Gatsby Charitable Foundation

In 1967 David Sainsbury wrote out a cheque for five pounds to establish the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Lord Sainsbury has since given Gatsby monies to distribute to charitable causes in fields he is passionate about, including neuroscience, plant science, development in East Africa and public policy. Gatsby established a small team focused on education policy in England almost 40 years ago. The team’s priorities have typically mirrored and sought to address the policy challenges of the times, from addressing the uptake of engineering degrees in the 1980s, to our commitment to the improvement of the nation’s technical education and career guidance systems today. While priorities have changed and evolved, our approach has been consistent: we aim to be more than a funder. We act as an enabler for projects, working with partners in designing, developing, and, in some cases, delivering activities. We take a long-term view as we do not think much can be achieved by short, one-off projects.