The Burdon Fund was founded in 1989 from an initiative of Bob Aldwell, Ireland, to assist hydrogeologists working in developing countries. The Fund is separate from the Burdon Network although the two issues are obviously related.

The Burdon Fund has been used to fund persons from developing countries to attend International groundwater conferences and meetings.

The original policy of the fund was to seek to build up capital from donations and to restrict grants to interest earned, the primary source of funds coming from a proportion of surplus from IAH congresses. Decisions on the disbursement of the Fund are by joint agreement of three offices; the President of the IAH, the Treasurer of the IAH, and the President of the IAH Irish Group.