The A B Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1000147

Annual Expenditure: £7.2M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: https://abcharitabletrust.org.uk

Phone: 020 7243 9486

Email: mail@abcharitabletrust.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £7,869,634 (2024/25)
  • Success Rate: ~33% (approximately one-third of eligible applicants receive funding)
  • Decision Time: ~12 weeks (approximately 3 months from deadline)
  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £30,000 per year
  • Geographic Focus: UK (England, Scotland, and Wales)

Contact Details

Address: c/o Woodsford 3rd Floor, 8 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3SR

Phone: 020 7243 9486

Email: mail@abcharitabletrust.org.uk

Website: https://abcharitabletrust.org.uk

Charity Number: 1000147

Pre-application enquiries are welcome by phone or email.

Overview

Founded in 1990, The A B Charitable Trust is an independent grant-making organisation that promotes human dignity and defends the human rights of marginalised and excluded people. With annual giving of approximately £7.9 million (2024/25), and planned giving of £9.4 million for 2025/26, the Trust has awarded over £38 million through 1,863 grants since 2013. The Trust operates three funding streams: an Open Programme (by application), Special Initiatives (by invitation), and an Anchor Programme (by invitation). The organisation supports charities with annual incomes between £150,000 and £1.5 million that work with communities experiencing poverty and racial injustice. The Trust is led by Philippe Bonavero as Chair, following Yves Bonavero's retirement in 2023 after 33 years of service. Alex joined as Director in 2025, bringing experience from Trust for London and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Open Programme: £10,000 - £30,000 per year

  • Duration: 1-3 years (75-100% of grants are multi-year)
  • Type: Primarily unrestricted funding
  • Application deadlines (2025/26):
  • 24 October 2025 (decisions January 2026)
  • 30 January 2026 (decisions April 2026)
  • 24 April 2026 (decisions July 2026)
  • 31 July 2026 (decisions October 2026)

Special Initiatives Programme: By invitation only

Anchor Programme: By invitation only

Priority Areas

The Trust takes a rights-based approach and supports work in four key areas:

  1. The Human Rights Framework - Upholding, enhancing and defending the human rights framework in the UK, holding government to account on human rights protections
  1. Access to Justice - Ensuring the UK has a fair and functioning justice system where everyone has access to high-quality legal advice to realise their rights
  1. Criminal Legal System and Penal Reform - Creating an equitable system that considers individual needs and potential, focuses on harm prevention, and prioritises holistic support and rehabilitation
  1. Migrants and Refugees - Supporting a fair immigration system where people who migrate to the UK, are refugees or seeking asylum are welcomed, treated with dignity, and supported to maximise their potential

Funded activities include: legal advice and representation, policy influencing, rehabilitation support, advocacy work, and services delivered by and for people with lived experience.

What They Don't Fund

  • Organisations with “promotion of religion” as a primary constitutional goal
  • Charities with annual income below £150,000 or above £1.5 million
  • Organisations with substantial investments or surpluses
  • Work outside the four priority areas
  • Organisations that cannot provide 3 years of financial documentation

Governance and Leadership

The A B Charitable Trust has a sole corporate trustee: ABCT Trustee Ltd (Company Number 12699206).

Board of Directors

Philippe Bonavero - Chair (appointed 2023)

Anne - Founder

“As one of the founders of the A B Charitable Trust, Anne has taken an active part in its work since inception, helping to guide its ethos and development over the years.”

Athol

Former Global Head of Corporate Responsibility for a large international financial services business. Brings expertise in corporate finance, strategic planning and corporate responsibility.

Juliet

Former Director of Prison Reform Trust for 16 years and former Secretary General of Penal Reform International. Currently Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and Visiting Professor at Birkbeck School of Law.

Olly

Financial services entrepreneur and investor.

Sophie

Involved in real estate investments, recently returned to UK after 25 years in France and The Netherlands.

TJ

Barrister (called 1994) with over 25 years' experience working with asylum seekers and refugees. Former Executive Director of Helen Bamber Foundation and Advisory Panel Member to UK's first Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

Staff Team

Alex - Director (joined 2025)

Previously Director of Grants at Trust for London and Head of Migration Programme at Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Ihsaan - Grants Manager

Hannah - Grants Coordinator

Havva - Administrative Support

The Trust states: “We believe in justice not charity” and operates from a rights-based perspective.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Download PDF guidance from website
  2. Check eligibility using online eligibility checker
  3. Complete online application form (separate forms for each priority area)
  4. Submit maximum 2 sides of A4 overview of organisation's work/proposal
  5. Provide 3 years of financial documentation

Applications undergo a multi-stage process:

  • Initial two-stage longlisting by ABCT team
  • Shortlisting meeting with two Board Members and ABCT Team
  • In-depth review including phone call or meeting with shortlisted applicants
  • Final decision by Grants Committee (meets quarterly)

Decision Timeline

  • Notification timeframe: Approximately 3 months after application deadline
  • All applicants receive a letter confirming the decision
  • Unsuccessful applicants receive broad reasons for rejection and can request a phone call for detailed feedback
  • Payments made monthly, towards end of each month, as close as possible to agreed grant start date

Success Rates

Approximately 33% of eligible applicants receive funding (only around one-third). The fund is highly competitive with high numbers of applications from organisations fitting the priorities.

Reapplication Policy

  • After unsuccessful application: Can reapply 12 months after application date
  • After successful grant: Can reapply towards the end of current grant period
  • Multiple grants: Partner organisations can only hold one Open Programme grant at a time

Application Success Factors

What the Trust Looks For

The Trust emphasizes they want to see organisations that:

  • Demonstrate effective work making a tangible difference
  • Listen to the people they support
  • Engage individuals with direct experience of the issues they address
  • Respect people's strengths and support individual agency

Funding Type Matters Less Than Fit

“Applying for a project rather than core costs will not improve your chances if your work fits within their priorities.” The Trust understands organisations need unrestricted funding and the majority of their Open Programme grants are unrestricted.

Decision Factors

Applications are considered based on:

  • Fit with Trust's priorities
  • Financial need of the organisation
  • Organisation size (preference for £150k-£1.5m income range)
  • Budget availability

Recent Grant Examples

  • Tower Hamlets Law Centre: £25,000 (year 1 of up to 3 years) for legal advice and representation in housing, immigration, welfare benefits and employment law
  • Commons Law CIC: £25,000 (year 2 of up to 3 years) for holistic defence for those who cannot afford legal advice
  • Nottingham Arimathea Trust: £22,000 for supported housing and wraparound support to refugees and people seeking asylum who are destitute
  • Safe Passage International: Funding for refugee and migrant support
  • Lewisham Refugee & Migrant Network: Funding for local refugee support services

Application Tips

  • Be specific about how your work aligns with one of the four priority areas
  • Demonstrate engagement with people with lived experience
  • Don't worry about choosing between project vs core funding - choose what fits your needs
  • Provide clear evidence of impact and effectiveness
  • Ensure your annual income falls within £150k-£1.5m range
  • Contact the team (020 7243 9486) if you have questions about eligibility
  • Multi-year applications are encouraged (the Trust aims to make 75-100% of grants multi-year)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Rights-based approach is critical: The Trust operates from “justice not charity” perspective - frame your work in human rights and dignity terms, not charity language
  • Lived experience matters: Strong emphasis on organisations that engage people with direct experience of the issues; co-production and participatory approaches strengthen applications
  • One-third success rate: Highly competitive with only ~33% success rate; ensure strong alignment with one of four priority areas before applying
  • Income sweet spot: Must be between £150k-£1.5m annual income; organisations outside this range are ineligible
  • Unrestricted funding available: Don't feel pressured to create a project; core costs are equally welcome and most grants are unrestricted
  • Relationship-building valued: Team welcomes pre-application enquiries and provides detailed feedback to unsuccessful applicants; building a relationship through initial contact can help clarify fit
  • Multi-year thinking: The Trust prefers longer-term partnerships (75-100% of grants are 1-3 years); demonstrate sustainability and longer-term impact
  • Plan ahead: With only four deadlines per year and 3-month decision timelines, factor in 4-6 months from application to funding

Similar Funders

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References