The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation

Charity Number: 1190612

Annual Expenditure: £0.3M
Geographic Focus: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales, China, Germany, Guernsey, India, Jersey ... [1 more]

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £300,000+ (funded by Caledonia Investments plc)
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £20,000 (Cornwall programme); larger multi-year grants for strategic partnerships
  • Geographic Focus: Cornwall & Isles of Scilly (public programme); National (strategic partnerships)
  • Application Method: Online through Cornwall Community Foundation (Cornwall programme); Trustee discretion (strategic grants)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 58% (Cornwall Community Foundation average)

Contact Details

Address: Registered at Caledonia Investments plc, Cayzer House, 30 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6NN

Email: enquiries@caledonia.com

Phone: 020 7802 8080

Cornwall Applications: Apply through Cornwall Community Foundation at cornwallcommunityfoundation.com

Overview

Established in 2020, The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation was initially created to provide financial hardship support to individuals connected to Caledonia Investments plc's investee companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Foundation has since evolved to support causes that align with Caledonia's history, values, culture, and team. Funded by Caledonia Investments plc (which contributed £300,000 to the Foundation) and the Cayzer Trust Company, the Foundation operates a dual funding strategy: a public application programme focused on financial education in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and strategic multi-year partnerships with selected charities nationally. In one financial period, the Foundation paid grants totalling £429,525 to support various activities at multiple charities, representing 88% of income received. Caledonia's heritage traces back to the Cayzer family's shipping empire established in 1878, and this long-term, family-oriented approach underpins the Foundation's commitment to creating enduring legacies through sustained charitable support.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Programme: £5,000 - £20,000

  • Focus on financial planning, debt management, and financial education for adults and children
  • Applications accepted through Cornwall Community Foundation's online portal
  • Funding typically available for one year
  • Projects must demonstrate measurable and tangible outcomes
  • Financial Conduct Authority regulation required for debt advice services

Strategic Multi-Year Partnerships: Variable amounts (e.g., £75,000/year for 3 years to Maritime Volunteer Service)

  • Trustee-discretion grants to charities aligned with Caledonia's values
  • Multi-year donation programmes to create enduring impact
  • Focus on sustainable funding for core operations and growth

Priority Areas

Cornwall Programme - Three Themes:

  1. Early Intervention: Projects working with at-risk individuals and families in early stages of managing debt, teaching basic financial skills as part of broader support packages
  1. Preventative: Projects supporting individuals or families at particular risk of financial adversity through education, training, and awareness-raising
  1. Alleviation: Projects providing information, advice, and guidance for those experiencing ongoing financial distress

Strategic Grants - Key Causes:

  • Charities linking to Caledonia's history, values, culture, and team
  • Healthcare and wellbeing (e.g., Horatio's Garden - therapeutic green spaces in NHS spinal injury centres)
  • Homelessness support (e.g., The Passage - Westminster homelessness charity)
  • Community service and training (e.g., Maritime Volunteer Service)

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions have not been publicly documented, though the Cornwall programme is geographically restricted to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Chair: James Michael Beale Cayzer-Colvin (appointed 1 June 2020)

  • Also serves as Head of Funds and Director at Caledonia Investments plc
  • Other trusteeships include The Moorview Charitable Trust, The Cayzer Family Archive, and The Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust Limited

Trustees (appointed 12 September 2024):

  • Sophie Helen Bell
  • Stephanie Hillary Beckford
  • Benedict John Patrick Archer

Additional Trustees:

  • Amy Margaret McNeill (appointed 29 September 2022)
  • Alexander James Franklin Wildman (appointed 1 June 2020)

Governance Structure:

  • Board consists of 3-5 members serving initial three-year terms (renewable)
  • 6 trustees currently serve with 5 volunteers
  • No trustees receive remuneration or payments from the charity

Financial Transparency (year ending 31 December 2024):

  • Total Income: £300,700
  • Total Expenditure: £290,100
  • No trading subsidiaries or employees with benefits over £60,000

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Programme:

Applications must be submitted through Cornwall Community Foundation's online portal at cornwallcommunityfoundation.com. Applicants receive automated confirmation upon submission, followed by a processing acknowledgment email with information about any further documents needed. Applicants can log into the grant portal at any time to check application status.

Strategic Partnerships:

There is no public application process for the Foundation's strategic multi-year grants. These grants are awarded at the trustees' discretion to charities that align with Caledonia's values and strategic focus areas.

Decision Timeline

Cornwall Programme: Applications are reviewed by Cornwall Community Foundation staff, then presented to a grants panel. The timeline from submission to decision varies depending on the closing date, number of applications received, and panel meeting schedule. Once decisions are made, all applicants are notified of the outcome. Successful applicants typically receive grant payments within 10-14 days of the panel decision.

Success Rates

Cornwall Programme: Approximately 58% (Cornwall Community Foundation's overall success rate in 2024). Individual fund success rates vary.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies have not been publicly documented. Contact Cornwall Community Foundation for guidance on Cornwall programme reapplications.

Application Success Factors

For Cornwall Programme Applications:

  • Demonstrate measurable outcomes: Applications must include details of measurable and tangible outcomes expected from the investment
  • Address Cornwall's financial challenges: Understand the local context - Cornwall is one of England's poorest counties with wages 23% lower than the national average and one of the highest rates of personal insolvency in the country. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated existing deprivation and poverty
  • Focus on one or more priority themes: Clearly align your project with early intervention, preventative work, or alleviation of financial distress
  • Meet regulatory requirements: If requesting funds for debt advice, confirmation of Financial Conduct Authority regulation is mandatory
  • Emphasize financial education: The Foundation prioritizes projects that teach financial skills, planning, and debt management to adults and children
  • One-year funding focus: The Cornwall programme typically provides one-year funding, so projects should be scoped accordingly

For Strategic Partnership Consideration:

  • Alignment with Caledonia's values: The Foundation supports causes linking to Caledonia's history (shipping heritage dating to 1878), long-term family-oriented values, culture, and team
  • Sustainable impact focus: The Foundation seeks to “create an enduring legacy” through multi-year partnerships that enable sustainable funding for core operations
  • Track record of impact: Supported charities like Horatio's Garden have demonstrated that Foundation support was “pivotal to the growth of corporate partnership income” and securing “crucial sustainable funding for future running costs”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Two distinct funding routes: The Foundation operates both a public application programme (Cornwall) and trustee-discretion strategic grants (national), requiring different approaches
  • Cornwall programme is competitive but accessible: With a 58% success rate, applications have reasonable odds if well-aligned with financial education priorities
  • Long-term thinking valued: The Foundation seeks to create “enduring legacies” through sustained support, particularly in strategic partnerships
  • Family values drive decisions: Caledonia's 140+ year heritage and family-oriented investment philosophy inform charitable priorities; alignment with these values is critical for strategic grants
  • Measurable outcomes essential: Applications must demonstrate tangible results, particularly for the Cornwall programme
  • Strategic grants support core operations: Multi-year partnerships provide sustainable funding for organizational growth and running costs, not just project funding
  • Regulatory compliance matters: Financial advice and debt management projects must meet Financial Conduct Authority requirements

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References

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation fund?

Grant Programs Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Programme: £5,000 - £20,000 Focus on financial planning, debt management, and financial education for adults and children Applications accepted through Cornwall Community Foundation's online portal Funding typically available for one year Projects must demonstrate measurable and tangible outcomes Financial Conduct Authority regulation required for debt advice services Strategic Multi-Year Partnerships: Variable amounts (e. g.

How much funding does The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation provide?

The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation provides grants ranging from £5,000 - £20,000 (Cornwall programme); larger multi-year grants for strategic partnerships, with total annual giving of approximately £300,000+ (funded by Caledonia Investments plc).

How do I contact The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation?

Address: Registered at Caledonia Investments plc, Cayzer House, 30 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6NN Email: enquiries@caledonia. com Phone: 020 7802 8080 Cornwall Applications: Apply through Cornwall Community Foundation at cornwallcommunityfoundation.

Is The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation a registered charity?

Yes, The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation is a registered charity with the Charity Commission (charity number 1190612). They serve organisations across 9 regions in the UK.

How do I apply to The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation?

How to Apply Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Programme: Applications must be submitted through Cornwall Community Foundation's online portal at cornwallcommunityfoundation. com. Applicants receive automated confirmation upon submission, followed by a processing acknowledgment email with information about any further documents needed.

Where is The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation based?

The Caledonia Investments Charitable Foundation is based in London SW1E 6NN. They fund organisations across 9 regions in the UK.