The Dawes Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £2,325,968 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: PhD bursaries to £7,000,000+ for major research centres
• Geographic Focus: United Kingdom (primarily England, Wales, and Scotland)

Contact Details

Registered Address: Investec Wealth & Investment Ltd, 30 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QN

Phone: 020 7203 5000

Charity Number: 1142951

Note: The trust does not appear to have an active public-facing website or open application process. Contact through Investec Wealth & Investment Ltd is required.

Overview

THE DAWES TRUST was registered as a charity on 19 July 2011. The trust operates with substantial capital reserves, with total expenditure of £2,325,968 in 2023 significantly exceeding income of £134,851, indicating active drawdown of capital for grant-making. The trust's charitable objective is to distribute capital and income “to fight crime including organised crime by the protection of people and property, the preservation of public order and the prevention and detection of crime for the public benefit.” The trust operates as a strategic funder, making major grants to established research institutions, universities, and national charities working in criminal justice. The trust appears to operate through invitation or strategic partnership rather than open applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Dawes Trust operates primarily through strategic, large-scale funding partnerships rather than open grant rounds. Known funding includes:

• Major Research Centres: Up to £7,000,000 for establishing dedicated research centres (e.g., UCL Dawes Centre for Future Crime)
• Multi-Year Institutional Grants: £269,964 to Police Foundation (2023); £860,000 over four years to Anglia Ruskin University
• PhD Bursaries: Funding for doctoral research at Scottish universities through the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research
• Research Projects: Targeted funding for specific research into organised crime, fraud, child sexual exploitation, and emerging crime threats

Priority Areas

Based on grants awarded, the trust prioritizes:

• Emerging and Future Crime: Technological crime threats, AI-enabled crime, cryptocurrency-related offences, cybercrime
• Organised Crime: Fraud, money laundering, serious organised crime in local communities
• Child Protection: Online and contact child sexual abuse and exploitation, law enforcement responses
• Criminal Justice Research: Sentencing effectiveness, rehabilitation of offenders, criminal investigation and prosecution
• Policing and Law Enforcement: Evidence-based approaches to crime prevention, police responses to complex crimes
• Academic Research: PhD scholarships in criminology, criminal justice, and crime science

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the trust's funding pattern indicates:

• Individual victims or victim support services
• Grassroots community projects
• Small-scale local initiatives
• Projects outside the UK
• General charitable causes unrelated to crime prevention

Ready to write a winning application for The Dawes 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 has four trustees who manage the substantial endowment through Investec Wealth & Investment Ltd. No trustees receive remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The trust operates with professional investment management through Investec.

Specific trustee names are not publicly disclosed in readily available sources. The trust operates with a high degree of discretion in its grant-making, typical of strategic funders.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Dawes Trust appears to operate as a proactive funder that does not accept unsolicited applications. The trust identifies and invites organisations to apply for funding rather than operating an open application process.

Evidence suggests the trust:

• Approaches established research institutions and universities directly
• Funds organisations with proven track records in criminal justice research
• Develops multi-year strategic partnerships

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the scale of grants (multi-million pound research centres), decision-making likely involves extended due diligence periods.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. As a proactive funder working with invited applications only, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only approach. However, the trust demonstrates commitment to multi-year funding relationships with successful partners (e.g., continued support to Sentencing Academy, Police Foundation).

Application Success Factors

Strategic Positioning

Based on funded organisations, successful recipients typically:

• Are established universities, research institutes, or national charities with proven expertise in criminal justice
• Have existing track records in evidence-based crime research
• Work closely with government agencies (Home Office, Ministry of Justice, National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs' Council)
• Focus on applied research that influences policy and practice

Research Quality and Impact

The trust funds research that:

• Addresses emerging rather than historical crime threats
• Has clear policy and practice applications
• Involves partnerships between academia and law enforcement
• Produces evidence that can shape criminal justice responses

Examples of Funded Work

• UCL Dawes Centre for Future Crime (£7m): World's first research centre identifying emerging crime threats before they become widespread
• Anglia Ruskin University (£860k/4 years): National research programme on investigation and prevention of child sexual abuse and exploitation
• Police Foundation (£269,964 in 2023): Research on law enforcement response to online child sexual exploitation and abuse; research on impact of organised crime in local communities
• Sentencing Academy (multi-year funding): Launched “Effective Sentencing” workstream creating research database on what works at sentencing
• University of Hertfordshire/ICPR: Research on organised crime groups involved in fraud
• Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research: PhD bursaries for research on crime affecting the UK with policy/practice relevance

Language and Approach

Funded projects emphasise:

• Future-focused: “Emerging threats,” “pre-emptive interventions,” “future crime”
• Evidence-based: Rigorous research methodologies, data analysis
• Applied impact: Direct influence on policy, legislation, and practice
• Partnership approach: Collaboration between academia, police, and government
• National significance: Work addressing UK-wide crime challenges

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Dawes Trust does not accept unsolicited applications – focus on building reputation and visibility in criminal justice research rather than submitting proposals
• Scale matters – the trust makes substantial, transformational grants (often £250,000+) to established institutions, not small project grants
• Future-focused crime prevention is prioritised over reactive or historical approaches
• Evidence and impact are paramount – funded work must influence criminal justice policy and practice
• Institutional credibility is essential – successful recipients are universities, national charities, and established research centres
• Multi-year partnerships are preferred – the trust invests in sustained relationships rather than one-off projects
• Government partnerships strengthen applications – working with Home Office, Ministry of Justice, or police enhances credibility
• If your organisation fits the profile, focus on building visibility through publications, conference presentations, and networking with criminal justice stakeholders who may recommend you to the trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Dawes Trust (Charity No. 1142951).. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1142951
• UCL Dawes Centre for Future Crime. “Dawes Centre for Future Crime at UCL.”. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/future-crime/dawes-centre-future-crime-ucl
• The Police Foundation. “How we are funded.”. https://www.police-foundation.org.uk/about/how-we-are-funded/
• Sentencing Academy. “Multi-year funding from the Dawes Trust.”. https://www.sentencingacademy.org.uk/executive-director-julian-roberts/
• Anglia Ruskin University. “Child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE).”. https://aru.ac.uk/policing-institute/research/csae-dawes
• Trafficking Culture. “Funded PhD Opportunity.”. https://traffickingculture.org/news/funded-phd-opportunity/
• May, T., Bhardwa, B., & McSweeney, T. (2016). "It's all about the money, money, money: Taking stock of organised crime groups involved in fraud. Final report to the Dawes Trust." Institute for Criminal Policy Research.
• Perpetuity Research & The Police Foundation. “The impact of organised crime in local communities” (Dawes Trust funded study)..