Thriving communities

The DWF Foundation

The DWF Foundation is an independent charity registered in England & Wales (CC No. 1191347) and founded by DWF. It has the sole aim of providing funds, resources and mentoring support to help individuals, groups and communities to achieve their full potential. Since December 2015, the Foundation has been our focus of charitable giving and reflects DWF values and culture of contribution. It celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2025, and at which point the Foundation had distributed grants totalling over £1.5million to good causes. 

DWF established the DWF Foundation, an independent charitable foundation to support the communities in which it operates. As a result, all of DWF's charitable giving is channelled through the DWF Foundation.

Because of this long-term commitment, DWF does not operate charity partnership programmes, make ad hoc charitable donations, provide sponsorship for fundraising activities, or respond to individual requests for financial support outside of the DWF Foundation's grant-making process.

By focusing our charitable giving through a single independent foundation, we are better able to measure and report on the impact of our funding, ensure fairness and transparency in decision-making, and make support accessible to a wider range of charities and local communities. This approach also enables us to direct funding towards projects that align with our charitable objectives and deliver meaningful and measurable benefits to beneficiaries.

We believe that this structured approach allows us to make the greatest possible difference in the communities where DWF and the DWF Foundation operate.

Where aligned with DWF's Responsible Business Strategy and local community priorities, DWF may provide support to organisations or initiatives outside of the Foundation's standard grant-making process to meet jurisdiction-specific commitments. Such support is considered on a case-by-case basis through internal referral only and third party enquiries relating to such activity cannot be considered.

Registered charities are invited to submit applications to the DWF Foundation for funding via our Grant Applications process available here. 

Our world of work programme

We are committed to helping young people develop the skills, confidence and aspirations needed to succeed in their future careers. Through a range of targeted programmes, we aim to make the world of work more accessible and inclusive – particularly for those from less-advantaged backgrounds.  

• 5 STAR Futures – Our award-winning education programme, launched in 2012, supports students aged 14+ to unlock their potential by developing confidence and employability skills. This is delivered in 10 UK locations, having expanded to London over the year 2025/2026. 
• 5 STAR Early Years – Building on the success of 5 STAR Futures, our Early Years programme engages children aged 10+ to start conversations about the world of work earlier, aiming for better long-term outcomes.
• 5 STAR Futures Online – Originally developed in response to COVID-19, our online programme – supported Futures for All – continues to widen our reach. It includes virtual work experience and workshops such as Routes to Law, helping students explore career pathways remotely. 
• “In Conversation With” series – This series of short, 15-minute interviews with colleagues across the business showcases diverse roles and career journeys.
• Additional Programmes – We continue to deliver Inspiring Girls and Inspiring Boys sessions, as well as Law Factor, all designed to build confidence, raise aspirations and develop resilience. Our collaboration with legal sector peers through Step into Law, is a legal sector work experience programme designed to improve social mobility by giving young people access to careers, networks and opportunities they may not otherwise have.