The Hempel Foundation is a Danish not-for-profit organization established in 1948 by Jørgen Christian dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental health, safeguarding natural biodiversity, enhancing educational opportunities for children, and supporting good ideas that have the potential to have a significant impact on the world. The foundation focuses on three main areas: social projects, scientific research, and education and training.

Source: Hempel Foundation Philanthropic Strategy

The Hempel Foundation is a prime example of a modern philanthropic foundation that is effective and has distinctive traits from which other foundations can take note:

• Clear mission and values: The Hempel Foundation has a clear mission to support scientific research, promote education, and provide aid to humanitarian causes. By having a clear mission and values, the foundation is able to focus its efforts and make a more significant impact in the areas it supports.
• Long-term perspective: The Hempel Foundation has been in operation since 1948, and it has taken a long-term perspective on its work. The foundation has invested in scientific research, education, and other initiatives that may take years or even decades to produce results. By taking a long-term perspective, the foundation is able to make a lasting impact.
• Collaboration and partnerships: The Hempel Foundation has collaborated with many other organizations and institutions to achieve its goals. By forming partnerships and working with others, the foundation is able to leverage its resources and expertise to make a greater impact than it could on its own.
• Strategic focus: The Hempel Foundation has a strategic focus on areas that align with its mission and values. By focusing its efforts on specific areas, the foundation is able to make a greater impact and avoid spreading its resources too thin.
• Flexibility and adaptability: The Hempel Foundation has demonstrated flexibility and adaptability over the years, adjusting its focus and strategies as needed to achieve its goals in a changing world. This ability to adapt has helped the foundation stay relevant and effective over the long term.

This is how the Hempel Foundation provides a great model of how a company may make a significant impact by having a clear mission and set of values, looking at the big picture, working with others, keeping a strategic focus, and being adaptable and flexible.

Today, the Hempel Foundation is a major philanthropic organization that supports a wide range of projects and initiatives in Denmark and around the world. Over the years, the Hempel Foundation has become one of the most respected and renowned philanthropic organizations globally, providing grants to organizations and other non-profit organizations’ projects to support their work. 

In 2021, the Hempel Foundation donated EUR 20 million to philanthropic causes. The foundation primarily funds projects and initiatives in Denmark, as that is where it is based. However, the foundation also supports projects and initiatives in other least-developed countries through partnerships with organizations that are working towards similar goals, such as UNICEF, Save the Children, Oxfam Ibis, SOS Children’s Villages, BRAC, VVOB, Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), Twaweza, and Ubongo. 

When the foundation partners with organizations in other countries, it typically provides financial support in the form of grants or donations. The foundation may also provide technical assistance, such as by sharing knowledge and expertise related to the foundation’s areas of focus or facilitating partnerships between organizations in different countries. The foundation focuses its donations on organizations that work within one of three areas: activities at sea in Denmark; helping and promoting the social inclusion of vulnerable children and youth in Denmark and Greenland; and initiatives to promote talent in entrepreneurship. 

The Hempel Foundation has supported educational projects and initiatives in various countries, including India, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Bangladesh. These projects typically focus on the foundation’s areas of focus, such as health and welfare, education and training, and cultural and social projects. 

In addition to partnering with organizations in other countries, the Hempel Foundation also supports global initiatives and organizations, such as the United Nations Global Compact and the World Wildlife Fund. Through these partnerships, the foundation works to promote sustainable biodiversity, protect the environment, and support social and economic development around the world.

To improve coatings and surfaces’ effectiveness and environmental sustainability, as well as to promote education and global cooperation, the Hempel Foundation is also giving priority to a globally renowned education, research, and innovation center (CoaST).  

Every year, the foundation supports a variety of organizations with initiatives that bring about positive change, primarily within:

• Helping and promoting the social inclusion of vulnerable children and youth
• Activities at sea
• Initiatives for talented individuals within entrepreneurship
• Good Initiatives

If you wish to receive grant funding to work on those areas, then visit the grant application portal of the Hempel Foundation. Applications are received on an ongoing basis and processed at the board’s Distribution Committee meetings five times a year.

Obtaining grants can be highly competitive and challenging, and organizations often struggle to navigate the complex grantmaking landscape. For this reason, Philantropia assists organizations in obtaining funding from significant foundations working in related fields, such as Hempel. Philantropia is a global fundraising consulting organization that specializes in advising and supporting organizations, civil society organizations, the United Nations, and social enterprises on international fundraising and philanthropy.

In the past, Philantropia has collaborated with numerous organizations and INGOs on fundraising campaigns for topics like biodiversity, education, and health. We support a wide range of organizations in strategy development and partnerships. We understand that the foundation is committed to supporting organizations to create lasting change, and we work closely with organizations to help them measure and demonstrate the impact of their work. By providing data-driven insights and analysis, we help organizations make a compelling case for why they deserve funding and how they plan to make a difference. 

Here are some ways that Philantropia supports organizations in securing grant funding:

• Proposal development: The Hempel Foundation supports organizations and good projects that actively work to make a difference. In this regard, Philantropia assists organizations in developing a strong proposal that clearly articulates their missions, objectives, and proposed activities.
• Networking and relationship-building: Provide ideas to organizations to network and establish relationships with the Hempel Foundation through an in-depth study of related contact persons. 
• Grant application support: Support throughout the grant application process, including reviewing and editing proposals and providing guidance.
• Due diligence support: Help organizations prepare for due diligence processes, including ensuring that they have the necessary documentation and financial reports. 
• Follow-up and reporting: Support in following up on the Hempel Foundation’s open request for proposals in the context of the geographical and thematic domains.

Philantropia works closely with organizations and supports them by leveraging capacity building, training in grant writing, relationship building, donor networking, and impact assessment. We guide organizations in getting the funding that they require to accomplish their objectives and bring about long-lasting change. If you are an organization seeking grant funding from the Hempel Foundation, we would be glad to partner with you and help you achieve your mission. Contact us here to become a partner. 

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The courses below are a few examples of the many courses available at Philantropia.org to help support your fundraising efforts from this and other foundations: 

More resources and articles on funding your organization are also available here:

For foundations similar to this, check donordatabase.org. This platform allows you to easily search through thousands of grant-giving organizations in over 100 countries. New users can access the donor lists for free. With access to a comprehensive list of donors, donordatabase.org makes connecting with potential donors who share your organization’s values and mission easier than ever.