Bill Brown's Charitable Settlement Of 1989

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 801756
• Annual Income: £533,151 (2024)
• Annual Giving: £237,838 in charitable grants (2024)
• Decision Time: 2-8 months (applications by April or September, decisions June or December)
• Grant Range: Varies widely - from smaller grants to major donations (e.g., £3.5 million to University of Bristol)
• Geographic Focus: South of England (English registered charities only)
• Application Deadlines: End of April and end of September

Contact Details

Email: billbrowncharity@phb.co.uk

Alternative Email: appeals@billbrowncharity.org

Phone: 020 7465 4300

Website: www.billbrowncharity.org

Address: 10 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London WC2A 3QG

Administered by: Payne Hicks Beach LLP (PHB), a historic solicitors firm founded in 1770

Overview

Bill Brown's Charitable Settlement of 1989 was established on 2 May 1989 following the death of Percy William Ernest “Bill” Brown, a self-made entrepreneur who left school at age fourteen and went on to build a substantial civil engineering business. Brown began his working life as a bookkeeper in Bristol docks before moving into insurance and establishing his successful company. He served as an RAF officer during World War II, responsible for organizing the transfer of air crew and equipment from North America to England. After the tragic deaths of his wife and son before his own passing, Brown established this charitable trust to support causes aligned with his work and interests. The trust operates with a single trustee and reported income of £533,151 in 2024, with £237,838 distributed in charitable grants. The trust maintains a grant-giving policy focused on substantial commitments, particularly bursary programs, which utilize much of the available income from investments, resulting in limited capacity for supporting additional charitable causes beyond the founder's core interests.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a general grant-giving program with no specific named streams, but makes grants across varying scales:

• Small to Medium Grants: Limited number of grants to support charitable interests
• Major Strategic Grants: Capacity for substantial multi-year commitments (as demonstrated by the £3.5 million University of Bristol donation in 2019)
• Bursary Commitments: Significant ongoing commitment to bursary programs which absorb the majority of investment income
• Application Method: Email applications on a rolling basis, reviewed at fixed bi-annual meetings

Priority Areas

The Trustee is particularly interested in supporting:

• Research into blindness
• Other medical research
• Care for the deaf and blind
• Care of the elderly
• Care of the disabled
• General welfare
• Hospices

According to the trust's website, "The Trustee operates a grant giving policy with a view to making substantial Bursary commitments which during any year utilises all of the available income generated from the Trustee's investments. Consequently, grants made to other charitable causes are limited, although the Trustee continues to support the charitable interests of the late Mr Brown as well as supporting a limited number of new charitable causes."

What They Don't Fund

The Trustee explicitly does NOT support:

• Individuals
• Animal welfare
• Small local charitable causes
• Regional branches of national charitable organizations
• Wildlife and environmental conservation
• Maintenance of buildings
• Religious charities
• Charities outside England
• Charities operating primarily outside the South of England

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Governance and Leadership

The charity operates with a single trustee structure. The trust is administered by Payne Hicks Beach LLP, a prestigious solicitors firm located at 10 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London. Founded in 1770, PHB is a 45-partner firm comprising approximately 214 staff, renowned for representing high-net-worth individuals and specializing in estate and succession planning, which aligns with the trust's origins in Bill Brown's estate planning.

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and operates no trading subsidiaries.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted via email to billbrowncharity@phb.co.uk or appeals@billbrowncharity.org.

Required information:

• Registered Charity Number (must be an English registered charity)
• Charity aims and objectives
• Latest annual report
• Most recent audited accounts

For specific projects, additionally provide:

• Total amount required for the project
• Contributions already received
• Proposed completion timeline

Important note: The trust states clearly that “there will be no acknowledgement of applications, and the only charities the Trustee will contact are the ones to which the Trustee has decided to make a grant.” Do not expect to hear back unless your application is successful.

Decision Timeline

• Application Deadlines: End of April and end of September
• Trustee Meetings: Half-yearly in June and December
• Overall Timeline: 2-8 months from application to decision
• April deadline → June meeting (2 months)
• September deadline → December meeting (3 months)
• Notification: Only successful applicants are contacted
• Payment: Grants may be committed but payment deferred pending the charity's fundraising progress for capital projects

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not published. However, the trust's documentation makes clear that capacity for new grants is limited: “Grants made to other charitable causes are limited, although the Trustee continues to support the charitable interests of the late Mr Brown as well as supporting a limited number of new charitable causes.”

Given that the trust:

• Makes substantial ongoing bursary commitments that use most available income
• Distributed £237,838 in charitable activities in 2024
• Only supports a “limited number” of new causes
• Continues to prioritize the founder's established interests

The application process should be considered highly competitive, particularly for causes outside the trust's established funding relationships.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is published. Given that unsuccessful applicants are not contacted, organizations may wish to reapply in future funding rounds if their work remains aligned with the trust's priorities.

Application Success Factors

Based on the trust's documented priorities and approach:

Alignment with Founder's Interests: The trust explicitly states it continues to support “the charitable interests of the late Mr Brown.” Given Brown's background starting work in Bristol at age fourteen, his business success, RAF service, and the areas he chose to support (medical research, care for elderly/disabled/deaf/blind, hospices), applications that can demonstrate alignment with these specific interests may be viewed favorably.

South of England Focus: The trust “concentrates on supporting charities mainly in the South of England.” Organizations based in or primarily serving this geographic area should emphasize this in applications. The £3.5 million grant to University of Bristol demonstrates particular affinity for Bristol-area causes, given Brown's early career there.

Established Charities with Strong Governance: Requirements for audited accounts and annual reports indicate preference for established organizations with robust financial management and governance structures.

Clear Project Definition: For project-specific funding, the trust requires “total amount required, contributions received, and proposed completion timeline.” Applications should be precise about project scope, budget, and timeline.

Strategic Scale: While the trust makes limited grants, its capacity for substantial commitments is demonstrated by the £3.5 million University of Bristol grant. Organizations seeking significant funding for strategic projects aligned with the founder's interests may find this trust more suitable than those seeking small emergency grants.

Medical Research and Care Focus: Seven of the eight priority areas relate to medical research or care provision. Applications from healthcare charities, medical research institutions, or care providers should be particularly strong.

No Building Maintenance: While the trust funded new lecture theatre construction at Bristol, it explicitly excludes “maintenance of buildings.” Capital projects for new facilities may be considered, but maintenance requests will not.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Limited capacity but substantial impact: The trust makes a “limited number” of grants but can make significant commitments when aligned with priorities - don't let the limited scope discourage strong applications for major projects.

• Bi-annual cycles only: With just two deadlines per year (April and September), timing is crucial - plan ahead and don't miss the window.

• No feedback mechanism: Unsuccessful applicants won't be notified, making it impossible to learn why an application failed - ensure your first submission is as strong as possible.

• Geographic specificity matters: “South of England” focus means location is a key factor - emphasize your geographic footprint and beneficiary locations.

• Founder's legacy is paramount: Applications should demonstrate understanding of Bill Brown's life story and values - his working-class origins, business success, war service, and personal losses inform the trust's priorities.

• Bristol connection valuable: Brown began his working life in Bristol, and the trust's largest known grant went to University of Bristol - Bristol-area charities may have an advantage if they can articulate connection to the founder's legacy.

• Substantial bursaries are core mission: The majority of income supports bursary programs, so general grant applications compete for limited remaining funds - understand you're applying for a relatively small portion of available resources.

References

• Bill Brown's Charitable Settlement of 1989 official website: https://www.billbrowncharity.org/
• Charity Commission Register, Charity No. 801756: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=801756&subid=0
• University of Bristol news: “£3.5 million donation to create innovative new lecture theatres”: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2019/december/bill-brown-donation.html
• Payne Hicks Beach LLP (trust administrators): https://www.phb.co.uk/