The Crucible Foundation

Charity Number: 1195787

Annual Expenditure: £4.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £4,009,999 (2023-24)
  • Total Income: £3,561,607 (2023-24)
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales
  • Application Method: Invitation only/trustee discretion
  • Registered: September 2021
  • Charity Number: 1195787

Contact Details

Address: Ludlow Trust Co Ltd, Tower Wharf, Cheese Lane, Bristol BS2 0JJ

Phone: 0117 313 8200

Email: charitabletrusts@ludlowtrust.com

Website: cruciblefoundation.co.uk

Overview

The Crucible Foundation is a grant-making charitable trust registered in September 2021 with general charitable purposes benefitting charities and charitable causes across England and Wales. The foundation distributed over £4 million in grants in 2023-24, with total income of £3.5 million from donations, legacies, and investments. Managed by Ludlow Trust Company Ltd as sole trustee since September 2023, the foundation operates on a proactive basis, selecting charities to support rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Recent partnerships demonstrate a clear focus on supporting organisations working with women and girls experiencing trauma, criminal justice reform, and amplifying the voices of marginalised communities through storytelling and film.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

The foundation has demonstrated support for:

  • Women, Girls, and Trauma - Supporting charities that advocate for or assist women and girls who have experienced domestic violence, harassment, rape, trafficking, and other forms of trauma
  • Criminal Justice Reform - Funding frontline charities working to create a fairer, more effective justice system in the UK
  • Prison and Rehabilitation Services - Support for organisations like Prison Reading Groups that provide educational and support services within the prison system
  • Storytelling and Advocacy - Funding film and media projects that amplify the voices and lived experiences of marginalised groups
  • Small Frontline Charities - Focus on smaller organisations working directly with beneficiaries on critical social issues

What They Don't Fund

Given their proactive, invitation-only approach, the foundation does not fund:

  • Unsolicited applications from any organisation
  • Projects outside England and Wales
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Governance and Leadership

Trustee: Ludlow Trust Company Ltd (appointed 1 September 2023)

Corporate Trustee Address: Tower Wharf, Cheese Lane, Bristol BS2 0JJ

Ludlow Trust Company manages over 5,000 trusts with more than 250 being charitable trusts. The company provides comprehensive trust administration, philanthropy advice, and grant-making support to its clients. The Crucible Foundation benefits from Ludlow's experience facilitating over £2.5 million in grants since launching their Funding Enquiry Gateway in September 2023.

The foundation maintains comprehensive internal policies including risk management and conflict of interest guidelines, and is recognized by HMRC for gift aid purposes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Crucible Foundation currently does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Their website explicitly states: “Currently, we are sorry we do not accept unsolicited grant applications.”

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion, with the foundation proactively identifying and approaching charities that align with their funding priorities. The foundation makes grants to both organisations and individuals based on trustees' assessment of charitable need and strategic fit.

Getting on Their Radar

The Crucible Foundation works through specific partnerships with intermediary organisations like Media Trust to identify potential beneficiaries:

  • Media Trust Partnerships - The foundation has funded multiple Media Trust Films initiatives where charities apply to participate in funded programmes. For example, their partnership focusing on women, girls, and trauma invited applications from eligible charities to receive free professional films worth thousands of pounds.
  • Sector Networks - The foundation has supported work through the Criminal Justice Alliance, suggesting engagement with sector membership bodies may be relevant for organisations in their focus areas.
  • Ludlow Trust Network - As the foundation is managed by Ludlow Trust Company, charities registered on the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway may have opportunities to be considered by the foundation alongside other Ludlow-managed trusts.

Organisations working in the foundation's demonstrated priority areas (women and trauma, criminal justice reform) should monitor Media Trust and similar intermediaries for funded programmes supported by the Crucible Foundation.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Insights

While direct application is not possible, analysis of the foundation's funded work reveals clear preferences:

Focus on Direct Impact and Lived Experience

  • Funded projects feature real stories from beneficiaries
  • Support for frontline charities working directly with affected communities
  • According to Media Trust CEO Su-Mei Thompson, the films funded by Crucible Foundation are “rooted in lived experience”

Strategic Storytelling and Systems Change

  • Investment in film and media as tools for advocacy and awareness
  • Support for projects that “spark conversations and inspire action”
  • Focus on projects with potential for “transformative change” in systems (criminal justice, support for women)

Support for Under-Funded Causes

  • Partnership with UN Women UK noted that “organisations supporting women and girls receive less than 2% of charitable grant funding in the UK”
  • This suggests the foundation deliberately targets chronically under-funded areas

Amplification Through Partnership

  • All identified grants involve partnerships with established intermediaries (Media Trust, UN Women UK, Criminal Justice Alliance)
  • Projects designed to reach broader audiences and maximize impact beyond direct service delivery

Quality and Professionalism

  • Funded film projects involve matching charities with professional volunteer filmmakers
  • Emphasis on high-quality outputs that charities can use for advocacy, fundraising, and awareness

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No direct application route - This foundation cannot be approached directly; instead, monitor their partner organisations (Media Trust, etc.) for funded programmes you can apply to join
  • Focus areas are women/girls/trauma and criminal justice - If your work addresses these areas, you're aligned with demonstrated priorities
  • Storytelling matters - The foundation values amplifying voices through professional media and communications
  • Frontline work preferred - Funded organisations work directly with beneficiaries, not just on policy or research
  • Partnership approach - All identified funding flows through intermediary organisations and collaborative programmes
  • Under-funded causes - The foundation appears to target areas that receive disproportionately little funding relative to need
  • Register with Ludlow Gateway - Though no guarantee, being on the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway system may increase visibility to this and other Ludlow-managed trusts

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