The Alborada Trust

Charity Number: 1091660

Annual Expenditure: £10.0M
Geographic Focus: Throughout London

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £10 million (2023 expenditure)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 6 months (biannual trustee meetings)
  • Grant Range: £25,000 - £5,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: UK, Ireland, and International

Contact Details

Website: www.alboradatrust.com

Email: director@alboradatrust.com

Phone: 01638 750222

Chief Executive: Grant Harris (appointed January 2023)

Overview

The Alborada Trust was established in 2001 by philanthropist Kirsten Rausing and named after her homebred dual Champion Stakes heroine Alborada, rated the world champion three-year-old filly of 1998. The Trust has grown to become a significant grant-maker with expenditure of approximately £10 million in 2023. The Trust works primarily as a partner with leading national and international charities including ActionAid, Alzheimer's Research UK, The Brooke, and Médecins Sans Frontières. Recent major commitments include £10 million to the ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute at Cambridge for dementia research, representing the Trust's biggest ever commitment as a funder. The Trust maintains a small operational team with only two part-time employees and operates with a strategic focus on building long-term partnerships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust operates primarily through unsolicited applications and strategic partnerships rather than formal grant programmes, with two funding rounds per year:

  • Major Grants: £1 million - £5 million+ for strategic partnerships with established charities and research institutions
  • Standard Grants: £25,000 - £500,000 for project funding across priority areas
  • Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund: £1,000 - £20,000 for research collaborations between Cambridge University and African institutions (367 awards made to date)

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis but must be lodged before the end of March and/or November to make the biannual trustee meeting agendas in April and December.

Priority Areas (in order of importance)

  1. Veterinary Research: One Health and Zoonosis, virology, and the thoroughbred racehorse and its breeding
  2. Education: Emphasis on medical/veterinary matters and relief of poverty
  3. Medical Research: Particular emphasis on dementia and cancer
  4. Horse Welfare: Particularly in relation to working equines
  5. Humanitarian Aid: Refugee aid and disaster relief
  6. Conservation: Wildlife conservation

Substantial grants are made for education through Cambridge University (including £3 million+ for the ALBORADA Professorship) and for veterinary research. Smaller grants are made across a wider field.

What They Don't Fund

The Trust does not normally help:

  • Charities who receive substantial government aid
  • Pet welfare organisations
  • Arts and culture
  • Marriage guidance
  • Children's welfare charities (in the UK)
  • Zoos
  • Charities involved in political or media lobbying
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Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Grant Harris (appointed January 2023, previously Chief Executive of the British Racing School)

Trustee: Mark Johnston (racehorse trainer and qualified veterinarian, appointed to complement the trustees' skills matrix with racing and veterinary expertise)

Founder: Kirsten Rausing (Swedish businesswoman and philanthropist, granddaughter of Tetra Pak founder)

The Trust Director is quoted as saying: "At The ALBORADA Trust we believe in the power of medical research to deliver transformational change and we are delighted to have supported the groundbreaking work of Alzheimer's Research UK for over a decade."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  • Application forms are available through the Trust's website at www.alboradatrust.com
  • Applicants must be a charity registered in the UK with the Charity Commission
  • Unsolicited applications will not be acknowledged (the Trust has only two part-time employees)
  • Applications can be lodged at any time throughout the year

Decision Timeline

  • Trustees meet twice a year in April and December
  • Completed applications must be lodged before the end of March and/or November to make the agenda
  • Applications are first scrutinised by the Trust Director who selects twelve to go before the Trustees at each meeting
  • Decision time: Approximately 1-6 months depending on submission timing

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, with only twelve applications selected for trustee review at each biannual meeting (24 per year total), the process is highly competitive.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly stated. However, the Trust's emphasis on developing relationships over time suggests that unsuccessful first-time applicants may reapply with revised proposals.

Application Success Factors

The Trust evaluates applications based on three key criteria:

  1. NEED: Projects must demonstrate a clear and compelling need
  2. IMPACT: Projects must show potential for significant impact
  3. APPROPRIATENESS: Projects must be performed by the most appropriate people or organisation

Critical success factors include:

  • Start modest: “If applying to the ALBORADA Trust for the first time trustees prefer developing a relationship over a period of time and so initial applications have a better chance if they are for a modest sum”
  • Align with priorities: Carefully research the Trust's aims and consider how your work rates against their priority areas, particularly veterinary research (highest priority)
  • Strong track record: The Trust partners with “leading national and international charities,” suggesting established organisations with proven impact have an advantage
  • Multi-year vision: Major partnerships include multi-year commitments (e.g., £4.5 million to MSF, £4 million to Cambridge-Africa 2016-2026)

Examples of funded projects:

  • £10 million to ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute for dementia research
  • £4.5 million to Médecins Sans Frontières for refugee camps in Lebanon, South Sudan, and Bangladesh
  • £3 million+ for ALBORADA Professorship of Equine and Farm Animal Science at Cambridge
  • £2 million to Professor Robin Franklin for multiple sclerosis research
  • Support for The Brooke's work in the brick kiln industry in Pakistan
  • 367 Cambridge-Africa research collaboration awards

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Minimum threshold of £25,000 - do not apply for amounts below this level
  • Build relationships gradually - initial applications should request modest sums with potential for multi-year partnership development
  • Demonstrate the three criteria - clearly articulate NEED, IMPACT, and APPROPRIATENESS in your application
  • Veterinary research is top priority - applications in One Health, Zoonosis, and virology related to thoroughbreds have the strongest alignment
  • Plan for long decision cycles - with only two trustee meetings per year, allow 1-6 months for decisions
  • Competition is fierce - only 24 applications per year make it to trustee review from all submissions received
  • Established charities preferred - the Trust works as a “partner with leading national and international charities,” suggesting preference for organisations with proven track records

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