empowerment, and long-term impact, it emphasizes collaborative, system-focused approaches over traditional grant-making, exemplified by its flagship 'Thrive' initiative in Buckinghamshire—a multi-year partnership fostering family resilience and community-led transformation. The foundation supports direct services in health and social care, youth development, homelessness prevention, food insecurity relief, domestic abuse support, adult literacy, and crisis advice, prioritizing interventions for women, young people, families in crisis, and the homeless.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and social enterprises delivering grassroots services, with a strong preference for those in Buckinghamshire (especially High Wycombe and Aylesbury), though national or international operations may qualify with personal or strategic ties. No strict income thresholds apply, but smaller, impactful local organizations aligned with its ethos are favored; unsolicited applications are not accepted.

Grants typically range from £5,000 to £40,000 (most £10,000–£30,000), including core, unrestricted, project, capacity-building, and multi-year funding, awarded on a rolling basis at trustees' discretion via personal relationships or invitations—no formal process, forms, or deadlines exist. Distinctive for its refusal of open applications, deep local roots, and focus on unrestricted support for innovative, evidenced pilots, it avoids generalist funding, favoring trustees-selected partners demonstrating exceptional alignment in family wellbeing and social cohesion.