Friends trustees Richard Shoylekov, Peter Duffy and Judith Mitchell with some of the recipients of the 2009/10 Friends scholarships

The Friends of The Courtauld is a membership charity which has played an important role in the life and work of The Courtauld for 40 years. There are currently over 1,300 members (including Samuel Courtauld Society members, Friends, Alumni Friends, Supporters and Life Friends) who together share a passion for art history and generously support a wide range of activities at The Courtauld.

The Friends’ Annual Grant


Every year the Friends charity makes a significant grant to The Courtauld from membership donations, gift aid and investments. In 2009/10 the Friends Trustees donated £148,500 which made a considerable difference to what The Courtauld was able to achieve. The activities supported included: Eight post-graduate scholarships; Exhibitions: Frank Auerbach: London Building Sites 1952-62 and Michelangelo’s Dream; PhD Gallery Talks; Professor Susie Nash’s post; The Courtauld Archive; Student travel bursaries; The Friends Lecture Series and the Book Library.

In addition, the Friends grant attracted a further £49,500 from the Higher Education Funding Council of England (or HEFCE) which was directed to The Courtauld’s endowment fund. 

Announcing the Friends' major gift to The Courtauld’s Campaign


In honour of the Friends’ 40th Anniversary, we are delighted to announce the Friends are making an exceptional gift of £789,435 to The Courtauld’s Campaign: Opening Minds to Art. Not only will this gift assist The Courtauld in building a secure future but, by being made at this time, will attract significant matched funding from the Higher Education Funding Council of England, thus making a total contribution of £1,052,580 to The Courtauld’s endowment.

Thank you for supporting The Courtauld through your membership.