Staples Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £515,000 (approximate, based on recent expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not applicable - invitations only
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: £500 - £1,500,000 (with typical grants varying significantly)
• Geographic Focus: England & Wales, with international focus on indigenous peoples' rights, gender issues, and environmental projects; special program for Croatian students
• Total Grants Made: 111 grants totaling £3,350,505 (360Giving data through October 2025)

Contact Details

Address: The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, Allington House, 150 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5AE

Phone: 020 7410 0330

Email: info@sfct.org.uk

Website: www.sfct.org.uk/staples-trust

Frankopan Fund Email: frankopan@sfct.org.uk (for Croatian student scholarships only)

Overview

The Staples Trust was founded in 1992 by Jessica Sainsbury and is named after Mary Ann Staples, wife of John James Sainsbury (founder of the first Sainsbury's store in 1869). As one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, the Trust has adopted a proactive approach to grant-making, with applications for funding generally invited by the Trustees or initiated at their request. Since its inception, the Trust has been particularly focused on helping organizations at a critically early stage in development. The Trust operates with three trustees and no employees, with total income of approximately £415,347 and expenditure of approximately £514,918 (2022). Between 2016 and 2025, the Trust made 111 grants totaling £3,350,505 to 61 recipient organizations. The Trust also administers the Frankopan Fund, established in 1998, which has awarded 448 grants totaling £741,619 to Croatian students pursuing postgraduate studies.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Grant Programme (Invitation Only)

• Grant Range: £500 - £1,500,000
• Application Method: Trustees initiate proposals or invite applications
• Rolling basis for invited applications
• Unsolicited applications are unlikely to be successful

Frankopan Fund (Open Application)

• Scholarships: up to £2,000 per student, per annum
• Awards: £500 per student, per annum
• Annual allocation: £20,000 distributed to approximately 20-25 students
• Application Window: Opens in January, closes in February each year
• For Croatian students pursuing postgraduate courses in the UK and internationally

Priority Areas

The Trust focuses on four main areas:

1. Environment: Supporting environmental conservation and sustainability projects
2. Gender: Gender issues including domestic violence, women's rights, and gender studies (notably funded the Frankopan Director of Gender Studies at Cambridge in 2008)
3. Indigenous Peoples: Overseas projects supporting the rights of indigenous people, including cultural preservation initiatives
4. Inequality: Charities defending human rights, civil liberties, and addressing systemic inequalities

The Trust also supports “a small number of projects which fall outside these areas” and occasionally responds to international emergency appeals.

Preferred Project Characteristics:

• Organizations at a critically early stage in development
• Projects that can be successfully replicated
• Projects that can become self-sustaining

What They Don't Fund

• Unsolicited applications (except for the Frankopan Fund)
• Generally does not make grants to individuals (except through the Frankopan Fund)
• Organizations not aligned with their four core priority areas

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Jessica Mary Sainsbury (Chair) - Appointed 1992

• Occupation: Hotelier
• Founder of the Trust
• Has been proactive in helping organizations at a critically early stage in development and supported projects in areas such as environment, gender, indigenous peoples and inequality

Professor Peter Frankopan - Appointed 1997

• Specialist in the history of the Byzantine Empire
• Author and academic at Cambridge University
• Actively involved with several charities, mainly in the areas of education, international development, gender studies and classical music
• The Frankopan Fund is named in honor of Jessica and Peter Frankopan

Timothy James Sainsbury - Appointed 1994

Governance Structure

• No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity
• No trading subsidiaries
• No employees (operates through the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts infrastructure)

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply - Main Programme

Important: The Staples Trust operates on an invitation-only basis for its main grant programme. Applications for funding are generally invited by the Trustees or initiated at their request. Unsolicited applications are unlikely to be successful.

Approach for Potential Applicants:

• Grants are discretionary but solicitation of applications may be encouraged by maintaining a high profile
• Many of the Trustees of Sainsbury Family Trusts are active in the sectors they support financially
• Solicitation of organizations will take place only if their activities are noticed by, and capture the attention of, Trustees
• Organizations should focus on visibility within the environment, gender, indigenous peoples, and inequality sectors

How to Apply - Frankopan Fund

Application Method: Email submission to frankopan@sfct.org.uk

Required Materials:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Personal statement (one page maximum)
• Letter confirming acceptance to institution with course commencement date
• Course outline and objectives
• Complete financial breakdown (fees, accommodation, living expenses)
• Details of other funding sources secured
• Personal reference from non-family member (one page)
• Professional reference (one page)

Returning Applicants need only provide:

• Progress updates
• Transcripts
• Current funding details
• Notification of any changes in circumstances

Application Timeline:

• Opens: January
• Closes: Mid-February
• Grant round is annual

Eligibility Criteria:

• Croatian students pursuing higher education
• Priority given to postgraduate students (undergraduates unlikely to receive awards)
• Must have secured funding from other sources
• Commitment to enhancing Croatia's international reputation
• Developing skills valuable to Croatia's development

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed for the main grant programme. For the Frankopan Fund, decisions are typically made following the February application deadline, with awards distributed for the academic year.

Success Rates

Success rates are not applicable for the main programme as it operates on an invitation-only basis. The Frankopan Fund receives an undisclosed number of applications and awards grants to approximately 20-25 students annually.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policy is not publicly stated. However, the structure of the Frankopan Fund explicitly accommodates returning applicants with a simplified application process, suggesting successful students can reapply annually. For the main programme, given the invitation-only model, traditional reapplication does not apply.

Application Success Factors

For the Main Grant Programme (Invitation-Only)

Key Success Factors:

1. Be Visible in Your Sector: The trustees actively work in the sectors they fund. Organizations that are noticed and capture trustee attention are more likely to be invited to apply.

1. Early-Stage Development: The Trust has a particular interest in organizations at a critically early stage in development. If you're a new or emerging organization with innovative approaches, you fit the Trust's preferences.

1. Sustainability and Scalability: Projects that can be successfully replicated or become self-sustaining are strongly preferred. Demonstrate clear pathways to sustainability in your work.

1. Alignment with Core Areas: Ensure your work clearly aligns with one or more of the four priority areas: Environment, Gender, Indigenous Peoples, or Inequality.

1. Network Connections: Given the proactive approach, having connections to other Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts grantees or organizations in similar sectors may increase visibility.

Examples of Funded Projects

Indigenous Peoples Projects:

• Pan African Living Cultures Alliance (PALCA) gathering of community filmmakers and elders from Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya representing Maasai, Ogiek, Sengwer, El Molo, Hadzabe, Parakuyo, Amapondo and Nama communities (2024)
• Pitt Rivers Museum's Living Cultures Programme working with Maasai representatives from Kenya and Tanzania to research Maasai objects

Gender Studies:

• Major benefaction in 2008 to fund the Frankopan Director of Gender Studies at Cambridge University Centre for Gender Studies, securing the first permanent post of its kind at Cambridge

For the Frankopan Fund

Key Success Factors:

1. Secure Other Funding First: The Fund prioritizes students who have already secured funding from other sources, suggesting it views itself as complementary support rather than primary funding.

1. Demonstrate Commitment to Croatia: Clear articulation of how your studies will enhance Croatia's intellectual capacity and international reputation is essential.

1. Postgraduate Focus: Undergraduates are unlikely to receive awards; focus on postgraduate study applications.

1. Complete Financial Planning: Provide a thorough financial breakdown demonstrating you've thought through all costs and funding sources.

1. Strong References: Both personal and professional references are required, suggesting relationship endorsements matter.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Invitation-Only Model: Do not waste time preparing unsolicited applications for the main programme. Instead, focus on raising your organization's profile in the environment, gender, indigenous peoples, or inequality sectors where trustees are active.

1. Early-Stage Organizations: If your organization is at a critically early stage of development, you match the Trust's sweet spot. Emphasize your innovative approach and growth potential.

1. Sustainability is Critical: Whether through replication or self-sustaining models, demonstrate how your project will have lasting impact beyond the grant period.

1. Wide Grant Range: With grants ranging from £500 to £1,500,000, the Trust is capable of supporting projects at vastly different scales. The size of your need is less important than the strength of your alignment with priorities.

1. Frankopan Fund is Accessible: If you're working with Croatian students or are Croatian yourself pursuing postgraduate studies, this is one of the few open-application routes into this Trust's funding.

1. Research the Trust's History: Review the 360Giving data at grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1010656 to see specific organizations funded and grant amounts to understand patterns in their giving.

1. Long-Term Funding Relationships: The Trust's proactive model suggests they develop longer-term relationships with grantees rather than one-off transactions. Focus on building relationships if invited to engage.

References

1. The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts - Staples Trust. “Staples Trust.”. https://www.sfct.org.uk/staples-trust/

1. The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts - Frankopan Fund. “Frankopan Fund.”. https://www.sfct.org.uk/staples-trust/frankopan-fund/

1. Charity Commission for England and Wales. “STAPLES TRUST - Charity Number 1010656.” Register of Charities.. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1010656&subid=0

1. 360Giving GrantNav. “Staples Trust (GB-CHC-1010656).”. https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1010656

1. The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. “Grantmaking activity.”. https://www.sfct.org.uk/grantmaking-activity/

1. Edge Fund. “Staples Trust.”. https://www.edgefund.org.uk/staples_trust

1. University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies. “Jessica and Peter Frankopan.”. https://www.gender.cam.ac.uk/about/frankopan

1. University of Cambridge. “Outstanding Gift for a Director of Gender Studies.” News article.. https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/outstanding-gift-for-a-director-of-gender-studies

1. Charity Commission Trustees Register. “Trustees, STAPLES TRUST - 1010656.”. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1010656/trustees

1. Giving is Great. “STAPLES TRUST | Charity Factsheet.”. https://givingisgreat.org.uk/charity-factsheet/?regNo=1010656