Meet the funder: The PA Foundation

The PA Foundation is an independent charity partner of PA Consulting dedicated to widening access to high-quality education, skills, and career opportunities. We particularly focus on science, technology, and engineering and maths (STEM) fields, and breaking down barriers to social mobility.

Officially launched in 2022, The PA Foundation aims to develop and inspire people, especially those facing disadvantage, to be the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. It is founded on the belief that talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not. We want to change this and equip people to apply their ingenuity to solve the world's biggest challenges, regardless of their background.

Our criteria for funding is generally broad and flexible. All our funding goes towards supporting education, skills, and employment outcomes for those facing disadvantage. We fund projects in the UK, US, Nordics and Netherlands, ranging from small charities serving the local community to well-known organisations with global reach.

We typically distribute around £2 million per year. Our portfolio of projects has roughly doubled in recent years. We have expanded our reach to more marginalised groups through new projects, such as employment support for people with disabilities in London and Belfast. Currently, over 50% of our portfolio supports women and girls, and around 10% is focused on delivering support to refugees and migrants.

To date, The PA Foundation has distributed over £5.3 million in grant funding and we have supported 56 charitable organisations.

We don’t have minimum or maximum grant sizes. Our Ingenious Investment Fund has supported smaller organisations with grants of £20,000, but generally our grants have ranged between £75,000 and £150,000.

After we’ve made a grant, the involvement we have with a charity partner or project depends on how much support they ask for. We believe that funding is important but the time, expertise, and passion we bring can sometimes provide just as much value – in some cases more.

For example, through one of our partnerships, we provided over 100 volunteers to support the organisation’s in-prison employability programme. We helped link another organisation up with a major transport employer to break down barriers in the industry to be able to take on more refugees and migrants. In many cases, we provide access to role models, speakers, and mentors all year-round.

In most cases, the grant application process lasts about six weeks from an organisation applying to The PA Foundation to reaching a final decision. We generally distribute grants in advance of the project starting to ensure the organisation has the necessary funds to deliver impact as quickly as possible.

We aim to strike the right balance between the level of funding available and the information required for us to make a decision and carry out the necessary due diligence. We receive about 150 enquiries for funding each year, but we only invite organisations to submit a proposal if we know we have the funds available and think they have a strong chance of meeting our criteria.

It’s a hard environment for many organisations seeking funding right now. I would always recommend focusing on building meaningful relationships, where both sides understand the value they can bring to improve society, rather than just looking at financials. The best partnerships going beyond the transactional, and think about building lasting relationships and impact.

This article was first published in Fundraising Magazine.