Bernard Lewis Family Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1125035

Annual Expenditure: £6.1M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £6,141,355 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Information limited - historical grants from £15,000-£320,000+ identified
  • Geographic Focus: UK-based with discretionary geographic scope

Contact Details

Website: https://www.blfct.org/

Registered Address: Blue Coast Capital, Seymour Mews House, 26-27 Seymour Mews, London, W1H 6BN

Note: No public email, phone number, or application portal information is currently available on their website or public records.

Overview

The Bernard Lewis Family Charitable Trust was founded in 2008 and is controlled by the Lewis family, owners of the River Island clothing chain. As of December 2023, the trust held £6,221,467 in assets with total charitable expenditure of £6,141,355. The trust has granted over £16 million since 2020, focusing on organizations that deliver “deep, sustained impact.” The trust operates with broad charitable objectives, giving trustees wide discretion in funding decisions. Their stated approach emphasizes “trust-based giving” that “drives meaningful, long-term change,” providing unrestricted, long-term support to enable organizational leaders to plan ahead and build resilience.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not appear to operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles. Funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees.

  • Rolling basis: The trust appears to make grants throughout the year
  • Application method: Not publicly specified - the trust may identify and approach organizations proactively rather than accepting open applications

Priority Areas

According to their website, the trust focuses on five key areas:

  1. Mental Health - Supporting mental health services and organizations
  2. Brighter Futures - Investing in programs that improve outcomes for young people
  3. Community & Small Charities - Supporting grassroots community organizations
  4. Disability & Physical Health - Funding disability services and physical health initiatives
  5. Distant Voices - Supporting marginalized or underrepresented communities

Known grant recipients include:

  • Place2Be (children's mental health charity)
  • Dignity in Dying/Compassion in Dying (£1.2m since 2017, including £320,000 across 2021-2022)
  • Centre for Social Cohesion (£25,000 in 2009)
  • Policy Exchange (£15,000)
  • Jewish National Fund (£135,000 cumulative 2007-2023)
  • Jerusalem Foundation (£632,131 cumulative 2007-2023)
  • Community Security Trust
  • Jewish Leadership Council

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly stated. The broad charitable objectives suggest wide discretion by trustees.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Bernard Lewis (Founder and Chair)
  • Caroline Jane Grainge
  • Clive Robert Lewis
  • Leonard Richard Lewis

Bernard Lewis founded the River Island fashion brand and is estimated to be worth over £1 billion. He chairs the trust alongside family members. No trustees receive remuneration for their work with the charity.

The trust employs one staff member and operates through Lewis Family Charitable Trustees Limited.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important Note: The Bernard Lewis Family Charitable Trust does not appear to have a public application process or published guidelines for submitting grant proposals. The website does not provide application forms, contact information for grant inquiries, or guidance on how organizations can apply for funding.

This suggests the trust may:

  • Make grants proactively by identifying organizations aligned with their priorities
  • Fund through existing relationships and networks
  • Operate by invitation only

Organizations interested in funding may need to build awareness of their work within the trust's areas of interest and hope to be approached, or potentially make contact through the registered office address.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The discretionary nature of grant-making and lack of open applications means success rate data is not disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information about the application process, the following insights can be gleaned from the trust's stated approach and known funding patterns:

Alignment with Trust Values:

The trust emphasizes “trust-based giving” and values organizations that deliver “deep, sustained impact.” Their website states: “With over £16 million granted since 2020, we invest in organisations that deliver deep, sustained impact.”

Long-term Partnerships:

The trust's approach favors “long-term, unrestricted support to enable leaders to plan ahead, build resilience, and stay focused on what truly makes a difference.” This suggests they prefer sustained relationships over one-off grants.

Unrestricted Funding Philosophy:

The trust appears to favor unrestricted grants that give organizations flexibility rather than project-specific funding.

Examples of Funded Work:

  • Children's mental health services (Place2Be)
  • End-of-life care advocacy (Dignity in Dying - multi-year commitment)
  • Community security initiatives
  • International Jewish community causes

Strategic Considerations:

Given the trust's significant giving (£6.1 million in 2023) and relatively small number of known recipients, they appear to make substantial multi-year commitments to a select number of organizations rather than distributing many small grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No open application process: This trust does not appear to accept unsolicited applications through a public process
  • Proactive grant-making: The trust likely identifies and approaches organizations that align with their priorities
  • Substantial, long-term commitments: Known grants suggest significant multi-year support rather than small one-off grants
  • Unrestricted funding preference: The trust emphasizes unrestricted support that gives organizations maximum flexibility
  • Trust-based approach: Their philosophy centers on trusting organizational leaders to make the best decisions
  • Five priority areas: Focus work in mental health, youth futures, community charities, disability/health, and marginalized voices
  • Relationship-driven: Building awareness and connections within the Lewis family's philanthropic networks may be more effective than cold applications

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