Our History
The A. G. Leventis Foundation was established in May 1979 as a result of provisions made by Anastasios G. Leventis.
Anastasios Leventis was born in Cyprus in 1902. He established one of the largest companies in West Africa and from 1966 served as Cyprus' honorary Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
From the beginning, initially under the Chairmanship of Constantine Leventis and from 2002, under the current chairman, Anastasios P. Leventis, the aim of the Foundation was to support educational, cultural, artistic and philanthropic causes in Cyprus, Greece and elsewhere. The range and direction of its activities were based on the philanthropic interests of the founder. In Cyprus, Greece and other parts of Europe, there has been a focus on culture and education with a special emphasis on the cultural heritage of Cyprus. This is particularly significant because of the immense destruction of the cultural heritage of the island caused by the Turkish Invasion of 1974 and its aftermath.
In 1980, an independent Cypriot branch of the Foundation was established, to focus on the protection of cultural heritage of the island. Since 1992, substantial support has been given to the University of Cyprus in Nicosia. Grants have also been made to various charitable causes in Cyprus.
In Greece, the Foundation has supported a wide range of cultural and environmental organisations, but the main emphasis has been on the restoration of a number of monuments from various periods. In 2002, in the run up to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, an initiative began targeting support to athletes preparing under the Greek Olympic team. In the last decade considerable support has been directed to poverty alleviation in Greece through small-scale humanitarian grants.
Elsewhere in Europe, and further afield, the Foundation has prioritised the study of the culture and history of Cyprus and Greece, and a focus on the communities of the Greek diaspora, particularly in Britain. Cultural, linguistic and religious concerns of the communities have received the most attention. The most important initiative in this category has been The Hellenic Centre, in the heart of London, to which the Foundation has been the largest donor. An international programme of support for Greek studies, covering all historical periods, has developed over the years in parallel with efforts to study and enhance the presentation of Cypriot antiquities in foreign museums.
In West Africa, an area long connected with the Leventis family, the Leventis Foundation Nigeria was set up in 1988 to continue an already existing philanthropic programme. It has established nine agricultural schools for young farmers in Nigeria and Ghana.