The Bulldog Trust Limited

Charity Number: 1123081

Annual Expenditure: £11.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £11 million total distributed (633 grants to date)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 33% progress to final funding panels (competitive process)
  • Decision Time: 12 weeks from application deadline
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £45,000 (over 1-3 years)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

  • Website: www.bulldogtrust.org | www.thefore.org
  • Email: info@bulldogtrust.org
  • Phone: 020 7240 6044
  • Address: Two Temple Place, London

Overview

Established in 1983 by Richard Q. Hoare OBE (1943–2020), The Bulldog Trust provides support and advice for charities facing immediate financial difficulties. The Trust is based at and owns Two Temple Place in the City of London. In March 2017, the Trust launched The Fore programme, a venture philanthropy initiative supporting early-stage charities and social enterprises. The Trust's purpose is the creation of opportunities for those who lack them, working with groups already engaged in similar efforts where they can enhance their impact. With over 12 years' experience backing exceptional small charities, The Fore has distributed over £11 million through 633 grants, with portfolio charities achieving 96% income growth over three years. The Trust sets no traditional criteria for grants, instead judging each application on its merit based on the belief that those running smaller organisations are best placed to know what their charity needs to move forward.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Fore Programme: £1,000 - £45,000 (over 1-3 years)

  • Unrestricted grants available for any purpose including core costs and capital funding
  • Maximum grant increased from £30,000 to £45,000 from Autumn 2025 round
  • Three funding rounds per year: Spring, Summer, Autumn
  • Registration period open for one week at the start of each round
  • Random allocation if more applicants than available places
  • Between 2012-2016, only 29% of grants were at maximum level; by July 2024, 81% of funded organisations requested the maximum amount

Additional Support Package:

  • Pro bono professional expertise through Pro Bono Network
  • Strategic advice (14,359 hours provided to date)
  • Training workshops and seminars (13,352 hours facilitated)
  • Peer support groups
  • Impact measurement training

Priority Areas

The Fore actively funds organisations where:

  • The grant will generate a result proportionately much greater than the sum received
  • The grant will allow the organisation to overcome a temporary hurdle, setting it on track to succeed
  • Almost half of funds go to organisations working in youth and education causes
  • Significant funding for organisations helping the impoverished and disadvantaged
  • Examples of funded organisations include: Settle (prevents youth homelessness), Be Enriched Elements (repurposes surplus food and provides culinary training), and Transport for All (disabled-led transport accessibility campaign)

What They Don't Fund

  • Organisations with registration in process but not yet approved
  • Current grantees who have not completed their grant term
  • Organisations forecasting ongoing deficits that the funding won't address
  • Organisations with no reserves where the funding won't improve this position (reduces success chances)
  • Funding requests that generate transformational change that cannot be sustained after funding ends
  • CICs limited by shares
  • Companies limited by guarantee without charity status
  • Non-charitable Community Benefit Societies without asset lock
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Governance and Leadership

Current Trustees:

  • Charles Martin Richard Hoare (Chair) - Appointed 2009, Investment Banker, serving as chairman since 2013 (son of founder Richard Q. Hoare)
  • Hamish McPherson - Appointed 2011, Finance professional
  • Stephen Kenneth Sacks - Appointed 2022, Executive on the Advisory Board For The Arts

Key Leadership:

  • Mary Rose Gunn - CEO of The Fore and The Bulldog Trust

Leadership Philosophy:

Mary Rose Gunn emphasizes: “It is important to trust people. If we want to change society we have to give people the agency to change their own circumstances.” She notes that The Fore “wishes to empower people who have come up with great ideas to address a pressing social need and to provide them with funding and expertise to help them create real change.” On applications, Gunn observes: "It's very easy to spot really good quality organisations that would benefit from the support on offer," suggesting applicants shouldn't be discouraged if they lack formal business planning experience, as "many people don't have the experience nor the expertise to write a solid business plan, but that doesn't mean they're not incredibly entrepreneurial."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Three-Stage Process:

  • Takes 2-3 minutes to complete
  • Only one registration per organisation accepted
  • If more applicants than places, allocation is random
  • Registered applicants receive confirmation of place on funding round
  • Three-page application form
  • NO traditional application form required - applicants simply tell The Fore what they need
  • Include financial table with 3 years historic/forecast financials
  • Simple details of organisation with basic figures to support funding request
  • The Fore deliberately tries to ensure applicants aren't unnecessarily burdened by preparing funding applications
  • Longlisted applicants invited via email for online meeting
  • Meeting with Strategic Applicant Consultant who provides feedback
  • Approximately 1 in 3 applicants progress to this stage
  • Shortlisted applications presented to funding panels
  • Number of shortlisted applicants varies by round

Decision Timeline

  • Announcement of successful applicants typically within 12 weeks of application deadline
  • Notification via email

Success Rates

  • Approximately 33% of applicants progress to Stage 2 (ideas testing phase)
  • The Fore selects organisations showing exceptional leadership and potential for significant growth
  • External evaluation found grantees were already growing faster than other charities before receiving grants
  • 74% of nascent charities supported met their targets over the past two years
  • Over 70% of grantees surpassed expectations for expanding charitable activities after one year
  • More than 50% exceeded income generation forecasts after one year
  • Registration is competitive and limited by available funding in each round

Reapplication Policy

  • Unsuccessful applicants can reapply for future funding rounds
  • All unsuccessful applicants are offered feedback
  • Must demonstrate how previous feedback has been addressed in new application
  • Cannot apply while currently receiving a grant from The Fore
  • Must wait until final grant closure call before becoming eligible to reapply
  • Three funding rounds per year provide multiple reapplication opportunities

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from The Funder

Mary Rose Gunn advises that The Fore focuses on identifying “really good quality organisations” and recognises that many exceptional entrepreneurs lack formal business planning experience. The key is demonstrating genuine entrepreneurial spirit and a compelling solution to a pressing social need.

What Makes Applications Stand Out

  • Transformational Impact: Demonstrate how the funding will create meaningful, sustainable change beyond the grant period
  • Proportionate Results: Show how a relatively small grant will generate disproportionately large impact
  • Overcoming Hurdles: Clearly explain temporary obstacles the funding will help overcome to set the organisation on track for success
  • Financial Sustainability: Present realistic forecasts showing improved financial position rather than ongoing deficits
  • Reserve Building: Show how funding will strengthen reserves position (organisations without reserves are less likely to succeed)
  • Exceptional Leadership: The Fore looks for visionary grassroots leaders with potential for growth

Recently Funded Examples

  • Settle: Prevents young people from becoming homeless
  • Be Enriched Elements: Repurposes surplus food and provides culinary training
  • Transport for All: Disabled-led organisation increasing access to transport and street space across the UK (launched successful 'Crossrail: Access Denied' campaign)

Language and Approach

The Fore uses terminology emphasising:

  • “Turbo-charging exceptional small charities”
  • “Transformational impact”
  • “Venture philanthropy”
  • “Unrestricted funding”
  • “Criteria-free grants”
  • “Wrap-around support”
  • Empowerment and agency for grassroots leaders

Tips for Standing Out

  • Keep it simple - don't overcomplicate the application with jargon or unnecessary detail
  • Focus on the “why” rather than extensive formal business planning
  • Demonstrate that you understand your organisation's needs better than anyone else
  • Show potential for rapid growth (median Fore grantee achieves 8x income growth compared to comparable charities after four years)
  • Emphasise how you'll use unrestricted funding flexibly to achieve transformational change
  • Highlight your connection to underserved communities if applicable
  • Present clear, realistic financial forecasts with 3 years of data

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Unrestricted funding philosophy: The Fore trusts organisations to know what they need - don't feel pressured to fit a prescriptive funding template; explain your genuine needs
  • Focus on transformational potential: Show how relatively modest funding (even £45,000) can create disproportionate impact or help overcome critical hurdles
  • Financial sustainability matters: Demonstrate realistic path to improved reserves and sustainable operations beyond the grant period
  • Competitive but accessible: With 1 in 3 progressing to ideas testing and multiple rounds per year, reapplication is encouraged with feedback incorporation
  • Beyond the money: The comprehensive support package (pro bono expertise, training, peer networks) is integral to The Fore's model - show readiness to engage
  • Proven track record: 74% of funded charities meet targets, 70% exceed activity expansion expectations - demonstrate you can be part of this success
  • Speed matters: 12-week decision timeline is relatively fast for this level of funding and support

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