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John Kingston to leave Charities Aid Foundation

John Kingston
John Kingston

John Kingston, founder and director of Charities Aid Foundation’s social investment fund, CAF Venturesome, is to leave the organisation in July.

He joined CAF in 2001 to pilot a social investment ‘risk fund’. This was launched the next year as CAF Venturesome and it has gone on to support over 250 charities and social enterprises with over £22 million of support.

John Low, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation described Kingston as a pioneer of the concept of social investment in the UK. “Through CAF Venturesome”, he said, “John Kingston has practically demonstrated the potential of social investment, to the benefit of over 250 organisations and the market. The funding paradigm has shifted to the lasting benefit of communities here and around the world”.

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Last year, Kingston became Chair of the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF), and he is also Chair of the Nationwide Foundation. Reflecting on his 10 years at CAF Venturesome, he said: “The social investment market has come on dramatically from an idea in 2001 to a Government strategy paper in 2011. I am very proud of the role that the CAF Venturesome team has played in that”.

From the summer he will continue to advise on social investment and maintain his other charity sector roles, including Chair of ACF.

  • Venturesome’s John Kingston awarded OBE in New Year’s Honours (31 December 2009)
  • Venturesome makes £100,000 loan to eating disorders charity
  • (25 September 2008)

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