Impetus Trust and the Private Equity Foundation have today announced their intention to merge to create one organisation: Impetus – The Private Equity Foundation.

The two organisations hope to launch their completed merger in spring 2013. Johannes Huth, head of investment company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) Europe, is the proposed chairman of the merged entity, with Louis Elson, the managing partner and co-founder of private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners, serving as deputy chairman.

The chief executive of Impetus – The Private Equity Foundation will be the CEO of Impetus Trust, Daniela Barone Soares. In turn, the current chief executive of the Private Equity Foundation (PEF), Shaks Ghosh, will leave her role after six years, after staying on to assist with the merger process.

The proposed new entity will focus on enabling charities to help society’s most deprived children and young people. Between them the two organisations have 16 years’ experience of supporting charity sustainability and scaling up through venture philanthropy.

The merger comes from a desire to combine work in order to help even more children, according to Soares. “Our two organisations are collectively helping well over half a million people,” she said. “But many more need support, including 1.6 million children growing up in severe poverty.  We want them to get the start in life they deserve and I am confident that by joining our two organisations, Impetus – The Private Equity Foundation will be better equipped to achieve this massive ambition. I can't wait to get started once the merger is complete.”

Huth said that he was excited to announce the potential merger, and was looking forward to working with his new colleagues to scale the organisations’ ability to “engage, enhance and expand”.

Venture philanthropy organisation Impetus Trust – which has an income of just under £6m – made its first £1m investment, into educational charity IntoUniversity, in September last year. 2012 was also the Trust’s 10th anniversary year.

PEF has an income of £4.8m and has been connecting money and pro bono business expertise from the private equity community to youth interventions since 2006. It announced in March 2012 that it was backing a ‘NEET’ social impact bond.