Benefact Trust Limited

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Over £20 million annually (part of £310 million total since 1972)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 2 months (under £25k), 4-6 months (over £25k)
• Grant Range: £2,000 - £54,000+ (multi-year grants available)
• Geographic Focus: UK and Ireland

Contact Details

Website: https://benefacttrust.co.uk/

Email: info@benefacttrust.co.uk

Phone: 01452 873189

Address: Benefact House, 2000 Pioneer Avenue, Gloucester Business Park, Brockworth, Gloucester, GL3 4AW

Overview

Benefact Trust (formerly Allchurches Trust) was established in 1972 and is one of the UK's largest religious charitable trusts. Since inception, the Trust has awarded over £310 million to Christian organisations across the UK and Ireland, with £100 million distributed in the last five years alone. The Trust is owned by Benefact Group (formerly Ecclesiastical Insurance Group), which donates all available profits to charitable causes. Benefact Group is the third-largest corporate donor in the UK. The Trust focuses exclusively on supporting registered charities with strong Christian connections through capital projects, community impact initiatives, and building improvements.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

• Community Impact Grants: £10,000 - £54,000+ (launched January 2023, over £3.8m awarded to date)
• Building Improvement Grants: Variable amounts for capital projects
• Methodist Heritage Grants: Specialist funding for Methodist organisations (recent round: £700,000+)
• Monthly Smaller Grants: Up to £10,000 (rolling applications)
• Roof Alarm Grants: Up to £2,500 (50% of costs)

All programmes accept rolling applications with no fixed deadlines.

Priority Areas

• Growing congregations and Christian communities
• Addressing social challenges (homelessness, poverty, mental health)
• Enabling wider community use of church buildings
• Empowering Christian education
• Building repairs and accessibility improvements
• Energy efficiency and environmental projects

What They Don't Fund

• Running costs and salaries (some exceptions may apply for specific programmes)
• Completed projects
• Non-Christian organisations
• Projects without 30% match funding in place

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Governance and Leadership

Chairman: David Henderson (appointed to succeed Tim Carroll, who served as Chairman from January 2020 to December 2025)

Key Trustees:

• David Henderson (Solicitor, former partner at Herbert Smith Freehills for 24 years, Non-Executive Director of The R&A Group, former Christian Aid Kenya trustee, trustee of The Fairtrade Foundation)
• Paul Rossi (retired Methodist Minister with 40 years' experience, appointed March 2020)
• François-Xavier Boisseau (30+ years insurance industry experience, former CEO of Insurance Ageas (UK) until December 2018, appointed Chair of Benefact Group from January 2026, Chairman of IQUW Syndicate Managing Agency Ltd)

Chief Executive of Benefact Group: Mark Hews, who states: “At Benefact Group we offer careers with purpose, and we support and reward our talented people.”

How to Apply to Benefact Trust Limited

How to Apply

Online applications via benefacttrust.co.uk for all programmes. Different application portals for specific grant types (Community Impact, Building Improvement, Methodist Heritage).

Decision Timeline

• Smaller grants (up to £25,000): 2 months average
• Larger grants (over £25,000): 4-6 months (requires committee and board approval)
• Rolling applications accepted year-round

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed, but the Trust aims to support as many eligible applications as possible.

Reapplication Policy

Organisations that received General Grants funding must wait two years before reapplying to Building Improvement Grants. Similarly, organisations that received Transformational Grants must wait two years before applying to Community Impact Grants. Organisations can receive funding under more than one grant programme for different projects during the same period.

Application Success Factors

Key Requirements:

• Must be a registered charity with strong Christian links
• 30% match funding required before application
• Clear fundraising plan for remaining funds
• Focus on capital/equipment costs rather than running expenses

Recent Successful Projects:

• Hope Housing Bradford: £35,700 over three years for Centre Manager role
• West London Mission: £54,000 multi-year grant for Clinical Manager and Senior Administrator positions in their counselling programme
• Woodford Methodist Church: £49,000 for eco-friendly kitchen extension

Application Advice from the Trust:

"Read through the entire application form before you start filling it in... By matching your project closely to the funder's criteria and mission, you maximise your chances of success."

What Makes Applications Stand Out:

• Clear demonstration of Christian organisational ethos
• Strong community need and impact evidence
• Detailed financial planning with secured match funding
• Projects addressing social challenges or building community capacity

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Essential requirement: Strong Christian organisational links must be clearly demonstrated
• Financial preparation: Secure 30% match funding before applying
• Project focus: Capital and equipment costs are strongly preferred over running costs
• Application quality: Read entire form first, avoid duplication, follow guidance precisely
• Geographic advantage: Projects in areas of higher deprivation may receive funding uplifts
• Timing flexibility: Rolling applications allow strategic submission timing
• Relationship building: Benefact Trust grants often catalyse additional funding from other sources

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Women's Continuing Ministerial Education Trust
• National Lottery
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• The National Lottery Heritage Fund
• The Wolfson Foundation
• Transforming Lives
• Christian Aid
• The Queen Victoria Clergy Fund
• Trust For London
• The Archer Trust
• The National Churches Trust
• The Bridge Trust
• Thrive Together Birmingham
• The Mohn Westlake Foundation
• Help Fund
• The Lighthouse
• Church House
• The Sustentation Fund
• The Church Estate
• Church Estate

References

• Benefact Trust official website: https://benefacttrust.co.uk/
• Charity Commission register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=263960
• Benefact Group press releases and annual reports
• Application guidance documents and FAQs from benefacttrust.co.uk
• Recent grant announcements and case studies from Trust website