Shanly Foundation

Shanly Foundation is a grant-giving charity dedicated to improving lives across South East England. Founded by Michael Shanly, Chairman of Shanly Group, it provides financial support to community groups and charitable organisations making a tangible difference. Since 1969, Shanly Foundation and Shanly Group have contributed over £28 million to good causes, with over £1.75 million donated annually. Grants support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, homelessness, mental health, disabilities, woodland projects, life-limiting illnesses, elderly and vulnerable, and much more. Shanly Foundation primarily funds charities and community projects in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, West Sussex, Surrey, Kent, and Hampshire, ensuring donations directly impact those in need. By 2024, Michael Shanly finalised plans for Shanly Foundation to own Shanly Homes and Sorbon Estates in the future, securing long-term growth and enabling greater philanthropic investment. Future large-scale projects will build on successes like Beech Lodge School, ensuring meaningful, lasting change. Michael Shanly’s approach to philanthropy is grounded in practical solutions and a commitment to local communities. His story raises an important question: how do the values we carry with us—whether learned through family, work, or circumstance—shape the ways we choose to give? For Michael, the answer is simple: by identifying tangible needs, acting locally, and prioritising long-term solutions, we can create real, lasting change.