Lord Beaverbrook, 1931
Lord Beaverbrook - Grumman G-21 Goose
Lord Beaverbrook in a characteristic pose as he dictates through dictaphone
The Beaverbrook Foundation

A lasting legacy to create change

Then

Our Foundation was created in 1954, by the late Lord Beaverbrook, to ensure the great philanthropic work he began in his lifetime would continue.

Foundation

Lord Beaverbrook, Canadian-born William Maxwell Aitken (1879 – 1964), created the Foundation as a legacy of his estate, in 1954.

An extraordinary man, he was known for his energy, courage and complete dedication to good causes both in Canada and the UK. The UK Foundation has a Canadian sister charity which runs under the same strong ethos.

On his death, this legacy in both public service and charitable endeavours was continued and embellished by his son, Sir Max Aitken, (1910 – 1985).

Today, the Beaverbrook Foundation, based in London, is Chaired by Air Vice Marshal Lord Beaverbrook (b.1947), who works tirelessly with our Trustees to continue to support many good causes.

Collection

Through an impressive career in business, media and politics, Lord Beaverbrook began a collection of notable historical papers and artefacts that have amassed through the Beaverbrook family over years to become the Beaverbrook Library and Collection we take care of today.

Lord Beaverbrook Collection

Philanthropy

The Beaverbrook Foundation has given grants to over 1,000 charities over the last 60 years, both large and small organisations. Giving a small amount to a small charity can make a huge difference. When giving we often aim to help charities help themselves, using our donation to generate more income for themselves.