The Charles Godwin Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £103,382 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: South Cumbria (specifically Cartmel and surrounding areas)

Contact Details

Address: Green Croft, Priest Lane, Cartmel LA11 6PT

Phone: 01539 536566

Email: Not available

Website: None identified

Charity Number: 1050014

Overview

The Charles Godwin Foundation is a small, privately-run charitable trust based in South Cumbria, registered with the Charity Commission since 1995. Named after Charles Godwin MBE, who was honored in 2017 for community service and passed away shortly thereafter, the foundation continues his legacy of supporting the local Cartmel community. With annual giving of £103,382 (2023) and total income of £136,146 (2024), the foundation operates as a social welfare charity focused on poverty relief. The foundation is governed by seven trustees who receive no remuneration. Unlike larger grant-making trusts, the foundation maintains no website or published application guidelines, operating through trustee discretion and local knowledge of community needs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specified amounts. Based on 2023 financial records showing £103,382 in charitable expenditure, the foundation has capacity for both small and moderate-sized grants to multiple beneficiaries.

Priority Areas

• Local individuals in South Cumbria: Supporting individuals making their own efforts to help meet project costs
• Local charities: Particularly those based in South Cumbria and the Cartmel area
• Smaller organizations: Explicitly preferring smaller organizations over major national charities
• Poverty relief: Classified as a Social Welfare Charity focusing on poverty-related issues

What They Don't Fund

• Major national charities (explicit preference for local, smaller organizations)
• Individuals not making their own efforts to contribute to costs
• Organizations outside the South Cumbria area

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Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by seven trustees who serve without remuneration. The foundation was established in connection with Charles Godwin MBE, a long-time Cartmel resident who lived at Green Croft, Priest Lane. Charles received his MBE in 2017 for community contributions and passed away that same year.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Charles Godwin Foundation operates as a small private trust that awards grants through trustee discretion rather than open applications. There is no website, no published application forms, and no online portal for submissions.

Organizations may contact the foundation directly by phone at 01539 536566 to inquire whether they accept unsolicited approaches, though the foundation's limited online presence suggests grants are awarded primarily through trustees' knowledge of local needs.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a small trust operating through trustee discretion, decision timelines likely vary depending on trustee meeting schedules.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given the lack of a public application process, traditional success factors do not apply. However, organizations should note:

• Geographic connection is critical: The foundation explicitly focuses on South Cumbria and the Cartmel area
• Small and local organizations preferred: The foundation supports “smaller organisations in preference to the major national charities”
• Self-help principle: When supporting individuals, the foundation expects them to be “making efforts of their own to help meet the costs of their projects”
• Poverty relief focus: Projects addressing economic disadvantage or hardship in the local community align with the foundation's registration
• Private nature: The foundation operates without public presence, suggesting trustees identify beneficiaries through community knowledge rather than solicitation

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - this is a small private trust operating through trustee discretion
• Geographic focus is extremely narrow - only South Cumbria, specifically the Cartmel area
• Local, small organizations are prioritized - national charities are explicitly deprioritized
• Phone contact is the only published route (01539 536566)
• Expect limited responsiveness - small private trusts often have limited administrative capacity
• Financial capacity is moderate - with £100,000+ in annual giving, the foundation can make meaningful grants but is not a major funder

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Archie Sherman Cardiff Foundation
• THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
• THE KENNETH & SUSAN GREEN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
• THE CONWAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
• LARA ATKIN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
• Mabel Cooper Charity
• The Halsall Foundation
• The Moulding Foundation
• The Patrick Rowland Foundation
• The Greenslade Family Foundation

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Charles Godwin Foundation (1050014)

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1050014

• Charity Choice: The Charles Godwin Charitable Trust

https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-charles-godwin-charitable-trust-89277

• Charity Commission financial data for years ending December 2021-2024