LSE Benefactors
The impact of philanthropy on LSE
LSE's motto "rerum cognoscere causas" means "to know the causes of things". It was chosen to support the School's founding purpose, "for the betterment of society".
LSE's founders were social reformers Beatrice and Sidney Webb, Graham Wallas and dramatist George Bernard Shaw. In 1894, our founders decided to use a £20,000 bequest to open a specialist higher education institution. The first students arrived at LSE in October 1895.
Since that initial gift, private philanthropy has remained a strong tradition at the School powering research and enabling outstanding students to come to LSE through scholarship gifts.
Transformational gifts from LSE Benefactors
The gifts from our Benefactors throughout our history have been transformational and as a gesture of our gratitude we are honoured to present those donors with a plaque to recognise the impact of their exceptional support. The plaque portrays the stained-glass window designed by LSE Founder George Bernard Shaw in 1910 as a commemoration of the Fabian Society. Known as the Fabian Window, it depicts society members helping to build “the new world”. The Fabian Society gifted the original window to LSE in 2006, and it is now installed in the School’s Shaw Library.
A few of our donors receiving Fabian Windows
Honouring LSE Benefactors
Past, current and future generations of LSE students and staff are indebted to these individuals and organisations whose contributions have significantly shaped its development and progress.
The names below are listed on our Benefactors’ Board, situated in the lobby entrance of the Old Building. The Board recognises those recent Benefactors who have provided transformational gifts to LSE, and whose level of generosity has defined the tradition of philanthropy at the School.
LSE Benefactors listed on the Benefactors' Board
- ClimateWorks Foundation
- The Cyrus Poonawalla Group
- Dr Daniel Weisser (BSc Geography 1999)
- Gnanalingam Family
- Hermes H K Li (BSc Economics 2004)
- Jeremy Coller Foundation
- The Laidlaw Foundation
- OakNorth
- Rishi Khosla OBE (MSc Accounting and Finance 1997)
- Ruth Porat (MSc Industrial Relations 1981) and Anthony Paduano (MSc Government 1981)
- Zao Han and Tianyang Funds
- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- Athanasios C Laskiridis Charitable Foundation
- David Beecken (MSc Economics 1970) and Kathryn Beecken
- AKO Foundation
- Carnegie Corporation of New York
- Marianna Latsis (BSc Economics 1977)
- Sequoia Climate Foundation
- UBS Optimus Foundation
- Z Zurich Foundation
- Alison Rankin Frost (BA International History 1987) and Tim Frost (BSc Government 1987)
- Dr Jakob Horder (PhD Economics 1997)
- LSEG Foundation
- Luksic Scholars Foundation
- Stuart Roden (BSc Economics 1984)
- Sir John Sparrow (BSc Accounting and Finance 1954)
- Manuel Stotz (BSc Economics 2008)
- Bloomberg Philanthropies
- Duncan Clark OBE (BSc Economic History 1990)
- John C Phelan
- Jules Green (BSc Management Sciences 1985) and Susan Green
- Richard Nesbitt (MSC Accounting & Finance 1986) and Lucy Lawlor
- Templeton Religion Trust
- The African Conservation Development Group
- Cato Stonex (BSc International Relations 1986)
- Chenning Zhao (MSc Accounting & Finance 1997)
- HS Chau Foundation
- Lance Uggla (MSc Accounting & Finance 1986)
- Argidius Foundation
- Kuok (Singapore) Limited
- James Anderson
- Garfield Weston Foundation
- Richard L Oram (MSc Planning Studies 1977)
- Dr Frederik Paulsen Foundation
- Kadas Family Charitable Foundation
- Gates Foundation
- The Atlantic Philanthropies
- Santander Universities UK
- The Sutton Trust
- Sir Paul Marshall
- AXA Research Fund
- Margot Lachmann, in memory of Ludwig M Lachmann
- Standard Bank Group
- The Lees Charitable Foundation
- Stiftung Mercator
- The William Simpson Legacy
- Richard Karl Goeltz (General Course 1963)
- Bill Bottriell (BSc Economics 1978)
- Professor Saw Swee Hock (PhD Statistics 1963)
- Emmanuel Roman
- Firoz Lalji (BSc Economics 1969) and Najma Lalji
- The Peter E I Lee Legacy
- National Bank of Greece
- Paulson Family Foundation
- The Professor Bob and Dilys Rawson Legacy
- John Templeton Foundation
- The Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy
- The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment
- Dr Paul Woolley
- Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS)
- An anonymous donor
- Vincent Kin Yuen Cheng (BSc Economics 1993)
- Ford Foundation
- Open Society Foundations
- Reserve Bank of India
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- State Bank of India
- Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (BSc Economics 1987)
- Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft, the International Forum of Deutsche Bank
- Nuffield Foundation
- Davina Francescotti (BSc Economics 1981) and Mario Francescotti (BSc Economics 1981)
- An anonymous donor
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Wolfson Foundation
- Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Charitable Foundation
- Deutsche Bank
- An anonymous donor
- The Leverhulme Trust
- Wellcome Trust
- Heritage Lottery Fund
- Michael Peacock Charitable Foundation
- Sir Ratan Tata
- BP
- Society for the Promotion of Contemporary Hellenic Studies Abroad
- Rockefeller Family Foundations
- Suntory Holdings Ltd
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- An anonymous donor
130 years of transformative philanthropy on campus
