The Coles-medlock Foundation

Charity Number: 1132780

Annual Expenditure: £1.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ??1,000,000+ (approx.)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 3 months (quarterly review)
  • Grant Range: ??500 - ??15,000
  • Typical Grant: ??5,000 - ??10,000
  • Geographic Focus: Developing world (international only)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.coles-medlock.org/

Email: charities@chatleigh.com

Phone: 01225 946226

Financial Year End: 31st July

Overview

The Coles-Medlock Foundation is a family-run grant-making organisation founded by Bath-based businessman and philanthropist David Medlock and his wife Jacky. Established in 2009 (Charity Number 1132780), the Foundation was set up to extend the Medlocks' charitable giving to overseas projects where the need for aid and sustainable development is greatest. In the financial year ending July 2023, the Foundation had income of ??312,645 and expenditure of ??1,047,212, demonstrating significant active grantmaking using accumulated resources. The Foundation focuses exclusively on supporting UK registered charities working on projects in the developing world to alleviate poverty and hardship through sustainable development interventions.

Funding Priorities

Current Strategic Focus

The Foundation is currently prioritizing the empowerment and education of young girls. Applications that do not align with this focus are unlikely to be successful. The Foundation emphasizes projects focused on girls' education and women's economic empowerment in developing countries.

Grant Programs

Main Grant Programme: ??500 - ??15,000 (rolling applications, quarterly decisions)

  • Typical grants: ??5,000 - ??10,000
  • Applications accepted throughout the year via online application form
  • Trustees review applications quarterly (every 3 months)
  • Grants can be split over 5 years where appropriate

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports sustainable development projects in:

  • Education (especially girls' education)
  • Women in commerce/economic empowerment
  • Healthcare
  • Food provision and sustainable agriculture
  • Infrastructure development
  • Independent financial progress

Geographic Scope

The Foundation supports projects across the developing world, with recent projects in:

  • Africa: Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Sierra Leone
  • Asia: India, Nepal, Indonesia
  • Europe: Romania

What They Don't Fund

  • UK-based projects (exclusively international development)
  • Individuals
  • Non-UK registered charities
  • Charities outside their priority areas
  • More than one grant per charity per year (usually)
  • Building construction (focus on programs rather than infrastructure)
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

David Medlock (Chair): Founder and Bath-based businessman and philanthropist who established the Foundation with his wife Jacky. He is also chair of the Medlock Charitable Trust, which focuses on UK-based projects in Somerset and Lincolnshire.

Quote from David Medlock: “We want to support what goes on in buildings rather than the buildings themselves.”

Other Trustees:

  • Mark Goodman (Trustee of Hinckley and District Mencap Society)
  • Peter Medlock
  • Rebecca Kupa
  • Steven Medlock

The trustee board reflects the family-run nature of the Foundation, with multiple family members involved in governance alongside external trustees with charitable sector experience.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  • Completed application form
  • Latest annual report
  • Latest accounts
  • Vulnerable persons policy

Application Requirements

Applicants must clearly demonstrate:

  • Why there is a need for the work
  • How the project addresses that need
  • What impact the work will have (specific target outcomes)
  • How outcomes will be assessed (both qualitatively and quantitatively)
  • Forecast budget showing short and long-term sustainability
  • Potential for scalability

Decision Timeline

  • Application window: Rolling (applications accepted year-round)
  • Review frequency: Quarterly (every 3 months)
  • Decision timeline: Approximately 3 months from submission
  • Notification: Applicants informed of trustee decisions after quarterly review

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the Foundation emphasizes that applications not aligned with their current focus on girls' education and women's economic empowerment are unlikely to be successful.

Reapplication Policy

  • Unsuccessful applicants: Must wait until the next financial year (after 31st July) before reapplying
  • Multiple grants: The Foundation would not usually offer more than one grant to the same charity in one year, even for separate projects
  • Questions: Unsuccessful applicants can contact the Foundation for feedback via email or phone

Follow-Up Requirements

Grant recipients must:

  • Provide confirmation upon receiving the grant
  • Send a written signed receipt
  • Provide project progress and outcome assessment
  • Submit annual progress reports (for multi-year grants)

Application Success Factors

What Makes a Strong Application

Specificity is Critical: The Foundation expects detailed, specific information about:

  • Project purpose and target beneficiaries
  • Number of people who will be helped
  • Degree of improvement expected
  • Measurement methods for assessing impact

Demonstrate Sustainability: Include a forecast budget that shows:

  • Short-term financial viability
  • Long-term sustainability beyond the grant period
  • Potential for project scalability

Align with Current Priorities: Applications must clearly align with the Foundation's focus on girls' education and women's economic empowerment. Projects outside this focus are unlikely to succeed.

Quality Over Quantity: The application form should be carefully completed with thoughtful responses. Avoid copy-pasting generic text.

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

  1. Education in India (2018): ??100,000 for a development impact bond project improving educational attainment among primary school pupils in Delhi and Gujarat, reaching over 100,000 children across 600 schools, with 40% of participating schools meeting literacy and numeracy targets.
  1. Water Infrastructure in India (2014-2016): ??5,000 (2014) and ??10,000 (2016) for sand dam construction in Rajasthan, completing six sand dams and bringing safe water to more than 10,000 people.
  1. Nepal Earthquake Recovery (2016-2017): ??25,000 (2016) and ??10,000 (2017) for business training and infrastructure repair in Gorkha, leading to five new enterprises and nine completed business plans.
  1. The Big Give Christmas Challenge (2018): ??164,333 in match funding for 32 charities working in international development.

Foundation Philosophy

The Foundation's approach emphasizes:

  • Program funding over infrastructure: “We want to support what goes on in buildings rather than the buildings themselves” - David Medlock
  • Spreading impact: They try to spread donations across as many organisations, projects, and geographies as possible
  • Measurable outcomes: Strong emphasis on quantitative and qualitative measurement
  • Sustainable development: Projects must demonstrate long-term viability

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Alignment is Essential: Your project must clearly focus on girls' education or women's economic empowerment in developing countries. Applications outside this focus will likely be rejected.
  1. Be Specific and Measurable: Provide concrete numbers, specific outcomes, and detailed measurement plans. Vague statements will not succeed.
  1. Demonstrate Sustainability: Show how your project will continue beyond the grant period and how it could scale to benefit more people.
  1. Time Your Application Strategically: With quarterly reviews, submit well before your funding deadline. Allow at least 3 months for decision-making.
  1. One Chance Per Year: You typically get one opportunity per charity per year, and if unsuccessful, must wait until after 31st July to reapply. Make your application count.
  1. Complete the Online Form Carefully: The Foundation recommends using their online application form. Take time to craft thoughtful, specific responses rather than generic copy-paste text.
  1. Geographic Flexibility: The Foundation supports projects across all developing world regions, so location is less important than project quality and alignment with priorities.

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References