Spencer West Foundation

Spencer West Foundation is the philanthropic engine of Spencer West – driven by our global community of lawyers, led by community insight, and designed for maximum impact with minimum bureaucracy.

From London to Nairobi, New York to the Cayman Islands, our Foundation creates relationships with grassroots organisations we know are already making change happen for local people – and helps them do even more. Every grant is guided by the local knowledge of Spencer West colleagues who live and work in those communities; who understand the need, and who know the organisation and its work.

Registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales in August 2024, Spencer West is governed by a board of trustees and is supported by individuals and teams right across the firm. We operate independently, transparently, and with a clear sense of purpose, and we are proud of the difference we make.

Our mission

Empowered by the values of excellence, collaboration and strong business focus of our parent Firm, we exist to unlock the immense social capital that exists within Spencer West’s global community of locally rooted professionals.

• We maximise impact through local knowledge.
• We minimise bureaucracy through collaboration.
• We get funds into the right hands quickly – with a minimum of bureaucracy.

How it works

Every project supported by the Foundation starts with a Spencer West colleague. Our referral model ensures donations are meaningful, accountable, and grounded in real-world knowledge.

Spencer West Foundation reflects the firm’s belief that companies should be actively engaged in their communities. For this reason we prioritise grassroots organisations and good causes that are personally known to Spencer West colleagues. The Foundation is funded by Spencer West.

This focus helps us:

• Avoid bureaucracy
• Support under-the-radar organisations doing exceptional work
• Build a trusted network of delivery organisations globally

By keeping our referral process internal, we maintain integrity and connection – without losing reach or ambition.

Our impact so far

Every grant tells a story. Here are just a few of the organisations we’ve recently supported:

• Providing prams and baby essentials to new parents facing hardship in Hackney, east London.
• Equipping schoolchildren in North London with the tech they need to thrive.
• Funding school transport to a unique heritage education site.
• Supporting pro bono legal work for prisoners on remand facing possible miscarriages of justice in Kenya.
• Funding healthy activities for disadvantaged children in Kenya.
• Raising awareness and resilience around heating and extreme weather for low-income families in the West of England.
• Advancing mobility for a young woman disabled as the result of a sports injury