Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Income: £90,910 (2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £91,824 (2024)
• Grant Range: Up to £3,000 (Community Fund) / Larger strategic grants available
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Northamptonshire (Corby, Kettering & North Northamptonshire)
• Charity Number: 1022838
• Application Method: Through Northamptonshire Community Foundation (rolling deadlines)

Contact Details

Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust (Direct)

• Address: c/o Tollers Solicitors, 2 Exchange Court, Cottingham Road, Corby, NN17 1TY
• Phone: 01536 276727

Northamptonshire Community Foundation (Grant Applications)

• Address: 18 Albion Place, Northampton, NN1 1UD
• Phone: 01604 230033
• Email: enquiries@ncf.uk.com

Grants Team Contact:

• Alex Rex (Grants Team Manager): 07483 428127 / alex@ncf.uk.com
• San-D Godoy (Grants Team Officer): 07483 428135 / san-d@ncf.uk.com
• Laura McKenzie (Grants Programmes Officer): 07485 364232 / laura@ncf.uk.com

Overview

The Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust is a registered charity (No. 1022838) established to provide financial assistance to charities supporting children, elderly people, and other vulnerable individuals, particularly within Northamptonshire. The trust has a distinctive dual focus: addressing social disadvantage and supporting equine-related charities that align with its core mission. Originally established with charitable purposes including providing instruction in the art of horse riding for young people under 18 to assist in their physical education and development, the trust has evolved to encompass broader social welfare objectives.

The trust operates through two main funding streams: the Margaret Giffen Community Fund administered by Northamptonshire Community Foundation (supporting small grassroots projects up to £3,000) and larger strategic grants to national organizations such as the Stroke Association. The trust has also established the Margaret Giffen Centre for Rider Performance at Hartpury University, demonstrating a lasting commitment to equestrian development. With an annual income of approximately £90,910 and expenditure of £91,824 (2024), the trust continues to make a significant impact on vulnerable communities across Northamptonshire and beyond.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Margaret Giffen Community Fund (administered by Northamptonshire Community Foundation)

• Amount: Up to £3,000 per project
• Focus: Tackling disadvantage and poverty across Corby, Kettering & North Northamptonshire
• Application: Online via Northamptonshire Community Foundation (rolling deadlines with specific closure dates)
• Funding Type: Both revenue and capital funding eligible

Strategic Grants

• Amount: Larger multi-year grants available for strategic partnerships
• Examples: Childhood Stroke Support Service (collaboration between Stroke Association and Evelina London Children's Hospital)
• Application: No public application process for strategic grants; appears to be trustee-directed

Priority Areas

The trust funds projects in the following areas:

Social Welfare:

• Projects tackling child poverty, food poverty, or fuel poverty
• Free or low-cost access to education and training activities
• Free or low-cost access to arts, sports, and recreational activities for families on low income
• Advice, advocacy, and support services for vulnerable residents
• Support for children and young people
• Support for elderly people
• Services for vulnerable individuals

Equine-Related Charities:

• Horse-riding instruction and equestrian development, particularly for young people
• Equine therapy and welfare programs that support vulnerable individuals
• Projects combining equine activities with social welfare objectives

Geographic Priorities:

• Primary focus: Northamptonshire (particularly Corby, Kettering, and North Northamptonshire)
• Will consider applications from outside Northamptonshire in exceptional circumstances

What They Don't Fund

Based on eligibility criteria for the Community Fund:

• Projects with total budgets exceeding £20,000
• Large, professionally managed organizations (focus is on small, locally managed groups)
• Organizations without appropriate safeguarding policies in place
• Projects that do not address needs identified in Northamptonshire Community Foundation's “Hidden Needs Report”

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Governance and Leadership

The Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust is governed by 4 trustees who oversee the strategic direction of the trust. The board is gender-balanced, and no trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

The trust's registered office is with Tollers Solicitors in Corby, suggesting professional legal support for governance and administration. The trust maintains up-to-date reporting with the Charity Commission.

For day-to-day grant administration through the Community Fund, applicants work with the professional team at Northamptonshire Community Foundation, including experienced grants officers who provide application support.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Small Grants (up to £3,000) - Margaret Giffen Community Fund:

Applications must be submitted through Northamptonshire Community Foundation's online portal:

• Application Portal: https://ukcommunityfoundations.tfaforms.net/321
• Application Method: Online form submission
• Deadlines: Rolling with specific closure dates (e.g., March 6, 2026 for current round)

Pre-Application Support Available:

• The Foundation strongly encourages applicants to seek advice before submitting
• Grants team will review draft applications before final submission
• Contact grants team members directly for guidance
• Video guide with hints and tips available on the Foundation's website

Key Application Requirements:

1. Must identify how the project addresses needs from NCF's “Hidden Needs Report” (section 3 - Impact)
2. Online application form completion
3. Written safeguarding policies required (child protection/vulnerable people's safety)
4. Equalities policy required
5. Constitution or written rules required
6. Evidence of volunteers not on management committee

For Strategic Grants:

• No public application process
• Appears to be trustee-directed based on strategic priorities
• Organizations seeking larger grants should consider building relationships with the trust

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly documented. Applicants are advised to contact the Northamptonshire Community Foundation grants team for information about current processing times for the Margaret Giffen Community Fund.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available. However, the grants awarded page shows regular funding distributions, suggesting an active and responsive grant program.

Reapplication Policy

The trust accepts applications for new projects, start-up costs for new groups, or to build on existing successful work. There are no published restrictions on reapplication, suggesting unsuccessful applicants can apply again with revised proposals or new projects.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment

Address Hidden Needs Report Priorities:

The most critical success factor for Community Fund applications is demonstrating how your project addresses specific needs identified in Northamptonshire Community Foundation's Hidden Needs Report. The 2023 report highlights:

• Inequality and Deprivation
• Health and Wellbeing
• Children - Impact and Challenges
• Education, Skills and Training
• Older People
• Housing and Living Environment
• Crime
• Rural community access needs (new focus area)

Applications must explicitly identify which needs they address in section 3 (Impact).

Examples of Successful Projects:

• Read Easy Corby and Kettering: £3,000 to support 20 more readers with 20 volunteer coaches for adults learning to read
• United African Association: £3,000 to purchase supermarket vouchers providing cultural foods to families of African and African-Caribbean heritage in North Northamptonshire
• Baby Basics Northampton: £3,000 to provide starter packs with essentials for the first 3 months of baby's life to mothers most in need
• Home-Start Kettering: £3,000 to recruit and support volunteers
• Victoria Centre: £3,000 for food vouchers and cost of living advice
• Laugh out Loud Theatre: £1,027.96 for summer drama camp for 10-16 year olds

Application Best Practices

Leverage Pre-Application Support:

Northamptonshire Community Foundation explicitly offers to review draft applications and provide guidance. Successful applicants likely take advantage of this support to strengthen their proposals before final submission.

Demonstrate Local Impact:

Successful projects show clear benefits to residents in Corby, Kettering, and North Northamptonshire. Be specific about numbers served, geographic reach within these areas, and how you'll measure impact.

Show Community Engagement:

Having volunteers who are not part of the management committee is a requirement, demonstrating genuine community involvement and volunteer mobilization.

Keep Project Budgets Appropriate:

The £20,000 maximum total project budget ensures funds support grassroots initiatives. Applications should demonstrate value for money and realistic budgeting.

Evidence Strong Governance:

Required policies (safeguarding, equalities) demonstrate organizational maturity. Ensure these are in place and referenced in your application.

Equine-Related Applications

For equine-related charities, demonstrate how horse-related activities serve vulnerable people (children, elderly, or those facing disadvantage). The trust's founding purpose includes physical education and development through riding instruction, so projects combining equine activities with social welfare outcomes may have unique appeal.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Mandatory preparation: Review Northamptonshire Community Foundation's Hidden Needs Report before applying and explicitly address identified needs in your Impact section - this is not optional
• Use free expert support: The grants team offers pre-application advice and will review drafts - take advantage of this to significantly strengthen your application
• Think small and local: The fund supports grassroots, community-led initiatives with project budgets under £20,000 serving Corby, Kettering, and North Northamptonshire
• Policies matter: Have your safeguarding and equalities policies ready - these are eligibility requirements, not nice-to-haves
• Consider the equine angle: If your work involves horses and serves vulnerable populations, this trust has unique interest in that combination
• Watch for strategic opportunities: Beyond the Community Fund, the trust makes larger strategic grants (e.g., Stroke Association partnership) - though there's no public application process, building relationships could lead to major funding
• Document volunteer involvement: Having active volunteers beyond your management committee is both a requirement and demonstrates community engagement

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Northamptonshire Community Foundation
• Leicester Charity Organisation Society (Charity Link)
• Northampton Municipal Church Charity
• Provincial Grand Charity of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire
• Beckett's and Sargeant's Educational Foundation
• The Benham Charitable Settlement
• THE MAUD ELKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUST
• Kettering Old Grammar School Foundation
• GOODWILL SOLUTIONS CIO
• The Thomas Farr Charity

References

1. Charity Commission for England and Wales - Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust charity details (Charity No. 1022838). Retrieved from: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1022838&subid=0
2. Northamptonshire Community Foundation - Margaret Giffen Community Fund. Retrieved from: https://www.ncf.uk.com/margaret-giffen-fund
3. Northamptonshire Community Foundation - Grants Awarded (Margaret Giffen Community Fund). Retrieved from: https://www.ncf.uk.com/grants/grants-awarded/margaret-giffen-community-fund
4. Northamptonshire Community Foundation - Hidden Needs Report 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.ncf.uk.com/hidden-needs
5. Charity Choice - Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust Directory Entry. Retrieved from: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/margaret-giffen-charitable-trust-106887
6. Stroke Association - Childhood Stroke Support Service (funded by Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust). Retrieved from: https://www.stroke.org.uk/childhood-stroke/childhood-stroke-support
7. Northamptonshire Community Foundation - Contact Information. Retrieved from: https://www.ncf.uk.com/contact-us
8. FundsforNGOs - UK: Margaret Giffen Community Fund. Retrieved from: https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/uk-margaret-giffen-community-fund-2/

All sources.