City Educational Trust Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £139,873 income (2023/24); £683,133 expenditure (2023/24)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Decision Time: Trustee discretion
• Grant Range: £19,456 average (2019/20); £3.6 million strategic grant (2024)
• Geographic Focus: Greater London
• Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: City of London Corporation, PO Box 270, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ

Phone: 020 7332 1917

Email: Grants@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Charity Number: 290840

Website: Via City of London Corporation trusts page

Overview

The City Educational Trust Fund is a grant-making charity established under Section 25 of the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1967 and registered with the Charity Commission on 18 February 1985. The charity is managed by the City of London Corporation, which acts as the sole trustee, with the Education Board holding day-to-day management responsibility. The trust's mission focuses on advancing educational purposes connected with City University (now City, University of London), including education in science and technology, business management and commerce, biology and ecology, and the cultural arts through research, study, teaching, and training. The trust operates through strategic project grants rather than open applications, with current assets generating income of approximately £140,000 annually while recent expenditure has been significantly higher due to major strategic grants. The trust made grants to four organisations in 2019/20 with an average grant size of £19,456, but suspended grant-making in 2020/21 due to COVID-19 uncertainty. In 2024, the trust awarded a major strategic grant of £3.6 million to A New Direction for their Primary Arts programme running from 2024-2028.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strategic Project Grants: The trust fulfills its charitable objectives through carefully selected strategic projects rather than open grant rounds. The current major grant is:

• Primary Arts Programme (2024-2028): £3.6 million to A New Direction to deliver high-quality arts, cultural, and creative opportunities for children and staff in London's primary schools and primary SEND settings, with in-school performances and cultural experiences across theatre, film, and visual arts at venues throughout London.

Historical Small Grants Programme (2019/20): Previously made smaller grants averaging £19,456 to organisations working for the benefit of Greater London inhabitants. No grants were awarded in 2020/21 due to low unrestricted funds and COVID-19 uncertainty.

Priority Areas

• Educational purposes connected with City, University of London
• Science and technology education
• Business management and commerce education
• Biology and ecology research, study, teaching, and training
• Cultural arts research, study, and teaching
• Primary arts education in London
• Creative capacity building for London's primary school children
• Professional development for primary school staff in creative curriculum delivery

What They Don't Fund

• Direct grants to individuals
• Organisations working outside Greater London
• Projects unconnected to educational purposes
• General charitable causes without educational focus

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Governance and Leadership

Trustee: City of London Corporation (sole trustee)

Management: The City of London Corporation's Education Board holds responsibility for all aspects of the charity's day-to-day management and administration, subject to consulting with the Community and Children's Services Committee on policy matters regarding the application of the charity's funds.

Governance Structure: The charity operates under Section 25 of the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1967. The trustee receives reimbursement for administration fees incurred in managing the charity, but no trustees receive remuneration or payments beyond this. The charity has one trustee with no employees.

Decision-Making: Grant decisions are made by the City of London Corporation in its capacity as trustee, with the Education Board exercising day-to-day oversight. Strategic grant decisions reflect the trust's commitment to advancing its educational objectives through high-impact partnerships.

How to Apply to City Educational Trust Fund

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The City Educational Trust Fund explicitly states it is “not currently accepting external applications.”

The trust operates by making strategic decisions internally about specific projects to fund, rather than running an open application process. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on strategic alignment with the trust's educational objectives and the capacity to deliver significant impact in Greater London's educational landscape.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust does not accept unsolicited applications. Strategic grant decisions are made by the City of London Corporation acting as trustee through its Education Board on a case-by-case basis according to internal strategic priorities and timing.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications as there is no open application process.

Historical data (2019/20): Four organisations received grants with an average value of £19,456. No grants were made in 2020/21 due to financial constraints during COVID-19.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process to which organisations can apply or reapply.

Application Success Factors

As the City Educational Trust Fund does not accept public applications, there are no direct application success factors. However, understanding what the trust values can inform organisations seeking to position themselves strategically:

Strategic Alignment with Trust Purposes: The trust's 2024 award of £3.6 million to A New Direction demonstrates a preference for projects that:

• Directly advance educational objectives in cultural arts
• Serve primary-aged children across Greater London
• Build capacity in educational settings (staff development)
• Partner with multiple cultural organisations
• Deliver measurable outcomes over multi-year periods (four academic years)
• Combine in-school programming with external cultural experiences

Scale and Impact: The shift from small grants (£19,456 average in 2019/20) to a major strategic grant (£3.6 million in 2024) suggests the trust may be focusing resources on fewer, higher-impact projects that can achieve substantial educational advancement.

Connection to City University: The trust's original purpose centres on advancing the objects of City, University of London, suggesting projects with connections to the university may align with trustee priorities.

Geographic Focus: All beneficiaries must work for the benefit of inhabitants of Greater London and meet stated eligibility criteria.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - the trust makes strategic grants through internal trustee decisions rather than accepting external applications
• Strategic positioning may matter - while you cannot apply, being visible in London's educational landscape and demonstrating alignment with the trust's purposes (especially around educational advancement and cultural arts) could be valuable if the trust considers new strategic partnerships
• Multi-year, high-impact projects - the £3.6 million grant to A New Direction suggests the trust favors substantial, multi-year projects over small grants
• Primary education and arts focus - the current strategic grant centres on primary arts education, indicating this as a contemporary priority
• Greater London requirement - all funded organisations must work for the benefit of Greater London inhabitants
• City, University of London connection - the trust's founding purpose relates to City University, suggesting projects with university connections may be strategically relevant
• Managed by City of London Corporation - understanding the Corporation's broader educational priorities through its Education Board may provide insight into potential future directions for the trust

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Trust For London
• The Shaftesbury Homes And Arethusa (syp Trust)
• William Kendall's Charity (wax Chandlers Company)
• London Catalyst
• Merchant Taylors' Educational Trust
• The Grove Trust
• The Story Of Christmas
• The Portal Trust
• London Freemasons Charity
• The Timothy Franey Charitable Foundation

References

• Charity Commission register entry for City Educational Trust Fund (290840): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=290840&subid=0
• City of London Corporation, “Trusts and charities”: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/working-with-community/trusts-and-charities
• City of London Corporation, "London's primary school children get creative after multi-million-pound funding boost": https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/londons-primary-school-children-get-creative-after-multi-million-pound-funding-boost/
• OpenCharities data for charity 290840: http://opencharities.org/charities/290840
• City of London Corporation Education Board minutes and papers, 2024: https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/