10:30, 01 May 2026
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
Where are you supposed to start when researching International Philanthropic Organisations? There are so many it can make your head spin. Luckily for you, at Smiley News we love a bit of philanthropy, so we’ve put together a list of the Top 20 International Philanthropic Organisations for your perusal. You’re welcome!
Based in the Netherlands, Siching INGKA Foundation was founded by none other than Ingvar Kamprad, whose name you’ll likely recognise as the founder of IKEA. One of the largest foundations in the world, INGKA’s initial focus was on architectural and interior design, but in recent years they have expanded. Today, they support a number of efforts, including assisting with the welfare of children in developing countries.
This UK charity is one of the largest providers of non-governmental funding into scientific research in the whole of the UK – and, indeed, in the world. Created from the legacy of Henry Wellcome, a pharmaceutical giant from the early 1900s, science and healthcare have been the primary focuses of the Wellcome trust since its inception. Unsurprisingly, they were a source of huge financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to fund research into some of the world’s most pressing health concerns.
This charity has the rather unique role of taking care of the churches within the Church of England and clergy members, including paying stipends and retirement funds to any clergy members. Howver, their remit has expanded in recent years, with the charity setting up a fund to address its historic links with the slave trade, in an attempt to make reparations.
Robert Bosch was an inventor, engineer and business magnate whose legacy was used to set up the Robert Bosch Stiftung, previously Vermögensverwaltung Bosch. The Foundation works on a number of projects, in many different areas, including health, culture and science. The Foundation has also worked in Ukraine for many years, and continues to support the country.
Though the Garfield Weston Foundation was set up by a Canadian businessman, the charity is a UK-based one, and remains the largest family grant-making foundation in the UK. It is so prolific as a foundation, that its total grants are in excess of £1 billion. These grants have been given to a number of different causes, primarily educational institutions.
This charity was initially created in 1917 to fund natural sciences, technology and medicine by the Wallenbergs, Knut being a Swedish banker and politician. It is one of the largest private research foundations in Europe, and one of 16 different foundations set up through donations by the Wallenberg family, of which it is also the biggest.
A Danish private association, Realdania has a number of primary objectives, including to support non-profit and charitable causes. The organisation is built around real estate and architecture, of which it works to preserve and encourage Danish work. In particular, they focus on Danish architectural heritage.
Established in 1956 by an oil magnate, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese foundation focusing on the primary pillars of arts, philanthropy, science, and education. The organisation runs a number of institutes, including a museum, a science institute, orchestra, and ballet. They are also dedicated to supporting the Armenian community, in particular preserving the Armenian language.
The Sigrid Rausing Trust was set up in the UK by Sigrid Rausing, a Swedish philanthropist, anthropologist and publisher. It is one of the UK’s largest Trusts, and has a heavy focus on anti-facism, anti-racism, human rights, and the environment. This is done through grant donations across the world, including in the UK, supporting grassroots organisations who are working for important causes.
Founded in 2007 by Niklas and Catherine Zennström, Zennström Philanthropies focuses mainly on the environment and human rights, in particular, encouraging a collaborative approach between NGOs, donors, the government and more. They do this by not only giving grants to relevant organisations, but building long term relationships with them, to empower and create sustainable change.
At Smiley Movement, we have previously covered the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation; set up by Chris Hohn, it is one of the pillars of the venture philanthropy movement, and shows how, even now, we can find new ways to give back. Primary focuses for the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation include climate action, gender equality, and improving the lives of children and young people.
THis foundation focuses on organising programmes, projects and more that encourage belonging, solidarity, and democratic values within Europe. They work across the whole of the continent, bringing together people from all different countries and cultures to encourage a ‘European’ belonging. Their projects work on a number of different fronts, including education, democracy, social change and art, all with the aim of improving and assisting people in countries throughout Europe.
The foundation, based in Brussels, was set up in 1976 on the 25th anniversary of King Baudouin ascending to the throne, and aims to improve society for the better. It does this all over the world, not just in Belgium, and focuses on a number of different fields, such as health, poverty, culture, and social engagement.
While the Novo Nordisk Foundation began it’s life focusing on healthcare, such as making available insulin for diabetes treatment, it has since branched out to include supporting the arts. Despite this, it’s main focus remains within the health sphere, including medical research, nursing, and biotechnical research.
Upon the death of Stavros Niachros, the Foundation was set up in order to benefit society using much of the wealth Niachros accumulated in his lifetime. In particular, the Foundation focuses on poverty and hunger reduction, as well as employment for young people. During the Greek financial crisis, the Foundation even invested in mobile medical vans, so that people affected by the crisis still had access to the care they need.
The Fondazione Cariplo is the charitable arm of the Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde, an Italian bank, commonly known as Cariplo. The bank has since merged with Ambroveneto bank, but the Foundation lives on. In particular, the Foundation focuses on humanitarian initiatives, such as allocating €3.4 million to humanitarian aid for Ukraine in 2022.
Set up by Klaus Johann Jacobs, a German-born man who became a billionaire through the coffee and chocolate industry, the Jacobs Foundation focuses primarily on research and development for young people. The Jacobs Foundation gives out a number of awards each year for research, as well as the positive development of young people.
The Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung was set up by Else Kröner, in memory of her foster father and mentor, Eduard Fresenius, whose company she took over when he passed. After her own, untimely, death in 1988, all of her personal assets were transferred to th Foundation, enabling it to continue its incredible work. According to Else, the primary purpose of the foundation was, and remains, to “promote medical science, giving priority to ... research and treatment od diseases”.
Though not related to the present day Volkswagen company, the Volkswagen foundation is nonetheless one of the largest German scientific foundations, having donated billions of Euros to various projects in the form of grantmaking. Their mission statement is, “We endow knowledge”, something they have been doing for 60 years, as they continue to donate to scientific research projects that will transform the world.
Fundus Heritage is based in Monaco, and focuses on preserving the incredible history present in Europe, in particular historical estates and heritage buildings. Today, their work focuses on, not only the actual preservation, but also improving and exploring preservation techniques, preserving ancient craft skills, and climate control.