Saint Sarkis Charity Trust

Charity Number: 215352

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M
Geographic Focus: Armenia, Israel, Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £186,216 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: £500 - not specified (includes fixed annual payments and discretionary grants)
  • Geographic Focus: England, Wales, Armenia, Israel (primary focus on Armenian community worldwide)

Contact Details

Address: 50 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PB

Phone: 020 7012 1400

Email: info@saintsarkis.org.uk

Website: www.saintsarkis.org.uk

Overview

The Saint Sarkis Charity Trust was founded in 1954 by Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, the renowned Ottoman-born Armenian oil magnate, and became a UK-registered charity in 1963. With total income of £247,676 and annual giving of approximately £186,216 (2024), the Trust maintains its original mission of supporting the Armenian Church of Saint Sarkis in London and the Gulbenkian Library at the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. The Trust has expanded its grant-making to include other charities serving the Armenian community in the UK and abroad, and maintains a limited partnership with Barrow Cadbury Trust to support prisoner welfare initiatives. Calouste Gulbenkian built St Sarkis Church in Kensington (1922-1923) as a memorial to his parents and to provide “spiritual comfort” to the Armenian diaspora, and his ashes were later buried there.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Fixed Annual Commitments:

  • Church of St Sarkis: £2,000 annually for running costs and capital works
  • Gulbenkian Library (Armenian Patriarchate, Jerusalem): £500 annually for maintenance

Discretionary Grant Streams:

  • Armenian Community Support: £156,216 awarded in 2024 (down from £190,560 in 2023) for charitable objectives connected with Armenia or Armenians
  • Prisoner Welfare Partnership: £30,000 annually through Barrow Cadbury Trust collaboration for UK charities developing innovative projects to support prisoners and their families

Application Methods: The Trust does not publicize a formal application process for Armenian community grants. Prisoner welfare grants are managed through the Barrow Cadbury Trust partnership and the Trust does not accept unsolicited proposals for this priority.

Priority Areas

  • Support for Armenian Apostolic Church institutions and infrastructure
  • Armenian cultural preservation and heritage projects
  • Charities serving Armenian communities in the UK and internationally
  • Limited support for innovative UK prisoner welfare initiatives (through partnership only)

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited proposals for prisoner welfare projects (this priority is managed exclusively through the Barrow Cadbury Trust partnership)
  • Projects unrelated to Armenian community or the Trust's specific partnership commitments
  • Individual applications (the Trust only funds registered charities)
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Governance and Leadership

The Trust is governed by four trustees who serve without remuneration:

  • Martin Sarkis Essayan - Chair
  • Alec D'Janoeff - Trustee
  • Rita Alice Vartoukian - Trustee
  • Teni Shahiean - Trustee

The Trust operates with a strong connection to its founder's legacy, maintaining Calouste Gulbenkian's vision of supporting the Armenian diaspora while preserving the institutions he personally established.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Saint Sarkis Charity Trust does not have a public application process.

The Trust operates primarily through:

  • Fixed commitments to the Church of St Sarkis and Gulbenkian Library as specified in the Trust deed
  • Trustee discretion for Armenian community grants, which appear to be identified through the trustees' knowledge of the Armenian community and sector
  • Partnership arrangement with Barrow Cadbury Trust for prisoner welfare grants (managed entirely by Barrow Cadbury)

For Armenian community organizations: While there is no formal application portal, interested charities may contact the Trust directly at info@saintsarkis.org.uk to introduce their work, though success likely depends on alignment with the trustees' priorities and existing relationships within the Armenian community.

For prisoner welfare projects: Applications must be directed to Barrow Cadbury Trust, not to Saint Sarkis Charity Trust directly.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As the Trust operates on trustee discretion rather than fixed deadlines, decision timelines are likely variable and dependent on trustee meeting schedules.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The Trust does not publish information about the number of applications received versus grants awarded.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the Trust's focus and structure, the following factors are likely to be important:

For Armenian Community Projects:

  • Direct relevance to Armenian heritage, culture, or community welfare
  • Geographic connection to areas the Trust supports (UK, Armenia, or Jerusalem)
  • Alignment with the Trust's historical mission of supporting the Armenian diaspora
  • Established track record as a registered charity
  • Connection to or awareness within the Armenian community in the UK

Trust Priorities Based on Grant History:

  • The Trust maintains its core commitments to the Church of St Sarkis and Gulbenkian Library as specified in its founding documents
  • Additional Armenian grants totaling over £150,000 annually suggest significant discretionary grant-making capacity for Armenian causes
  • The fixed £30,000 prisoner welfare commitment indicates this is a stable but limited priority managed through partnership

Strategic Considerations:

  • The Trust's grant-making appears relationship-based rather than competitive application-based
  • Being known within the Armenian community in London may be advantageous
  • The trustees' discretion plays a central role in grant decisions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this Trust operates primarily through trustee discretion and fixed commitments
  • Armenian focus is paramount - with over 80% of discretionary grants going to Armenian causes, this is clearly the Trust's primary mission
  • Relationship-based grant-making - grants appear to be identified through trustees' knowledge of the sector rather than competitive application
  • Contact for introductory dialogue - while unsolicited proposals are not welcomed for prisoner welfare, Armenian community organizations may benefit from introducing their work via email
  • Historic foundation informs priorities - understanding Calouste Gulbenkian's legacy and vision for supporting the Armenian diaspora provides context for the Trust's approach
  • Modest but consistent - with approximately £186,000 in annual grants, this is a small to medium-sized trust with focused priorities
  • Partnership model for non-Armenian work - the Barrow Cadbury collaboration demonstrates the Trust's approach to supporting causes outside its primary mission through partnership rather than direct grant-making

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