Before Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £143,060 (FY 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: Worldwide (with focus on Israel and Poland)

Contact Details

Address: 38 Heathland Road, London N16 5LZ, United Kingdom

Phone: 020888808910

Email: Not publicly available

Website: Not available

Charity Number: 802882

Founded: 1990

Overview

Before Trust is a UK-registered charitable trust established in 1990 through a declaration of trust dated 25 July 1989. The charity operates with modest resources, having reported total income of £139,790 and expenditure of £143,060 for the financial year ending 31 March 2024. The trust's mission focuses on three core areas: relief of poverty, advancement of the Orthodox Jewish religion, and education. The trust operates internationally with a particular focus on supporting communities in Israel and Poland, though its governing documents permit grants to be made anywhere in the world. The charity is governed by two trustees who exercise absolute discretion in determining grant allocations. Before Trust maintains a low administrative overhead, with no employees receiving benefits over £60,000 and no trustee remuneration.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Before Trust does not operate formal grant programs with published criteria or application deadlines. Instead, the trustees exercise absolute discretion in making grants in line with the charity's purposes.

Grant Types:

• Grants to charitable organizations
• Grants to individuals
• Project funding

Priority Areas

Based on the charity's registered purposes and operational focus:

Relief of Poverty

• Support for individuals and families experiencing financial hardship
• Assistance for vulnerable populations including children, young people, elderly people, and people with disabilities

Advancement of Orthodox Jewish Religion

• Support for Orthodox Jewish religious institutions
• Religious education and community programs
• Synagogues and Jewish community centers

Education

• Educational institutions serving Orthodox Jewish communities
• Training and education programs
• Support for students and educational initiatives

Beneficiary Groups:

• Children and young people
• Elderly people
• People with disabilities
• People of particular ethnic or racial origin (particularly Orthodox Jewish communities)
• Other charities and voluntary organizations

Geographic Areas of Focus:

• United Kingdom
• Israel (Asia region)
• Poland (Europe region)
• Potentially other locations worldwide at trustees' discretion

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly specified. Given the trust's focus on Orthodox Jewish religion, poverty relief, and education, funding is unlikely to be available for purposes outside these core areas.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Lazar Lerner
• Mordechai Eizenbach

The charity operates with a small governance structure of two trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. According to the governing documents, funds are distributed “to or towards or in furtherance or for the benefit of such one or more charities, charitable institutions or charitable purposes in any part of the world in such shares and in such manner as the trustees in their absolute discretion may from time to time determine.”

This structure gives the trustees complete discretion in identifying beneficiaries and determining grant amounts, enabling responsive and flexible grant-making aligned with the trust's charitable purposes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

Before Trust operates through trustee discretion rather than an open application system. Grants are awarded to organizations and individuals identified by the trustees in accordance with the charity's purposes. The governing documents explicitly grant the trustees “absolute discretion” in determining grant distributions.

This means grants are typically awarded to:

• Organizations and individuals already known to the trustees
• Projects and causes within the trustees' networks and communities
• Beneficiaries identified through the trustees' involvement in Orthodox Jewish communities
• Causes aligned with the trust's focus on poverty relief, religious advancement, and education

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. Decisions are made at the trustees' discretion throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since Before Trust does not accept unsolicited applications, potential beneficiaries cannot directly apply for funding. However, understanding what the trust funds can be valuable:

Alignment with Core Purposes:

The trust focuses exclusively on three interconnected areas within Orthodox Jewish communities: poverty relief, religious advancement, and education. Successful grants align with one or more of these purposes.

Geographic Considerations:

While the trust can make grants worldwide, its documented operational focus includes the UK (particularly London), Israel, and Poland. Projects in these locations appear to align with the trustees' interests.

Types of Support Provided:

The trust makes both institutional grants to organizations and grants to individuals, providing flexibility in how support is delivered. Project funding is explicitly mentioned as a support type.

Trustee Discretion Model:

The trust operates on a model where trustees identify and support causes they believe advance the charity's purposes. This typically means funding flows to organizations and individuals within the trustees' sphere of awareness and influence.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: Before Trust does not accept unsolicited applications; grants are made at trustees' absolute discretion
• Orthodox Jewish Focus: The trust specifically advances the Orthodox Jewish religion alongside poverty relief and education
• Small but Active: Despite modest resources (£140K income), the trust actively makes grants to both organizations and individuals
• International Reach: While based in London, the trust operates internationally with documented focus on Israel and Poland
• Trustee-Identified Beneficiaries: Funding typically goes to organizations and individuals within the trustees' networks and Orthodox Jewish communities
• Flexible Grant-Making: The trust can support both institutions and individuals, providing various types of project funding
• Low Overhead: No staff costs and no trustee remuneration means resources are directed toward charitable purposes

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Arts Council of England
• The Wolfson Foundation
• THE HEADLEY TRUST
• The Elmley Foundation
• The Rowlands Trust
• The Street Foundation
• The Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust
• The Hawthorne Charitable Trust
• National Lottery Heritage Fund
• AMUD HATZDOKOH TRUST
• CHESED
• National Lottery

References

• UK Charity Commission Register: “Before Trust - Charity Overview” (Charity Number 802882), Register of Charities, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/802882/charity-overview
• Fundraiso: “Before Trust” organization profile, https://www.fundraiso.com/en/organisations/before-trust
• UK Charity Commission: Financial data for year ending 31 March 2024
• Besharing.org: “Before Trust” charity information, https://besharing.org/before-trust/