The Clover Trust

Charity Number: 213578

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Stay updated on changes from The Clover Trust and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £199,147 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales (worldwide charitable objects permitted)
  • Established: 1962

Contact Details

Address: 22 Martingale Road, Burbage, Marlborough, SN8 3TY

Phone: 01000000000

Email: Not available

Website: Not available

Overview

The Clover Trust is a long-established grant-making charity founded in 1962 through a settlement dated 23 December 1961. With an annual expenditure of approximately £199,147 (2024), the trust makes cash donations to selected registered charities across a broad range of charitable purposes. The trust's governing document provides wide discretion, stating that “income is to be used for such charitable objects in any part of the world at such time or times and in such manner as the trustees think fit.” The trustees follow a deliberate strategy of making regular donations to a designated selection of recipients and have maintained consistent grant-making over recent years, with expenditure ranging between £199,000-£237,000 annually over the past five years. Importantly, the trust operates on an invitation-only basis and explicitly does not accept unsolicited applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Clover Trust does not operate formal grant programs with specified amounts. Instead, trustees exercise discretion in making regular donations to a predetermined selection of charitable organizations.

Priority Areas

The trust supports a wide range of charitable purposes including:

  • General charitable purposes
  • Health advancement and saving of lives
  • Disability support
  • Prevention or relief of poverty
  • Overseas aid and famine relief
  • Amateur sport

Beneficiary Groups

  • Children and young people
  • Elderly and older people
  • People with disabilities
  • Other charities or voluntary bodies

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, the trust explicitly states it does not accept applications from individuals or organizations outside their predetermined selection of recipients.

Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Clover Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four trustees who serve without remuneration, payments, or benefits:

  • Jonathan Francis Woodhouse - Chair (appointed 13 May 2023)
  • Sophie Mary Winter - Trustee (appointed 04 November 2023)
  • Ben Woodhouse - Trustee (appointed 05 March 2012)
  • Charlotte Lucy Morrison - Trustee (appointed 11 May 2011)

The trust maintains strong governance standards with all annual returns and accounts submitted on time for the past five years (2020-2024).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Clover Trust explicitly states: “The trustees are currently NOT accepting any further applications for grant funding from other individuals or organisations” and advises organizations to "Please DO NOT waste your money & resources applying to The Clover Trust."

The trustees make regular donations to a designated selection of recipients chosen at their discretion and intend to continue this policy. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on pre-existing relationships and knowledge of organizations rather than through an open competitive process.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded at trustees' discretion to predetermined recipients.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - unsolicited applications are not accepted.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's closed application process, the key factors for organizations that do receive support appear to be:

  • Pre-existing relationship with trustees - The trust works with a designated selection of recipients, suggesting long-term relationships are essential
  • Alignment with broad charitable purposes - The trust's governing document allows for wide discretion across charitable objects
  • Regular, ongoing support model - The trust prefers to make regular donations rather than one-off grants, indicating they value sustained relationships with recipient organizations
  • Focus on established registered charities - The trust specifically makes donations to registered charities rather than individuals or unregistered groups

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process - Do not submit applications to this trust; they will not be considered and the trust explicitly advises against wasting resources on applications
  • Invitation-only grant-making - The trust operates through trustee discretion with a predetermined selection of recipients
  • Regular donation model - The trust favors ongoing relationships with regular donations rather than one-time grants
  • Wide charitable scope - The governing document permits support for charitable objects worldwide, though the trust primarily operates in England and Wales
  • Consistent grant-making - With stable annual expenditure around £200,000, the trust maintains reliable support for its chosen recipients
  • Established charity focus - Recipients are registered charities rather than individuals or community groups
  • Strong governance - The trust maintains excellent compliance with four active trustees serving without remuneration

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

Data privacy and security by default

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

References