“Today, at a time when not-for-profit organisations and donors are more stretched than ever, Bermuda has an unprecedented opportunity to build a sustainable source of support for its civic sector. The Bermuda Foundation is the first of its kind to mobilise and funnel resources strategically, while sustaining a focus on the continuing and changing needs of Bermuda.”
About Us
At the heart of our work is a commitment to building a permanent endowment that addresses the evolving needs of Bermuda’s island community.
The Bermuda Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Bermuda by sustaining and strengthening the nonprofit sector. Local nonprofits play a critical role in providing essential services across education, social welfare, health, sport, the environment and the arts—services that Bermuda cannot afford to lose.
Our Purpose
Founded in 2013 and officially launched in January 2014, the Bermuda Foundation was established as Bermuda’s first community foundation with a clear mission: to create an enduring source of funds dedicated to the good of Bermuda.
Our goal is to build and manage funds that will sustain the nonprofit sector in perpetuity while inspiring philanthropy for long-term social impact.
How We Work
We provide donors—individuals, families, and businesses—with a simple, flexible, and efficient way to give, without the administrative burden of setting up private foundations or trusts. We work closely with donors to align their philanthropic vision with causes that matter to them.
By aggregating, investing, and managing funds strategically, we aim to maximize returns and create lasting benefits for Bermuda’s nonprofit sector. Our unrestricted grantmaking is primarily directed towards priority issues identified by the community, with a desired focus on sustainable, long-term solutions.
While we recognize the importance of direct programming, our greatest impact lies in capacity building, cross-sector collaboration, and systemic improvements that strengthen nonprofits and community groups as a whole. Through strategic nonprofit partnerships, we support leadership development, ensuring that Bermuda’s nonprofit sector remains resilient and effective.
Our Structure & Governance
The Bermuda Foundation is a company limited by guarantee with charitable and philanthropic objectives. We operate as a segregated accounts company under the SAC Act 2000 and obtained Bermuda-registered charity status (#948) in 2014.
To facilitate international giving, we also established the Friends of Bermuda Community Foundation, a US 501(c)(3) registered organization, in 2014.
Bermuda is the birthplace of The Atlantic Philanthropies, a community where we are proud to have made a significant philanthropic investment over the past three decades. We have felt a great sense of responsibility to Bermuda and its people, and are pleased to help launch and support a community foundation that embodies Chuck Feeney’s spirit of giving and helps ensure local organisations have a steady and sustainable source of future funding.
RenaissanceRe has been dedicated to Bermuda since we were founded here in 1993, and we’re proud of our 20-year history of giving back to the community. Our contribution to the Bermuda Foundation reflects this commitment and will help establish a sustainable source of funding that will serve the Island for many years to come.
The 2009 Concept
Development Process
In June 2009, a working committee was established to prepare a high-level analysis on community foundation structures and the feasibility of developing a community foundation in Bermuda with support from representatives of The Centre on Philanthropy and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The resultant report was informed by extensive consultation sessions, focus groups with two sets of stakeholders, site visits and input from Canadian and US Community Foundation representatives, Alan Pardini and Diana Doyle of Community Planning and Research (CPR) LCC (San Francisco, California), and Stacey Easterling of The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Is a community
foundation feasible
in Bermuda?
In April 2011, capping 18 months of sub-committee and taskforce research, the Bermuda Community Foundation Taskforce contracted with the consulting firm of Sutherland~Edwards, LLC, Consultants to Philanthropy to assess the feasibility of establishing a community foundation for Bermuda. The feasibility study involved a series of one-on-one interviews with approximately 38 stakeholders. Stakeholders represented a cross-section of business leaders, high net worth philanthropic individuals, trust officers and other professionals and nonprofit leaders.
Resources