The Colyer-fergusson Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 258958

Annual Expenditure: £3.5M
Kent

Contact Info

Website: www.cfct.org.uk

Phone: 020 8948 3388

Email: grantadmin@cfct.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Founded: 1969
  • Annual Giving: Approximately £1.1 million (latest income reported)
  • Total Grants (Apr 2024-Feb 2025): £5 million (152 grants)
  • Decision Time: 1-6 months (varies by program)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £30,000 (up to £60,000 over 3 years)
  • Geographic Focus: Kent and Medway only

Contact Details

Website: www.cfct.org.uk

Email: grantadmin@cfct.org.uk

Phone: 020 8948 3388

Charity Number: 258958

Important: The Trust has a small part-time staff team and is not easy to reach by telephone. Email is the preferred method of communication.

Overview

The Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust was founded in 1969 by Sir James Colyer-Fergusson to support charitable causes in Kent. The Trust operates from an endowment fund which generates all of its income, with recent income reported at approximately £1.1 million. Between April 2024 and February 2025, the Trust awarded 152 grants totaling £5 million, demonstrating significant grant-making capacity.

The Trust's overarching aim is “to improve the lives of people in Kent and in particular those who are most disadvantaged.” Their vision is “of a fairer and more equal Kent and Medway.” The Trust recognizes power dynamics inherent in funding relationships and aims to treat grant applicants “fairly, with respect and courtesy.”

Recent strategic priorities have focused on young people experiencing “Poverty of Opportunity,” supporting smaller, locally-focused organisations that can provide flexible, responsive, and direct support to the most vulnerable people in Kent and Medway. The Trust is a Living Wage Funder and encourages all applicants to cost salaries at the living wage rate.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Community Fund

  • Focus: Small grants to community organisations and local charities in Kent and Medway
  • Amount: £500 - £15,000 (over 1-3 years for core costs); up to £5,000 for one-off project grants
  • Target: Smaller, locally-focused organisations delivering face-to-face services to marginalized people
  • Application: Rolling applications accepted online
  • Special note: Newly established organisations (less than 2 years of accounts) can only apply for up to £2,500 per annum (£7,500 maximum)

2. Brighter Futures

  • Focus: Supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged people to improve life chances and emotional wellbeing
  • Target: Organizations helping break down barriers to employment, education, or training
  • Application: Check website for current status; online applications required

3. Through the Gate

  • Focus: Supporting rehabilitation of offenders and reducing collateral impact on families
  • Amount: One-off grants up to £30,000 OR multi-year grants up to £20,000 per annum (up to 3 years)
  • Target: Local Kent organisations or national charities offering services in Kent
  • Application: Check website; program was under review with new materials expected in 2025

4. Partner Grants

  • Focus: Working with carefully selected organizations to deliver small grants to vulnerable young people
  • Target: Improving opportunities for employment or training access
  • Application: Partnership-based; direct applications not accepted

5. Thematic Grants

  • Periodically invites large funding proposals on key strategic themes
  • Themes announced on the Trust's website

6. Proactive Grants

  • Trustees proactively invite proposals to advance long-term strategic plans
  • Direct applications not accepted

Priority Areas

  • Young people furthest from the job market (ages 14-30)
  • People living at the margins of society
  • Families facing socio-economic challenges (debt, substance abuse, mental health, domestic abuse, caring responsibilities, bereavement)
  • Offender rehabilitation and family support
  • Community resilience and capacity building
  • Breaking barriers to employment, education, and training

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals (except through Partner Grants program)
  • National/regional charities without a physical base in Kent or Medway
  • Capital appeals under 25% of total cost
  • Statutory bodies or state responsibilities
  • State-run nurseries, schools, and colleges
  • Hospitals, medical care, medical equipment, or medical research
  • Academic research, scholarships, or bursaries
  • Animal charities
  • Religious promotion
  • Heritage projects (building restoration/conservation)
  • Annual or one-off events and festivals
  • Work outside Kent or Medway
  • Endowment appeals
  • Retrospective funding (work already completed)
  • Round-robin, widely circulated appeals

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Nicholas Fisher (Chair, appointed March 1998)
  • Ruth Murphy (Trustee, appointed March 2001)
  • James Thorne (Trustee, appointed September 2014)
  • Julia Megone (Trustee, appointed February 2021)
  • Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven (Trustee, appointed February 2024)
  • Christopher Buxton (Trustee, appointed February 2024)

The trustees are closely involved in every stage of the grant-making process and are supported by a small, highly dedicated part-time staff team. In June 2018, trustees conducted a strategic review that refined the Trust's focus areas.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  • All applications must be submitted online only - do NOT submit by post or email
  • Visit the “What we fund” page at www.cfct.org.uk for specific program guidance
  • Each funding program has separate application guidelines
  • Download application form questions in advance to prepare your application
  • Read all guidance material carefully before applying
  • Follow the link at the end of each program's guidance to access the online application form

Key Restrictions

  • Organizations can submit only one application in each rolling twelve-month period
  • Cannot apply while having an active/unresolved previous grant
  • Cannot reapply if recently turned down for a grant
  • Applicants can apply for one fund per year, OR submit two applications if one is to the Community Fund
  • Grants typically won't exceed 33% of an organization's annual income (Community Fund: 50% limit)

Decision Timeline

  • Grants to Individuals: Usually within 2 weeks
  • Community Fund applications: Within 3 months
  • All other applications: Up to 6 months, sometimes longer
  • Applications are assessed by specialist assessors
  • Final grant decisions are made by Trustees
  • Notification is sent via email

Success Rates

The Trust receives many more grant applications than it has funds to support, and for this reason, many excellent projects do not receive funding. Specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed. Between April 2024 and February 2025, the Trust awarded 152 grants, indicating competitive but accessible funding.

Reapplication Policy

  • Organizations must wait at least 12 months between applications
  • Cannot reapply if recently turned down
  • Cannot apply while having an active grant
  • The Trustees and staff are not able to enter into dialogue about why a project was unsuccessful

Application Success Factors

What the Trust Values

  1. Local, community-led organisations: The Trust prioritizes smaller, grassroots organizations with deep community roots
  2. Face-to-face, flexible support: Organizations that can provide responsive, direct support to vulnerable people
  3. Living wage commitment: As a Living Wage Funder, applications should cost salaries at living wage rates
  4. Physical presence in Kent: The Trust expects charities to have a physical presence or project operating directly in Kent, not arbitrary apportionment of national services
  5. Sustainability and resilience: Particularly for core costs, demonstrating how funding will strengthen organizational capacity

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

  • Homeless Care, Maidstone: £7,500 for day-centre services for homeless and vulnerable people
  • Step Outdoors: £15,000 to embed forest learning services for disadvantaged youngsters
  • Citizens Advice Tunbridge Wells: £15,000 over 3 years for core costs
  • Uprising Youth and Community: £3,600 (initial grant) for supporting young people facing significant challenges
  • Open School East: 10-year funding relationship for free art education and community engagement
  • Construction Youth Trust: Engaging at-risk students with construction careers (40+ school activities)
  • Create the Way: Bicycle mechanics training for 120 unemployed youth
  • Prison Advice and Care Trust: £125,000 over 2 years for families impacted by imprisonment
  • Young Lives Foundation: £50,000 over 2 years for mentoring in Swale District
  • SNAAP: £20,000 x 2 years for family support for families of disabled children

Strategic Approach

The Trust occasionally invites targeted proposals for strategic priorities rather than accepting open applications. They “proactively” advance their long-term strategic plans through Thematic and Proactive Grants, demonstrating a thoughtful, strategic approach to philanthropy.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Applying for work outside Kent and Medway boundaries
  • Submitting widely circulated, generic appeals
  • Large national charities without genuine Kent presence
  • Applications exceeding income percentage limits (33% or 50%)
  • Incomplete applications or failure to follow program-specific guidance
  • Applying while having an unresolved previous grant

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic focus is absolute: Only work directly benefiting people in Kent and Medway will be considered - no exceptions
  2. Small is beautiful: The Trust actively prioritizes smaller, community-led organisations over large national charities
  3. Core costs are welcome: Unlike many funders, the Community Fund explicitly supports core/running costs for organizational sustainability
  4. Living wage matters: Budget all salaries at living wage rates to align with the Trust's values
  5. One shot per year: With only one application allowed per 12 months, ensure your application is thoroughly prepared and well-researched
  6. No dialogue on rejections: You won't receive feedback on unsuccessful applications, so get it right the first time
  7. Multiple programs under review: Several programs were closed for review in 2024-2025, so check current program availability before investing time in applications
  8. Email is best: Don't call - the small staff team prefers email communication at grantadmin@cfct.org.uk

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References