In 2024, the Matthew Good Foundation granted over £377,000 to charities, small non-profits, and social enterprises. Discover how corporate philanthropy, employee giving, Grants for Good, and long-term support programmes are making a real impact locally and nationally.
The Matthew Good Foundation has celebrated another record-breaking year, granting £377,547 to charities, non-profits and social enterprises in 2024, a 25% increase on 2023. In total, 142 organisations received support through the Foundation’s programmes, with 83% of funds awarded to small charities (annual income under £1m) and 42% going to those with income under £50k, reflecting the Foundation’s mission to amplify grassroots organisations.
The Foundation was also proud to be recognised nationally, winning Best Corporate Foundation at the Third Sector Business Charity Awards – a celebration of the passion and dedication of everyone involved since the Foundation’s creation in 2011.
“This year has been about raising our game, focusing on what matters, and backing people who deliver. The Matthew Good Foundation is at its best when it finds small, high-potential organisations and gives them the trust and freedom to grow through unrestricted funding that drives lasting change.”
Tim Good – Chair, Matthew Good Foundation
John Good Group’s Employee Giving Programme
The Foundation’s growth is made possible thanks to the John Good Group, which continues to fund all running costs, ensuring 100% of other donations go directly to good causes. Their Employee-led Giving Programme remains at the heart of the Foundation’s work.
With employees based in Hull, Grimsby, London and Cardiff, the programme is national in scope, while still rooted in local communities. In 2024, staff directed £72,789 to 90 organisations and contributed a record 489 hours of volunteering.
Highlights from each location include:
- Hull & East Yorkshire – Employees supported charities such as East Riding Theatre, Dove House Hospice and Hidden Disabilities. CEO Adam Walsh and CMO Rich Quelch raised £20,000 for Sailors’ Children’s Society, boosted by £4,000 match funding. Staff also combined Champion Grants to give £2,500 to Ren’s Wildlife Hospital.
- Grimsby – Volunteers gave 45 hours at St Andrew’s Hospice and joined Mission to Seafarers to prepare 300 festive care packages for crews at sea.
- London – Employees backed grassroots charities including Headway, with a family fundraiser matched by £2,785 from the Foundation.
- Cardiff – Colleagues supported local causes such as Bristol Seafarers Centre, reflecting the Group’s maritime heritage.
Map showing the geographical distribution of all the Foundation’s giving in 2024
“The John Good Group is a unique family business deeply committed to its social impact. We’re one of only a few organisations whose whole purpose is directly aligned with delivering additional profit into charitable endeavours, and we’re proud to do this via the Matthew Good Foundation. It’s been inspiring to see more of our employees engaging year after year – not just through grants and fundraising, but also through volunteering and pro-bono support.”
Adam Walsh – CEO, John Good Group
Grants for Good
The flagship Grants for Good programme once again empowered employees to vote on where corporate philanthropy was directed, with £58,000 awarded to 19 non-profits in 2024. Beneficiaries included:
- Menopause & Cancer – £5,000 to expand their trusted digital resources for patients and healthcare professionals.
- Talking About Loss – £5,000 to expand their men’s mental health bereavement support groups.
- Hidden Disabilities – £5,000 to fund activities supporting people with non-visible conditions.
Since launching in 2021, the programme has awarded £188,000 to 74 small non-profits, providing much-needed unrestricted corporate donations.
The Minorfern Foundation
2024 also marked the completion of the first full year of the Minorfern Foundation, created with SDL Minorfern to support communities near their branches. With employee engagement a key feature, across 2023 and 2024 staff nominated causes were granted £40,000 across 10 charities, including:
- Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity, supporting families and early-stage research.
- Brinsley Animal Rescue, enabling urgent equipment replacement.
- Ben’s Den, offering respite breaks for families affected by childhood cancer.
Amplify Charity Grants
Through the Amplify Fund, the Foundation turned corporate philanthropy into valuable unrestricted support for grassroots organisations. Key highlights included:
- Race Ready CIC – We launched the pioneering Race Ready app, which achieved 7,000 downloads in its first year.
- Mires Beck Nursery – £35,000 match-funding to double their anniversary campaign to £70,000.
- Borderline Greenway CIC – £10,000 to open the first 5km of a 100-mile accessible greenway in Northumberland.
- Continued support for Samaritans of Hull, Reef World Foundation, Downright Special, and others, all funded by corporate donations.
Amplify Charity Films
The Foundation’s Amplify Charity Films programme funded professional-quality storytelling for 10 charities in 2024. Highlights included:
- Walking 4 Hope, whose film coincided with Ryan Reynolds sharing their story, helping them reach new audiences.
- Sailors’ Children’s Society, celebrated with a film launch event at John Good Group HQ.
- Humber Wellbeing Hub, using film to attract volunteers and supporters.
Looking Ahead
After a record year, the Foundation’s priority now is to build on this momentum by strengthening social impact strategy, ensuring small charities continue to thrive through unrestricted support, and creating even more opportunities for others to get involved with employee engagement programmes and business CSR initiatives. With the ongoing commitment of the John Good Group and the recent addition of new trustees and funders, the Foundation is well positioned to grow its influence and impact in 2025.
“As we look to 2025 and beyond, we’re especially excited about welcoming more corporate partnerships into our network. By connecting them with small, impactful charities, we can unlock even greater change at a local level. Expanding this model means more organisations can align their values with social impact – and together we can achieve so much more.”
Kirsty Clark – Executive Director, Matthew Good Foundation
Explore the full story
Our 2024 Annual Review is packed with in-depth looks at all our corporate-supported programmes, the charities we’ve amplified, and the employee-led contributions that have made this year truly extraordinary. With detailed funding breakdowns and inspiring stories, it offers a clear window into how the Foundation creates impact via strategic giving – and why exploring our work could spark ideas for future business-philanthropy collaboration.
Read the full annual review below or click here.