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Notes for editors
The Rothschild Foundation is a charity that supports arts and heritage, the environment, education and social welfare by awarding grants, fostering dialogue and debate, and through our support of Waddesdon Manor. Established in 2010, the Rothschild Foundation allocates £10 million in grant making annually. This sum is shared equally between the preservation of Waddesdon Manor, where the Foundation is based, and grants for wider public benefit.
The Foundation is managed by a board of Trustees, including members of the Rothschild family, and is run by a small professional staff team. Lord (Jacob) Rothschild is Chair of the Rothschild Foundation and has been involved extensively in public service and philanthropic support of the arts throughout his lifetime.
The Foundation’s grant-making within Buckinghamshire supports the local third sector through a number of grants programmes focusing on the arts, the environment and social welfare. Taking a place based approach to funding in Buckinghamshire, the Foundation works closely with other local funders and charitable organisations. The Foundation also uses the unique setting of Waddesdon to host debates and discussions, drawing in expert opinion and addressing key issues within our areas of interest.
Beyond Buckinghamshire, the Foundation supports major initiatives which encourage enjoyment of the UK’s rich cultural heritage. Grants to the British Museum to create a new gallery for the Waddesdon Bequest and to the Royal Academy for a lecture theatre and annual Rothschild Foundation lecture are typical of the Foundation’s landmark investments. The Rothschild Foundation was a major funder of the Illuminated River, a major public art project, which uses light art to illuminate many of the bridges across the River Thames in London.
The Rothschild Foundation manages Waddesdon Manor on behalf of the National Trust. Situated in the Vale of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Waddesdon Manor was built at the end of the 19th Century (1877-91) by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the style of a French early 16th-century château. It houses Ferdinand’s fine collection of furniture, portraits and porcelain and other exceptional examples of decorative arts. In 1957, in order to ensure its future in perpetuity, Waddesdon was bequeathed to the National Trust.
For more information about the Rothschild Foundation please contact [email protected]
