The Ballinger Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1121739

Annual Expenditure: £3.7M
Durham, Northumberland, Middlesbrough, Redcar And Cleveland, Darlington, Gateshead ... [4 more]

Contact Info

Website: www.ballingercharitabletrust.org.uk

Phone: 07578 197 886

Email: info@ballingercharitabletrust.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Approximately £2.8 million (based on 673 grants totaling £18.9M since 2015)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Quarterly trustee meetings (approximately 3 months)
  • Grant Range: £210 - £540,000 (typical grants £10,000 - £20,000 over 2-3 years)
  • Geographic Focus: North-East England (Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Sunderland)

Contact Details

Website: www.ballingercharitabletrust.org.uk

Email: info@ballingercharitabletrust.org.uk

Phone: 07578 197 886

Coordinator: Joanne Thomas

Office Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm (Monday to Wednesday)

Address: P O Box 166, Ponteland, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE20 2BL

Overview

The Ballinger Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 and supports charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), and community groups across North-East England. Since 2015, the Trust has awarded 673 grants totaling £18.9 million, making it a significant regional funder. The Trust operates with a distinctive philosophy that positions grant applicants as “the experts,” allowing organizations to determine their own funding priorities. They prefer to provide unrestricted or core funding where possible, recognizing that organizations best understand their own needs. The Trust has received significant funding itself, including £800,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund and £110,000 from Lankelly Chase Foundation, which supports their grant-making capacity. They publish their grant data according to the 360Giving Data Standard, demonstrating commitment to transparency.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Grants Programme: £10,000 - £20,000 (typical range)

  • Multi-year grants (typically 2-3 years)
  • Two types available: Unrestricted/Core Grant and Project/Capital Grant
  • Can cover revenue, core, project, and capital costs
  • Online application process
  • Rolling basis with quarterly trustee decisions

Microgrants Programme: Up to £1,000

  • For smaller project costs
  • Eligible groups shortlisted and invited to pitch
  • Expression of Interest form rather than full application

Priority Areas

Children and Young People (ages 0-19, or up to 25 for SEN):

  • Organizations based in disadvantaged communities
  • Community-based groups with open access
  • General activities supporting health, development, and well-being
  • Organizations building long-term relationships with young people
  • Note: In practice, they lean away from narrow programmes focused specifically on arts or sport, and very rarely support uniformed groups or school-based projects

Older People (over 55):

  • Local community groups in disadvantaged areas, including rural or coastal isolation
  • Dementia support and advice services
  • Support for family carers
  • Activities promoting independence, socialization, exercise, and learning

Organizational Characteristics They Value:

  • Based in the heart of the community they serve
  • Real understanding of local people's needs
  • Focused on developing long-term relationships within their community
  • CICs with credible enterprise models

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside North-East England
  • Uniformed groups (rarely supported)
  • School-based projects (rarely supported)
  • Narrow programmes with specific focus on arts or sport alone
  • Projects not serving their two core beneficiary groups (young people or older people)

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Andrew Ballinger - Trustee
  • Diana Ballinger - Trustee
  • John Flynn - Trustee (also associated with LGA Foundation)
  • Nicola Crowther - Trustee

Staff

  • Joanne Thomas - Coordinator

Trustees meet quarterly to make funding decisions. The Trust emphasizes their philosophy that applicants are the experts in their field, stating: “They do not have any hard and fast rules about use of grants (other than exclusively charitable purposes). They consider applicants, the people working in the VCS sector, the experts. Their role is to use their available resources to support organisations as best they can.”

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Main Grants:

  • Online application available through their website
  • Applicants receive a copy of their application via email
  • Eligibility can be checked on the website before applying
  • Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Microgrants:

  • No standard application form
  • Expression of Interest form submission
  • Eligible groups shortlisted and invited to pitch at virtual events

Decision Timeline

  • Trustees meet quarterly (four times per year)
  • Typical timeline: approximately 3 months from submission to decision
  • Applicants notified of decisions after trustee meetings

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, the Trust has made 673 grants since 2015, indicating consistent grant-making activity.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly available. Contact the Trust directly for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

The Trust's Approach

The Ballinger Charitable Trust takes a uniquely flexible and trust-based approach to funding:

  • They trust applicants as experts: “They consider applicants, the people working in the VCS sector, the experts. Their role is to use their available resources to support organisations as best they can.”
  • They rely on you to define priorities: “They rely on applicants to tell them their priorities for grant funding; be it multi-year, core or unrestricted funding, or to support weekly activities for older people.”
  • Minimal restrictions: “They do not have any hard and fast rules about use of grants (other than exclusively charitable purposes).”
  • Prefer unrestricted funding: “They like to give unrestricted funding as it is easier to administrate for all, but understand restricted funding is a preference on occasion.”

What They're Looking For

  1. Community embeddedness: Organizations “based in the heart of the community they serve”
  2. Local knowledge: “Real understanding of the needs of their local people”
  3. Long-term commitment: “Focused on developing long-term relationships within their community”
  4. Disadvantaged areas: Priority given to groups in more disadvantaged areas, including rural or coastal isolation
  5. Open access: Particularly for youth work, they value general activities with open access rather than narrow programmes

Example Funded Projects

  • Gateshead Older People's Assembly: Focuses on supporting the independence of older people by offering opportunities to socialise, exercise and learn

Standing Out in Your Application

  • Be clear about your organization's community roots and local knowledge
  • Demonstrate long-term relationships with beneficiaries
  • Explain how you understand local needs
  • Don't be afraid to request unrestricted or core funding
  • Be honest about your priorities - the Trust wants you to define what you need
  • Show you work in disadvantaged communities or with isolated populations
  • For youth work, emphasize general activities and open access rather than narrow specialist programmes

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Request what you actually need: The Trust explicitly invites applicants to define their own priorities, whether that's multi-year, core, or unrestricted funding. Don't second-guess what they want - tell them what you need.
  1. Emphasize community embeddedness: Being “in the heart of the community you serve” is critical. Demonstrate local knowledge, long-term relationships, and understanding of local needs.
  1. Target disadvantaged areas: Priority is given to organizations in more disadvantaged areas, including rural or coastal isolation. Highlight if this applies to you.
  1. Think bigger than projects: While project grants are available, the Trust prefers unrestricted/core funding. Don't be shy about requesting organizational support.
  1. Plan for quarterly cycles: With trustees meeting four times per year, build in approximately 3 months for decision-making when planning your cash flow.
  1. Be specific about your beneficiary group: Focus clearly on either children/young people (0-25) or older people (over 55) - these are the two core funding streams.
  1. Consider multi-year requests: Typical grants are over 2-3 years, so think about longer-term funding relationships rather than one-off projects.

Similar Funders

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References