The Brown Source Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £91,940 (FY 2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (trustee-directed giving)
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales (with capacity to fund internationally)
• Application Method: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: c/o Ludlow Trust Co Ltd, Tower Wharf, Cheese Lane, Bristol BS2 0JJ

Phone: 0117 313 8200

Email: charitabletrusts@ludlowtrust.com

Website: http://www.brownsourcetrust.org.uk

Overview

The Brown Source Trust is a family trust established in 2016 (registered charity number 1165158) with a distinctive approach to philanthropic giving. With annual expenditure of approximately £92,000, the trust operates through trustee discretion rather than open applications. Administered by Ludlow Trust Company Ltd in Bristol, the trust explicitly positions itself as “open-minded,” deliberately avoiding narrow focus areas in favor of supporting a wide range of social, humanitarian, and environmental causes. The trust's philosophy centers on “right-sizing” support - targeting smaller organizations or specific projects within larger organizations where their funding can make the most significant difference. Notably, they favor multi-year, unrestricted funding arrangements, aligning with trust-based philanthropy principles that prioritize organizational sustainability and flexibility over restricted project funding.

Funding Priorities

Grant-Making Approach

The Brown Source Trust operates without formal grant programs or funding rounds. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the seven family trustees. The trust does not accept unsolicited applications.

Confirmed Recipients (from their website):

• Care
• Christ's College
• Rainforest Concern
• Ebony Horse Club
• Kensington Chelsea Foundation
• Kindred Studios
• Plan International
• Dress for Success
• Refugee Support Network
• Safe
• Save the Children
• Snowdrop
• Tujatane
• Venture Centre

Priority Areas

The trust deliberately maintains broad charitable interests across:

• Social causes: Including women's empowerment, refugee support, and community development
• Humanitarian efforts: International development and relief organizations
• Environmental initiatives: Conservation and environmental protection
• Education: Educational institutions and programs
• Health and welfare: Organizations advancing health or saving lives
• Poverty relief: Programs addressing economic disadvantage

The trust emphasizes it is “open-minded” and does not restrict itself to a narrow selection of issues, preferring flexibility to respond to diverse charitable needs.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the trust:

• Does not accept unsolicited applications from any organization
• Does not operate through public funding rounds or deadlines
• Does not appear to fund individuals (focus is on organizations)

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The Brown Source Trust is governed by seven trustees, all members of the Brown family:

• Alan John Brown - Chair (appointed 21 December 2015)
• Harry William Brown - Trustee (appointed 21 December 2015)
• Hannah Louise Brown - Trustee (appointed 21 December 2015)
• Nicola Susan Brown - Trustee (appointed 21 December 2015)
• Chloe Joanna Noble - Trustee (appointed 21 December 2015)
• Jack Robert Brown - Trustee (appointed 12 September 2017)
• One additional trustee (7 total)

Alan John Brown serves as Chair and holds trusteeships with multiple other charitable trusts, bringing experience in charitable governance.

Administration

The trust is professionally administered by Ludlow Trust Company Ltd, a specialist trust administration firm based in Bristol. Ludlow Trust was established in 2020 and manages over 5,000 trusts, with particular expertise in charitable trust administration and venture philanthropy. The company acquired trust businesses from major UK banks including NatWest, RBS, Coutts & Co, and HSBC, bringing extensive experience to the management of charitable giving.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Brown Source Trust does not have a public application process. According to the Charity Commission register, “Trustees do not accept any unsolicited applications.”

All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees. The trust identifies organizations and projects to support through its own research, networks, and the knowledge of its seven family trustees. Organizations cannot apply directly for funding.

This is a common structure for family trusts where:

• Grant-making decisions are made by the family trustees
• Recipients are identified through the trustees' connections and research
• Funding reflects the personal philanthropic interests of the family
• The trust maintains control over its giving strategy

Getting on Their Radar

While there is no public application process, understanding the trust's funding patterns may be valuable:

Organizations they have supported span diverse sectors including international development (Care, Plan International, Save the Children), environmental conservation (Rainforest Concern), community organizations (Ebony Horse Club, Kensington Chelsea Foundation), social enterprise (Kindred Studios, Venture Centre), and women's empowerment (Dress for Success).

Their stated preferences include:

• Smaller organizations where funding can make a significant difference
• Specific, well-defined projects within larger organizations
• Organizations open to multi-year, unrestricted funding arrangements
• Causes across social, humanitarian, and environmental sectors

Given the trust is administered by Ludlow Trust Company, which provides venture philanthropy services and manages numerous charitable trusts, the trustees likely have access to extensive sector intelligence and philanthropic networks through this relationship.

Note: Organizations should not send unsolicited proposals or applications to the trust, as these are not accepted. The trust operates on a proactive identification model rather than a responsive grant-making model.

Application Success Factors

As The Brown Source Trust does not accept applications, traditional “success factors” do not apply. However, understanding their funding philosophy provides insight into the types of organizations and projects that align with their interests:

Alignment with Trust Values

“Right-sizing” philosophy: The trust explicitly aims to fund organizations where they can make a big difference. This suggests they look for situations where their funding (approximately £90,000 annually) represents meaningful support rather than a small drop in a large budget.

Preference for smaller organizations: The trust states they “generally fund smaller organisations” where their support can have proportionally greater impact.

Multi-year, unrestricted funding: The trust indicates “the majority of our donations are multi-year and unrestricted funds.” This signals they value:

• Organizational sustainability over project-specific outcomes
• Trust-based relationships with grantees
• Flexibility for organizations to deploy funds where most needed
• Long-term partnerships rather than one-off grants

Diverse Portfolio

The trust's funded organizations range from major international charities (Save the Children, Care, Plan International) to smaller community organizations (Ebony Horse Club) and social enterprises (Kindred Studios, Venture Centre). This demonstrates genuine openness across:

• Organization size and scale
• Geographic focus (local, national, international)
• Sector (education, environment, social welfare, international development)
• Operating model (direct service, advocacy, capacity building)

Open-minded approach

The trust describes itself as “open minded” and deliberately chose “not to restrict itself to a narrow selection of issues.” This suggests the trustees value:

• Innovation and new approaches
• Diverse causes rather than single-issue focus
• Flexibility to respond to emerging needs
• Organizations working across different sectors

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

While you cannot apply to The Brown Source Trust, understanding their approach provides valuable context:

• No unsolicited applications accepted - Do not send proposals or letters of inquiry to this trust
• Family-directed giving - All decisions made by seven family trustees based on their interests and research
• Favor smaller organizations - They explicitly seek situations where their funding makes a substantial difference
• Multi-year, unrestricted preferred - They value trust-based relationships and organizational flexibility over restricted project grants
• Broad charitable interests - They fund across social, humanitarian, and environmental causes without narrow restrictions
• Quality over quantity - With expenditure around £92,000 annually supporting multiple organizations, individual grants are likely modest but meaningful
• Professionally administered - Ludlow Trust Company provides expert administration, suggesting well-managed and strategic giving

For researchers and fundraisers: This trust exemplifies a private family foundation that operates proactively rather than responsively. Similar trusts often identify potential recipients through sector networks, personal connections, board relationships, and professional intelligence from their administrators. Organizations working in their areas of interest should focus on visibility within the sector, strong impact reporting, and building reputation rather than direct approaches to closed trusts.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Doouss Charitable Trust
• The Musk-Burton Family Trust
• Henry and Rebecca Tinsley Charitable Trust
• FB Coales No 4 (Family) Trust
• Toby and Regina Wyles Charitable Trust
• E B M Charitable Trust
• INVESTREAM CHARITABLE TRUST
• The M J Samuel Charitable Trust
• The Scotshill Trust
• The Hale Family Charitable Trust

References

1. The Brown Source Trust website - About page

http://www.brownsourcetrust.org.uk/about/

1. Charity Commission for England and Wales - The Brown Source Trust (1165158)

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5070763

1. Charity Commission Register - Trustee Information

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5070763/trustees

1. Find that Charity - The Brown Source Trust profile

https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-1165158

1. Ludlow Trust Company website

https://www.ludlowtrust.com/

1. Charity Commission financial data for FY ending November 21, 2024 and November 21, 2023

(Accessed via Charity Commission register January 2026)