Endowment Fund
Creating a lasting legacy
In 2015 an endowment fund was set up as a tribute to Lord Weidenfeld to celebrate his 95th birthday. Spearheaded by Trustees Michael Lewis and André Hoffmann the endowment fund received very generous pledges of £9 million from many of Lord Weidenfeld’s friends and associates, including £5 million from Mr Hoffmann. The University of Oxford contributed £6 million through the Oxford Graduate Scholarship Matched Fund, a significant endorsement of the Programme.
To celebrate our 10th Anniversary in 2017 our Chairman, André Hoffmann gave a further £9m, matched by an additional £6m from the University of Oxford. This incredible gift combined with our existing endowment, will guarantee 30 Scholars in perpetuity and is the largest philanthropic scholarship supported by the University of Oxford.
The Trust is extremely grateful to all our donors and partners, both for their generous support for the establishment of the endowment fund and their continued help and engagement with our work:
- Mr André Hoffmann
- Mr Eric Abraham and Dr Sigrid Rausing
- Mr Michael Lewis
- Sackler Trust
- Mr Ben Barnett
- McCall MacBain Foundation
- Mr Jaqui Safra
- Dr Pierre Keller
- Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
- Clore Duffield Foundation
- Mrs Angelika Diekmann
- Mr Lawrence and Mrs Carol Saper
Some of these donations were made in memory of the scholarships’ long-term supporter, Sir Ronald Grierson who died in 2014.
I believe in supporting young, talented students through the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship scheme in order to make a difference to today’s highly complex world through education. Knowledgeable and skilled leaders are needed to shape more equitable and sustainable societies, particularly in trouble-stricken regions.
The WHT would love to hear from others interested in supporting this exceptional Scholarships and Leadership Programme. If you are interested in working with us please contact Alexandra Henderson.
The 2018 WHT cohort developed their own fundraising initiative to support the Scholarships and Leadership Programme. More information and their fundraising video can be seen here.
If you are a WHT alum and are interested in supporting the Trust please contact Laura Stewart.
