Panju Jessa Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £156,540 (2024)
• Success Rate: N/A (no public application process)
• Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: UK and overseas

Contact Details

Address: 35 Stratford Road, Watford WD17 4YN

Phone: 07549997794

Website: None

Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Panju Jessa Charitable Trust is a private family charitable trust established in 1992 and registered with the Charity Commission (number 1008369). The trust operates under the discretion of four family trustees who make grants to both organizations and individuals across a range of charitable purposes. With annual charitable expenditure of £156,540 in 2024 and substantial income of over £1 million (primarily from donations and legacies), the trust has demonstrated consistent commitment to charitable giving over three decades.

The trust's stated purpose is “to assist such charitable institutions and to further such charitable purposes as the trustees from time to time think fit,” providing flexibility for the trustees to support diverse causes. The charity describes its activities as providing “support for individuals and organisations ranging from paying fees of Students to helping other charities.” As a private family trust, all grant decisions are made at the trustees' discretion without a formal application process, with grants awarded based on causes and organizations known to or identified by the trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Discretionary Grants: Variable amounts - awarded to both organizations and individuals
• No fixed deadlines or rolling application process
• Grants made at trustees' discretion throughout the year

Priority Areas

Based on Charity Commission records, the trust supports:

• Education and Training (including paying student fees)
• Poverty Relief
• Overseas Aid and Development
• Religious Activities
• General Charitable Institutions

What They Don't Fund

As a private trust operating at trustee discretion, there are no publicly stated exclusions. However, the trust:

• Does not accept unsolicited applications
• Does not have open grant rounds or public funding programs
• Operates within the trustees' own charitable interests and connections

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four family trustees, all members of the Jessa family:

Current Trustees:

• Nazir Panju Jessa - Founding trustee
• Raza Jessa - Appointed 7 October 2017
• Mahmood Jessa - Appointed 12 November 2021
• Shiraz Jessa - Appointed 12 November 2021

The trust has no paid employees, with the four trustees also listed as volunteers. No trustees receive remuneration for their service. The governance structure reflects a traditional family trust model where charitable decisions are made collectively by family members who share the founding vision of the trust.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Panju Jessa Charitable Trust is a private family charitable trust that makes grants at the discretion of its trustees. Grants are awarded to organizations and individuals known to or identified by the trustees.

The trust does not:

• Accept unsolicited applications
• Operate an online application portal
• Have fixed application deadlines or grant rounds
• Provide application forms or guidelines

All charitable giving decisions are made by the four family trustees based on their own research, connections, and charitable priorities. Organizations and individuals are typically supported through pre-existing relationships with the trustees or causes aligned with the trustees' charitable interests.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustee discretion throughout the year without a formal decision timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

As this trust operates without a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. The trust makes discretionary grants based on trustee decisions and pre-existing relationships or causes identified by the trustees themselves.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a private family trust that does not accept unsolicited applications
• All funding decisions are made at trustee discretion with no public application process
• The trust has significant grant-making capacity (£156,540 annually) but deploys this entirely at trustee discretion
• Education (particularly student fees) appears to be a priority area based on stated activities
• The trust supports both individuals and organizations across diverse charitable purposes
• Organizations seeking funding should not spend time attempting to apply to this trust as there is no mechanism to do so

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE J AND H ORLANDER TRUST
• The Doouss Charitable Trust
• THE ZOOM ZOOM TRUST
• MOLE CHARITABLE TRUST
• The B G S Cayzer Charitable Trust
• The St James's Trust Settlement
• THE HAWERBY TRUST
• THE EDENBEG CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Moorview Charitable Trust
• THE PORTRACK CHARITABLE TRUST

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities - PANJU JESSA CHARITABLE TRUST (Charity Number 1008369). Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1008369 [Accessed: January 2026]
• Charity Commission Financial Data - Financial Year Ending 30 June 2024, PANJU JESSA CHARITABLE TRUST (Charity Number 1008369) [Accessed: January 2026]