bp foundation

The bp foundation was granted charitable status in 1953 and is recognized as a U.S. 501(c)(3) tax exempt private foundation based in the United States. Since 1953, the bp foundation has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in global philanthropic support.

Today the bp foundation helps communities around the world through support of natural disaster, humanitarian relief efforts and through financial support of the bp foundation Employee Matching Fund. In 2018 alone, bp employees personally contributed $6.4 million to charitable organizations and educational institutions worldwide for which the bp foundation provided matching gifts totaling about $6 million.

A separate legal entity from bp, the bp foundation accounts independently for its operations, assets, liabilities and expenses.

The bp foundation Employee Matching Fund 

Enables eligible bp employees to request matching funds to eligible non-profit organizations to help grow the impact of employee volunteer time, charitable donations and participation in fundraising pledge events. The employee matching program enables employees to choose how they play their part in ensuring that communities benefit from bp's presence.  

The bp foundation Disaster Relief efforts

Provides support for disaster, humanitarian relief efforts to areas severely impacted by natural disasters and where bp has significant local employee and business presence. 

bp foundation funding guidelines

The bp foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.   

The bp foundation currently focuses in two key areas: Natural disaster relief support and the bp foundation Employee Matching Fund.

As a charitable non-profit 501 C, the bp foundation can only provide funding to eligible verified charitable organizations.

The bp foundation governance

The bp foundation is governed by a Board of Directors representing bp businesses around the world, including officers representing the corporate secretary’s office, tax, treasury and legal. The business, property, and affairs of the foundation are managed and controlled by the Board of Directors, who also determine the bp foundation’s strategic direction, mission and donation strategy.

Board of directors

• Ray Dempsey (U.S.), chairman/ president
• Maria Travis (U.S.), chief financial officer
• Ian Duffy (U.K.), director
• Anshul Mathur (India), director
• Marta Vasel (U.S.), director

Officers

• Kathleen Martinez, executive director
• Yasmin Wilkinson, associate director
• Mark Hennen, general tax officer
• Nike Thorpe, secretary
• Mark Thompson, treasurer
• Donald L. Kettering, assistant treasurer

Legal Counsel

• Hans Boas

Operations

• Renee Khan