D C R Allen Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 277293

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Geographic Focus: Scotland, Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: £171,963 (2024)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: Up to 8 weeks
Grant Range: Up to £50,000
Geographic Focus: England, Scotland, and Wales

Contact Details

Address:

The Trustees

The D C R Charitable Trust

The Estate Office

Edgcote House

Edgcote

Nr. Banbury

Oxfordshire

OX17 1AG

Email: JULIE.FRUSHER@EDGCOTE.COM

Phone: 01295 660077

Website: The trust does not have a website

Overview

The D C R Allen Charitable Trust was established in 1979 as a grant-making foundation supporting registered charities across England, Scotland, and Wales. With total expenditure of £171,963 in the financial year ending April 2024, the trust operates from a substantial investment portfolio and maintains a straightforward governance structure with three trustees who receive no remuneration. The trust's stated charitable purpose is “to such charities or for such charitable purposes as the settlor directs the trustees,” providing flexibility in grant-making. While originally established to support education, youth, medical, disability, and general charitable purposes, recent grant-making has focused primarily on education and youth causes, with a particular emphasis on supporting disadvantaged young people through small to medium-sized charities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single, rolling grant program:

General Grants: Less than £10,000 to £50,000 (rolling applications accepted)

Priority Areas

The trust focuses its grant-making on:

Education - Primary current focus
Youth work - Primary current focus, particularly supporting disadvantaged young people
Small to medium-sized charities - The trust shows a clear preference for organizations of this size
Medical causes - Occasionally funded
Disability charities - Occasionally funded
General charitable purposes - As directed by the settlor

Recent grant-making patterns show the trust has concentrated efforts almost exclusively on education and youth work, with recent reports indicating no grants were made to disability or medical causes in the most recent reporting period, despite these being within the stated objectives.

What They Don't Fund

Organizations that are not registered charities
Charities operating outside England, Scotland, and Wales

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by three trustees:

Colin Allen (appointed 2012)
Julie Frusher (appointed 2012) - Primary contact
Tristram Allen (appointed 2020)

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trustees meet monthly to review funding applications and make decisions. The trust has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and no trading subsidiaries.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications may be made at any time in writing to:

The Trustees

The D C R Charitable Trust

The Estate Office

Edgcote House

Edgcote

Nr. Banbury

Oxfordshire

OX17 1AG

Email: JULIE.FRUSHER@EDGCOTE.COM

Phone: 01295 660077

The trust accepts rolling applications with no fixed deadlines. Applications should be submitted in writing, either by post to the address above or via email.

Decision Timeline

Trustees meet monthly to review submissions
Decisions are made promptly
If applicants do not receive a response within eight weeks, they may assume their application was unsuccessful

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. Specific grant amounts awarded to individual organizations are not published.

Reapplication Policy

The trust does not publicly state restrictions on reapplication for unsuccessful applicants.

Application Success Factors

While the trust does not publish detailed guidance on what makes applications successful, the following factors can be inferred from available information:

Organization size matters - The trust has a stated preference for small to medium-sized charities, so applications from smaller organizations may be viewed more favorably
Focus on education and youth - Recent grant-making has concentrated almost exclusively in these areas, suggesting applications in these categories have the highest likelihood of success
Supporting disadvantaged young people - This is explicitly mentioned as an emphasis area, so clearly articulating how your work benefits this demographic could strengthen applications
Registered charity status is essential - Only registered charities in England, Scotland, and Wales are eligible
Clear, written applications - The trust accepts applications in writing with no online portal or formal application form mentioned

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Target the sweet spot: This trust is ideal for small to medium-sized charities working in education and youth sectors supporting disadvantaged young people
Keep it simple: With no formal application process or online portal, a clear, concise written application is all that's required
Be patient but not too patient: Trustees meet monthly and decide promptly, but the eight-week silence rule means you'll know relatively quickly if unsuccessful
Focus your ask: While the trust's objects include medical, disability, and general charitable purposes, recent patterns show grants concentrated in education and youth work
Don't assume rejection is permanent: No stated restrictions on reapplication suggest unsuccessful applicants could try again, particularly if circumstances change or with a different project
Contact directly for guidance: With Julie Frusher as a named contact and the trust's straightforward approach, it may be worth reaching out with questions before applying
Geographic scope is broad: Operating across England, Scotland, and Wales means the trust isn't limited to a local area despite being based in Oxfordshire