Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation

Charity Number: 1003024

Annual Expenditure: £3.1M

Geographic Focus: Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales

Stay updated on changes from Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

Founded: 1991
Annual Giving: ??3,089,336 (2023); ??1,875,370 (2022)
Grant Range: ??50,000 - ??150,000 per year (up to 3 years)
Geographic Focus: UK-based organizations (including those with international focus)
Target Organization Size: Annual income ??100,000 - ??3,000,000
Status: CLOSED TO APPLICATIONS (Strategic spend-down 2021-2028)

Contact Details

Website: www.polden-puckham.org.uk
Email: ppcf@polden-puckham.org.uk
Phone: 020 7193 7364
Trust Secretary: Christine Oliver

Overview

The Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation (PPCF) was established in 1991 from two older family trusts with Quaker roots, including capital from the Clarks Shoes business. The foundation's mission centers on creating “a just society based on a commitment to nonviolence and environmental sustainability.” In 2020, responding to the climate crisis urgency, trustees made the strategic decision to spend down their entire endowment over seven years (2021-2028), significantly increasing their annual grant-making to maximize impact during what they describe as “a critical decade for the climate.” This means they are now making fewer, larger grants???approximately 30 major grants have been awarded during the spend-down period. The foundation has transitioned from smaller grants (??3,000-??10,000) to substantial multi-year commitments of ??50,000-??150,000 annually. The foundation is no longer accepting new applications and is unlikely to issue future open calls, as the majority of resources have been allocated to existing grantees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strategic Spend-Down Grants (2021-2028)

Amount: ??50,000 - ??150,000 per year
Duration: Up to 3 years
Status: Applications closed
Focus: Represents 5-50% of recipient organization's annual income

Priority Areas

1. Peace and Sustainable Security

Addressing underlying causes of violent conflict
Conflict prevention and resolution strategies
Promoting human security
Non-violent approaches to peace-building

2. Environmental Sustainability

Climate change response
Environmental breakdown solutions
Particularly interested in the intersection of peace and environmental issues

Strategic Approaches (Three Core Pillars):

Radical Thinking and Solutions: Supporting creative and radical solutions at scale and pace
Supporting Movements: Backing movements that hold power to account
Transformational System Change: Supporting policy and system change at national/international levels

Organizational Characteristics They Seek:

UK-based charities and NGOs
Youth-led organizations
Groups with intersectional justice approaches
Small, pioneering headquarters organizations with bold vision
Projects with potential to influence UK national/international policy
Scalable and practical projects with broad impact
Strong values-based approach

What They Don't Fund

Explicit Exclusions:

Very large organizations
Grants to individuals
Academic research
Capital projects (buildings, equipment)
Community or local projects without policy influence potential
Youth training programs
Environmental conservation (without broader policy/system change focus)
International agencies
Human rights work (unless directly related to peace/sustainability agenda)

Ready to write a winning application for Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

Dr. Dorothy Battinson Ball (Chair, appointed 2016)
Jonathan Gillett (appointed 2013)
Cindy Forde (appointed 2021)
Angela Seay (appointed 2013)
Fiona Mairead Duggan (appointed 2021)
Simon Fisher (appointed 2016)
Stephen Pittam (appointed 2013)

Staff:

Christine Oliver, Trust Secretary (part-time, typically works Monday-Friday)

The trustees have extensive grant-making experience and serve voluntarily. The foundation's Quaker heritage influences their values, though trustee Bevis Gillett has noted other influences, including his brother David's environmental advocacy, which helped shape their progressive environmental agenda.

Trustee Philosophy:

Bevis Gillett articulated their distinctive approach: “So many grant-makers are preoccupied with measuring outcomes... We want applications that are dealing with critical issues.” The foundation values “edgy work” and “upstream thinking” that addresses root causes rather than focusing exclusively on measurable outputs.

Application Process and Timeline

Current Status

APPLICATIONS CLOSED: The foundation is not currently accepting applications and will likely not advertise any future open funding calls. They are midway through their strategic spend-down (2021-2028) and the majority of resources have been allocated.

Historical Application Process (For Reference)

How to Apply (When Open):

Online application via foundation website
Two funding rounds per year
Shortlisted applicants invited for interview with trustee panel

Decision Timeline (When Open):

Trustee meetings: Spring and Autumn
Application deadlines: February/March and August/September
Final stage: Interview with trustees

Reapplication Policy (When Open):

Not specified in available materials

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Applications Currently Closed: PPCF is no longer accepting applications as they complete their 2021-2028 spend-down strategy. The majority of their resources have been allocated to existing grantees.

Historical Approach Was High-Risk, High-Impact: When open, PPCF sought bold, radical proposals addressing root causes of social and environmental problems, not incremental improvements or traditional service delivery.

Policy Influence Was Essential: Successful applications demonstrated clear potential to influence national or international policy, making this a funder for advocacy and systems change work, not community-level projects.

Intersectionality Mattered: The foundation particularly valued work at the intersection of peace and environmental sustainability, and organizations with intersectional justice approaches.

Right-Sizing Was Strategic: Grants of ??50,000-??150,000 represented 5-50% of recipient budgets, targeting established but not large organizations where funding would be transformative.

Quaker Values Informed Approach: While not exclusively Quaker-focused, the foundation's commitment to nonviolence, social justice, and long-term thinking reflected its Quaker heritage.

Climate Urgency Drove Strategy: The spend-down decision reflected trustees' recognition that this is a “critical decade” requiring urgent, significant investment in transformative work.