The ripple effect of philanthropy,

with Ric Lewis

For Ric Lewis, education is the holy grail for unlocking potential and setting young people on a path to a bigger and better future. He believes if an individual receives the quality education they deserve, there is a multiplying effect on their family and friends. Ergo, any support given to one person has a wider impact within society. By using his philanthropic capital in this way, Lewis is ensuring that he reaches as many people as possible through the Black Heart Foundation.

What is the Black Heart Foundation?

Ric Lewis is Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Tristan Capital Partners, and the founder of the Black Heart Foundation. Founded in 2013, the Black Heart Foundation supports initiatives which create and improve educational access, learning, aspiration and achievement for underprivileged children around the world.

The foundation backs community initiatives that best support young people at the grassroots level, where funding can make the most significant impact on behalf of those children, within their environment. Says Lewis…

“Having someone who believes in you enough to support you through your education, and allow you to start your journey, is life-changing.”

In this way, Lewis and his foundation create meaningful, irreversible and long-lasting impact on families and communities. The foundation has a 100% pass-through rate policy, with all of its overhead expenses covered by its board, so that every single pound donated is invested in its scholars. For Lewis, this strategy is vital to ensure maximum reach.

For individuals in challenging circumstances, support that relieves financial pressure and allows them to reach their potential is an essential building block. From here, they can go on to help their family and ultimately reach a position where they are able to help others, as Lewis has.

Stormzy donation & the “Each Day, Every Day” campaign.

To date, the Black Heart Foundation has provided scholarships to 100 young people who have studied at 57 academic institutions in the UK, including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge as well as the commercial flight school at Aer Lingus and The Urdang Academy of Performing Arts in London.

The foundation is aiming to double the number of scholarships it has provided to help disadvantaged young people pursue their academic ambitions, taking the number up to 200 scholars.

In 2020, Lewis announced a £1 million fundraising campaign and has pledged that his foundation will match any donations up to £500,000.

^{Stormzy’s #Merky Foundation pledged £500,000 to the Black Heart Foundation’s “Each Day, Every Day” campaign.}

#Merky Foundation, the charitable organisation set up by award-winning musician Stormzy, has pledged £500,000 to the Black Heart Foundation’s “Each Day. Every Day” campaign. Black Heart was the first UK charity to receive funding from #Merky Foundation’s £10m fund to tackle racial inequality and injustice, announced in June last year.

This donation took the total amount raised to over £1.45 million. This is in addition to the £1.5 million that Lewis offers annually for educational scholarship.

Speaking of his own experience, Ric shares how much he has valued the freedom that his education has provided him. Having had educational opportunity himself, Lewis is empowering the next generation in a way that he knows can change lives and have the multiplying effect that he has seen in his own life – his own lived experience is driving the strategy.

“We’re helping under resourced and underrepresented young, talented, committed people to pursue their dreams and ambitions, to expand their aspiration bubble. Those people who, but for us removing the financial burden on the pathway to their dreams, wouldn’t be able to get there.”

Advice to fellow givers.

When asked what advice he would give to other donors – or to wealthy individuals who may not give yet – Lewis suggests that they begin by asking the right questions.

“I cannot change the values and decisions of others. However, of those who I have spoken to, many people just haven’t asked the questions to start themselves on their philanthropic journey yet.

So, I encourage you to take the time to ask yourself: do I want to give? If you work out how much you want to leave to your family and decide that you don’t have more to give, then that is fine, but at least you have asked yourself the question.

If you do have more to give, then that’s fantastic. You can change people’s lives, a little at a time.”

The final word Lewis has is that no matter how much is raised through this campaign, or the next, or the one after that, there will always be more to be done. He believes what he gives today is a drop in the ocean compared to the need in the world, so he is determined and enthusiastic to continue his giving and fundraising as long as he can.

“Now is the time for everyone to do their utmost to reach more people with the yet unrealised potential to make significant and valuable contributions to our communities, to our society and to our economy.

Now is the time to walk the walk, to make change. The time to follow our protestations with demonstrable action.

Let’s do the work. Let’s be the change we want in our world.

Each day. Every day.”