P F Charitable Trust

Charity Number: CUSTOM_968E4731

Annual Expenditure: £2.0M

Geographic Focus: Scotland, Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: Over £2 million
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Monthly trustee meetings (rolling applications)
Grant Range: Typically up to £20,000 (maximum £100,000 awarded in recent year)
Geographic Focus: Great Britain (UK-wide)

Contact Details

Address:

P F Charitable Trust

c/o RFT Management Services Limited

14 Buckingham Street

London WC2N 6DF

Email: [email protected]

Note: The Trust does not have a website

Scottish charities can also apply via Foundation Scotland's online portal for grants up to £5,000

Overview

Founded in 1951 by banker Philip Fleming, the P F Charitable Trust is a family-based grant-making charity operating out of London. The Trust celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2026 and has been supporting UK registered charities across Great Britain for over seven decades. With annual giving exceeding £2 million, the Trust's trustees meet monthly to consider applications and approve grants. The Trust's distinctive approach is to make a large number of smaller grants to widen the number of charities supported, with the vast majority of grants awarded at £20,000 or less. The trustees include family members Matthew, Philip, and Rory Fleming, and no trustees receive any remuneration from the charity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Programme (UK-wide)

Grant Range: Typically up to £20,000 (exceptional grants up to £100,000)
Application Method: Rolling basis - written applications accepted at any time
Meeting Frequency: Trustees meet monthly
Funding Type: One-off or recurring grants

Scottish Programme (via Foundation Scotland)

Grant Range: Up to £5,000
Annual Budget: Up to £44,000 per year
Application Method: Online via Foundation Scotland website
Eligibility: Scottish registered charities only with income under £250,000
Note: Active since 1997; rolling programme with no set deadlines

Priority Areas

The principal areas of support include:

Health and Saving Lives: Advancement of health initiatives and life-saving programmes
Education: Educational advancement projects and programmes
Relief of Need: Support for those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Arts, Culture, Heritage and Science: Advancement of cultural and scientific initiatives
Community-Level Work: Preference for projects operating at grassroots community level
Core and Revenue Costs: Will support organizational core and revenue costs

What They Don't Fund

Staff Salaries: Explicitly excluded from funding (though core costs are supported)
Large Organizations: Scottish programme excludes charities with income over £250,000
Non-Registered Charities: Only registered charities are eligible
Projects Over £20,000: For Scottish programme, cannot apply if total project costs exceed £20,000
Small Grants: For Scottish programme, grant request must be at least 25% of total costs

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The Trust is governed by family trustees:

Matthew Fleming
Philip Fleming
Rory Fleming

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity, maintaining the Trust's commitment to directing maximum resources toward charitable giving.

Administration

The Trust is administered by RFT Management Services Limited in London.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Charities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland:

Applications should be made in writing to the Secretary at the principal office
Include relevant supporting documents
No specific application form required
No website or online portal (except for Scottish applicants via Foundation Scotland)

For Scottish Charities:

Apply online via Foundation Scotland website
Rolling programme with no fixed deadlines
Programme closes when annual allocation (£44,000) is fully distributed

Decision Timeline

Meeting Frequency: Trustees meet monthly to consider applications
Notification: Not specified in public information
Decision Time: Varies depending on submission timing relative to monthly meetings

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. However, the Trust's policy of making “a large number of smaller grants” suggests a relatively broad distribution approach.

Reapplication Policy

For the Scottish programme via Foundation Scotland: Groups must wait 12 months after submitting an end-of-year report before reapplying.

Main programme reapplication policy not specified in public information.

Application Success Factors

Grant Examples

The Trust funded a diverse range of causes in recent years:

Prior's Court Foundation: Received £100,000 (the largest grant awarded in the 2023/24 year) - a registered charity near Newbury, West Berkshire, providing education and residential care for autistic young people with complex needs aged 5-25
Multiple smaller grants: The vast majority at £20,000 or less across health, education, social welfare, and arts sectors

Key Success Factors

Registered Charity Status: Essential requirement - must be a registered UK charity
Community-Level Focus: Projects operating at grassroots community level appear favoured
Clear Charitable Purpose: Applications should clearly align with one or more of the Trust's priority areas (health, education, relief of need, arts/culture/heritage/science)
Realistic Funding Requests: Most successful grants are £20,000 or less
Supporting Documentation: Written applications should include relevant supporting materials
Core Costs Welcome: Unlike many funders, this Trust explicitly supports core and revenue costs (but not staff salaries)
Appropriate Scale: For Scottish programme, ensure grant represents at least 25% of total project costs

Application Tips

Keep requests modest and realistic (most grants are £20,000 or below)
Clearly demonstrate community-level impact
Provide comprehensive supporting documentation with written application
Be prepared for potential recurring funding relationships
For Scottish applicants, apply early as funding is allocated on rolling basis until annual budget exhausted

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Family Trust with Broad Interests: This is a well-established family charitable trust with wide-ranging interests across health, education, social welfare, and the arts - tailor your application to demonstrate alignment with their stated priorities
Small to Medium Grants Focus: Target requests at £20,000 or below for best chances; exceptional grants up to £100,000 are rare
Core Costs Supported: Unusually, this Trust will fund core and revenue costs, making it valuable for organizational sustainability - but note that staff salaries are explicitly excluded
Rolling Applications: No fixed deadlines - applications accepted year-round with monthly trustee meetings providing relatively quick turnaround potential
No Website, Traditional Process: Written applications only (except Scottish charities via Foundation Scotland) - prepare thorough documentation as this reflects a traditional, formal approach
Community Focus: Emphasize grassroots, community-level impact in applications
Long-Term Relationships Possible: Offering both one-off and recurring grants suggests potential for ongoing funding relationships with successful applicants