The Ala Green Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £602,053 (charitable activities expenditure, year ending January 2025)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Applications reviewed twice yearly (April and November meetings)
• Grant Range: Not specified (estimated £5,000 - £50,000 based on giving history)
• Geographic Focus: England & Wales, with UK-wide consideration
• Total Grants History: Over £1.5 million to almost 80 charities over 10 years

Contact Details

Website: www.alagreencharitabletrust.com

Email: alagreencharitabletrust@gmail.com

Phone: 1619346709

Postal Address: C/O Addleshaw Goddard, One St Peter's Square, Manchester M2 3DE

Overview

Founded in 2014, The ALA Green Charitable Trust is a UK-based grant-making charity with an impressive track record of distributing over £1.5 million to almost 80 different charities over its ten-year history. The trust focuses on two distinct but complementary areas: supporting disadvantaged children and young people through holidays and educational activities, and advancing conservation and environmental causes with particular emphasis on forestry education and careers. With recent annual charitable expenditure of approximately £602,000, the trust maintains a strategic approach to funding, meeting twice yearly to consider applications. No trustees receive remuneration, ensuring maximum funds reach beneficiaries. The trust is distinctive for its commitment to long-term partnerships and its hands-on approach, with trustees seeking to visit supported organizations to understand their operations and ongoing needs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single grant program with two primary funding streams reviewed at biannual trustee meetings. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with fixed submission deadlines.

Biannual Grant Program:

• Submission deadlines: 15 March (for April meeting) and 15 October (for November meeting)
• Application method: Flexible - via online form, letter, or email
• Grant amounts: Not publicly specified, but historical data suggests average grants of approximately £18,750-£19,000 per charity

Priority Areas

1. Children and Young People

• Holidays for underprivileged children
• Holidays for children and adults who are full-time carers
• Educational activities for children who are disabled or living in underprivileged areas
• Residential breaks and outdoor experiences for disadvantaged youth

2. Conservation and Environment

• Forestry-related projects and education
• Environmental conservation initiatives
• Career development and training in forestry and arboriculture sectors
• Programs promoting inclusion in environmental careers regardless of background, gender, religion, disability, or financial circumstances

What They Don't Fund

The trust does not explicitly list exclusions, but their focus is on charities and not-for-profit organizations across England & Wales (with broader UK consideration) within their two priority areas. Based on their mission, they likely do not fund:

• Individual applications (organizations only)
• Projects outside their two core areas
• General operating costs unrelated to direct beneficiary impact
• International projects outside the UK

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four trustees who meet twice yearly in April and November. Notably, no trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity, demonstrating their commitment to maximizing charitable impact.

The trust is professionally supported through Addleshaw Goddard, a major law firm in Manchester, which provides administrative support.

Governance Approach: The trustees take an active, engaged approach to grantmaking. According to the charity's information, “where possible, the trustees seek to visit the organisations they support to better understand their operations and potential needs” and actively “keep in touch with past beneficiaries.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The trust offers flexible application methods to accommodate different organizational preferences:

1. Online application form (available on website)
2. Letter or email to alagreencharitabletrust@gmail.com
3. Postal submission to Manchester address

Required Information:

• Overview of your organization's aims
• Amount requested
• Detailed explanation of how funds would be used
• Alignment with trust's priority areas

No fixed application format - trustees have prepared an application form to assist, but will consider requests detailed in letters or emails.

Decision Timeline

Meeting Schedule: Trustees meet twice annually

• April meeting: Submit by 15 March
• November meeting: Submit by 15 October

Decision timeframe: Approximately 1-2 months from submission deadline to trustee meeting and notification (estimate: 4-8 weeks)

Site visits: Trustees may conduct visits to organizations under consideration or to better understand ongoing partnerships

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, with approximately 80 charities funded over 10 years and £1.5 million distributed, the trust demonstrates selective but meaningful grantmaking, likely focusing on fewer, more substantial partnerships rather than numerous small grants.

Reapplication Policy

The trust does not publicly state restrictions on reapplication. Their emphasis on “keeping in touch with past beneficiaries” and establishing “long-term partnerships” (as demonstrated with the Royal Forestry Society) suggests they welcome ongoing relationships with successful applicants.

Application Success Factors

Long-Term Partnership Examples

Go Beyond (supported since 2017)

• Provides residential breaks for disadvantaged children at Daleside centre in Derbyshire
• Serves children who have been bereaved, abused, bullied, living in poverty, or caring for loved ones
• Impact: 81% of children think there are many things they can be proud of after a Go Beyond break
• With trust support, hundreds of children have benefited since 2017

Royal Forestry Society - Forestry Roots Programme (partnership since 2018)

• Provides paid traineeships for 18-30 year-olds in forestry careers
• Each trainee receives 20 days hands-on training (worth up to £2,000), Level 2 Forestry qualification
• Year-long paid placement including training, relocation expenses, and mentoring
• Impact: 85% of Forestry Roots trainees are now in permanent paid roles in the forestry sector
• 48 paid traineeships provided since 2018

Happy Days Children's Charity (supported for 4+ years)

• In the past 4 years with trust support, 2,365 children have experienced various activities

Key Success Indicators

1. Clear beneficiary impact: Successful projects demonstrate measurable outcomes for children or conservation
2. Alignment with core values: Emphasis on inclusion “regardless of background, gender, religion, disability or financial circumstances”
3. Long-term potential: The trust values ongoing relationships and sustainable impact
4. Direct service delivery: Focus on organizations directly providing experiences (holidays, training) rather than intermediary services
5. Professional organizational capacity: Ability to deliver quality programs and measure impact

Trust's Language and Values

The trust consistently emphasizes:

• “Inclusion regardless of background, gender, religion, disability or financial circumstances”
• “Breaks that last a lifetime” - focus on transformative experiences
• Hands-on, practical support over theoretical programs
• Career progression and opportunity creation
• Measurable outcomes and impact data

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Biannual deadlines are strict: Mark 15 March and 15 October in your calendar and submit well in advance of these dates to ensure consideration at the next trustee meeting.

1. Demonstrate measurable impact: The trust values concrete outcomes - include statistics like the 85% employment rate for Forestry Roots or the 81% confidence boost from Go Beyond breaks.

1. Emphasize inclusion and accessibility: Explicitly address how your project removes barriers related to background, gender, religion, disability, or financial circumstances - this is core to the trust's mission.

1. Think long-term partnership: The trust's most successful relationships span multiple years. Present your application as the beginning of a potential ongoing partnership, not just a one-off grant.

1. Be flexible with format: Don't overthink the application format - a well-written letter or email is acceptable. Focus on clarity and impact rather than elaborate proposals.

1. Expect engagement: Be prepared for potential trustee visits and ongoing relationship-building. The trust takes a hands-on approach to understanding their grantees.

1. Show transformative potential: Whether supporting children or careers in forestry, the trust seeks programs that create lasting change in beneficiaries' lives, not temporary relief.

References

• The ALA Green Charitable Trust official website: www.alagreencharitabletrust.com
• UK Charity Commission Register, Charity Number 1151195: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=1151195
• Charity Commission financial data for year ending 10 January 2025
• Royal Forestry Society - Forestry Roots programme information: https://rfs.org.uk/learning/forestry-roots/
• Royal Forestry Society news articles regarding ALA Green partnership and programme outcomes (2024-2025)
• Charity Choice directory listing: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-ala-green-charitable-trust-236425