Charitable trusts are bodies set up to do good. Money – capital – is invested and the income is spent each year. Trustees are responsible for the money and for how it is given away.
Charitable trusts in Britain give away something like £750m a year. They get tax concessions on their money because they are “charitable” – the Inland Revenue has to be satisfied that they use their income for purposes that are charitable in law. In practice this means that most trusts will only give grants to registered charities.
On average, charitable trusts give something to one in twenty or so of the appeals they receive. Many trusts are limited as to the geographic area they can make grants to. Usually trusts give smallish amounts (even trusts with large incomes) to local appeals – £50 or £200, not thousands. And often giving by trusts is one-off and for capital, not revenue. Trusts may help you buy the sand-pit for the community centre, they’re less likely to help you heat it or pay the salary of a worker.
There are exceptions. A few trusts are more interested in funding running costs or salaries of projects.
Trusts don’t have to publicise what they do, what sort of things they give money for, how you apply – or even that they exist at all. Some are very open about what they do, some aren’t.
Many trusts meet only once or twice a year. You may need to get applications in well in advance of meetings.
Most trusts don’t have application forms. In these cases you need to write a letter. Make sure it looks as if you’ve written to them personally; if your letter looks like a circular you stand less chance of success.
It’s worth spending time making sure you’ve got information on the trusts you intend to approach which is as accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. It’s a waste of your energy and effort writing the wrong letter to the wrong funders and trusts are understandably frustrated when they receive applications from projects which fall outside their remit.
For help on applying to charitable trusts please speak to us today.
