The Smiths Group Foundation was established in the summer of 2023 to award grants to charitable organisations nominated by Smiths employees, which align with our purpose of improving our world through smarter engineering. Within that purpose, grants focus on three outcomes:
- Improving access to quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education and skills for underrepresented groups
- Improving safety and connectedness within communities
- Improving the environmental sustainability of those communities
Find out more on the Smiths Group Foundation in the below video featuring its Chair, Hannah Constantine.
The Foundation is committed to supporting causes that are nominated by Smiths employees, whose passion is at the core of the Foundation’s work. It is therefore closed to external applications at this time.
Smiths Group is a company with an incredible heritage. We have been in continuous operation now for over 170 years and we have always been a purpose driven company. The mission of our Foundation is central to Smiths Group’s purpose and we have committed an initial £10m of funding, to drive positive impacts for our communities.
In 2024 we are proud that, following a careful review and vetting process, the first awards through the Foundation are being made, totalling c.£1m. The grants are truly global, benefitting charities around the world.
At the same time as establishing the Foundation, Smiths broadened its volunteering pro-bono initiatives by globalising its volunteering principles which allow every employee one day of paid volunteering leave each year, providing further opportunities to support causes close to the hearts of our people and bringing Smiths engineering and science excellence to bear.
The Smiths Group Foundation is directed by a committee of Smiths employees who review grant applications and determine how to allocate funds. It is supported by CAF, a globally renowned and highly respected organisation working with donors and charities across the world. Smiths benefits from CAF’s guidance and knowledge of best practice to help create a compelling strategy and robust governance structure, identify those causes where Smiths can make the most impact, assess nominations and applications against fair criteria, and work with recipients to measure the impact of grants.
We look forward to sharing further details about the grants made by the Foundation and their impact.
Our colleagues are at the heart of the Smiths Group Foundation. Hear from them why they chose their winning nominations.
Charities benefiting from the first round of funding from the Smiths Group Foundation
We are delighted to have helped bring the Smiths Group Foundation to life. The commitment of Smiths Group employees and its leadership to generate impact in the communities where they are present has been clearly demonstrated in our work with them. We hope they set an example which is followed by many other global companies who can play an essential role in addressing the most pressing issues in society.
Learn more about sustainability at Smiths
