About the Foundation Education Arts Climate Other Initiatives Nicolai Tangen The AKO Foundation supports charitable causes that improve education, promote the arts, or mitigate climate problems. Established in 2013 by Nicolai Tangen, the founder of AKO Capital, the Foundation has to date been funded with a total of more than £500 million, and has made charitable grants in excess of £125 million. The Foundation does not seek applications for grants, and will not make grants in response to unsolicited applications. About the Foundation The Foundation makes grants towards charities and charitable projects within its three priority areas – to improve education, to promote the arts, and to combat the climate emergency. While continuing to help to start up, or to be the catalyst for, new charitable projects which otherwise might not have been realised, the Foundation is also willing, where appropriate, to offer unrestricted support. Mirroring the long-term thinking and investment strategy of AKO Capital, the Foundation aims to be a significant and reliable partner to its beneficiaries, and generally seeks multi-year relationships with them. The Foundation seeks to add value to its partners in ways beyond the purely financial. For example, wherever appropriate it seeks to introduce grant recipients that have complementary interests to each other, for their mutual benefit; and AKO Capital staff are encouraged to volunteer their time and expertise with the Foundation’s beneficiaries. 2020 was marked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Wherever possible, the Foundation has responded to beneficiaries’ requests for flexibility in the timing or use of grants, in light of the difficult and unprecedented conditions in which many of them found themselves. The Trustees wish to pay tribute to all our beneficiaries for continuing to provide, and in many cases to enhance, the services they provide in these most challenging circumstances. The Foundation takes pride in the leanness of its administration, which results in fast decision-making, and in the greatest possible proportion of its resources being available to support beneficiaries. Our vision is to be recognised as a cost-effective and fast-moving organisation that stands out for its speed of decision-making. At the same time, the Foundation continues to apply analytical rigour to ensuring that the impact of its grant-making is maximised. The Foundation adopts a proactive approach to grant-making; accordingly, it does not seek applications for grants, and does not make grants in response to unsolicited applications. For more information about AKO Capital, please click here. University of the Arts Education > The Arts > Climate > Other Initiatives > Nicolai Tangen > To contact the AKO Foundation please email enquiries@akofoundation.org Please click here if you would like a copy of the AKO Foundation’s annual report and financial statements which include information on the entities supported. Please click here if you would like to see AKO Foundation’s Privacy Policy. We try to ensure that information on our site is accurate, complete and up-to-date. All information contained on this site is intended for general educational, informational and helpful purposes only. Please note that the AKO Foundation does not seek applications for grants and will generally not make grants in response to unsolicited applications received. © Copyright 2021 AKO Foundation All rights reserved. Main photo: SKMU Kunstsilo