The Ecology Trust

Charity Number: 1099222

Annual Expenditure: £1.2M

Stay updated on changes from The Ecology 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 Income: £1,734,855
  • Annual Expenditure: £1,208,316 (primarily charitable activities)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-based with international reach (particularly Indonesia)
  • Application Process: Invitation only - no unsolicited applications accepted
  • Employees: 4
  • Trustees: 3

Contact Details

Website: https://ecologytrust.org/

Charity Number: 1099222

Note: The Trust proactively contacts organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Ecology Trust was established in 2003 as a grant-making trust regulated by the Charity Commission for England & Wales. With an annual income of approximately £1.7 million, the Trust takes an innovative approach to environmental philanthropy by focusing on addressing the root causes of environmental harm rather than merely alleviating symptoms. Unusually, the Trust operates without an endowment, instead sourcing income from other philanthropic organizations and individual donors and deploying these funds through initiatives aligned with donor intentions. The Trust has built a reputation for incubating and hosting environmental philanthropic initiatives, including the Environmental Funders Network (co-founded by their Trust Secretary) and Ibiza Preservation. Currently, they host two major initiatives: the Leuser Ecosystem Action Fund and Funders for Fair Trade. Their grantmaking emphasizes deep engagement with grant partners, involving them in program strategy and design while providing networking, coalition-building, and capacity-building opportunities alongside financial support.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Ecology Trust does not operate traditional open grant programs. Instead, they function through hosted initiatives:

Leuser Ecosystem Action Fund (LEAF)

  • Founded in 2017 with support from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
  • Hosted by The Ecology Trust since inception
  • Aims to provide approximately $8 million annually for Leuser ecosystem conservation
  • Supports collaborative conservation plans including conservation work, economic initiatives, legal efforts, and community livelihood projects
  • Targets campaigners, conservationists, scientists, and advocates working in the Leuser ecosystem

Funders for Fair Trade

  • A collaboration managed by Trust Secretary Jon Cracknell
  • Specific funding details not publicly available

Environmental Funders Network Support

  • Previously received £15,000 to provide financial and in-kind support to the UK Environmental Funders Network
  • The Trust has incubated and supported this network initiative

Priority Areas

  • Root causes of environmental harm: Projects that address underlying drivers rather than symptoms
  • Nature and wild places protection: Conservation initiatives protecting critical ecosystems
  • Climate change mitigation: Projects addressing the drivers of climate change
  • Collaborative conservation: Inter-related strategies involving multiple stakeholders
  • Community livelihoods: Economic and livelihood support linked to conservation outcomes
  • Environmental campaigning: Strategic advocacy and legal efforts for environmental protection

What They Don't Fund

The Trust does not accept unsolicited applications, meaning they do not fund:

  • Organizations they have not proactively identified and contacted
  • Projects outside their specific hosted initiatives
  • Work not aligned with resources donated to the Trust by their funders
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Ecology 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

Trustees: 3 (names not publicly listed on website)

  • Trustees receive no remuneration
  • The organization maintains a lean governance structure

Key Personnel:

Jon Cracknell - Trust Secretary

  • Has worked with the Goldsmith family's environmental philanthropy since 1993
  • Managing the family's environmental grant-making and philanthropy since 1998
  • Co-founded the Environmental Funders Network and ran it for its first seven years
  • Currently manages grants for Funders for Fair Trade collaboration
  • Heavily involved in environmental funders networks in the UK and internationally

According to Cracknell: "It's time for a movement-based funding approach" in environmental philanthropy, reflecting the Trust's strategic orientation toward collaborative, networked grantmaking.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Ecology Trust does not have a public application process.

The Trust explicitly states: “At this time, the trust is unable to respond to unsolicited funding applications and proactively contacts organisations working on issues aligned with the resources donated to the Trust.”

This invitation-only approach means:

  • The Trust identifies and contacts potential grant partners directly
  • Applications are not accepted from organizations not already in conversation with the Trust
  • Funding decisions are made based on alignment with specific resources donated to the Trust by their funders
  • Grant partnerships are initiated by the Trust, not by applicants

Getting on Their Radar

Jon Cracknell's Environmental Networks: The Trust Secretary has deep connections in environmental philanthropy, particularly through:

  • The Environmental Funders Network (which he co-founded and ran for seven years)
  • International environmental funders networks
  • The Ariadne Network (European network for social change philanthropy)
  • 360Giving (where he serves as a trustee)

Hosted Initiatives: Organizations working in the Trust's specific focus areas may be identified through their hosted initiatives:

  • For Leuser ecosystem conservation work in Indonesia, the Leuser Ecosystem Action Fund may identify relevant organizations
  • For fair trade-related environmental work, the Funders for Fair Trade collaboration may be a pathway

Sector Visibility: Given the Trust's emphasis on collaborative approaches and strategic networks, organizations that are well-networked within UK environmental philanthropy and conservation sectors, participate in collaborative conservation plans, and are visible through their strategic environmental campaigning work may be more likely to come to the Trust's attention.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. Given the proactive, relationship-based approach, timelines likely vary based on specific initiatives and available funding.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the Trust operates on an invitation-only basis rather than through competitive application processes.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations cannot apply or reapply as the Trust does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since applications are not accepted, these factors relate to the types of organizations and work the Trust chooses to support:

Alignment with Root Causes: The Trust explicitly focuses on “addressing the causes of environmental harm, rather than alleviating the symptoms.” Organizations working on systemic change and underlying drivers of environmental degradation align with their philosophy.

Collaborative Approaches: The Trust values grant partners who “input to programme strategy and design” and emphasizes supporting collaborative plans with inter-related conservation strategies. Organizations willing to work as genuine partners in strategy development are preferred.

Strong Networks and Partnerships: The Trust assists grant partners with “networking, coalition-building and capacity-building opportunities” and seeks to leverage these connections. Organizations with or seeking strong collaborative relationships fit their model.

Strategic and Creative Change-Making: Based on the Leuser fund description, the Trust values “strategic, creative” approaches to environmental challenges rather than conventional interventions.

Capacity for Engagement: With only 4 employees and annual expenditure of £1.2 million, the Trust emphasizes “strong engagement with grant partners.” Organizations able to engage meaningfully in partnership rather than simply receiving transactional grants align with their model.

Donor Alignment: The Trust deploys funds “aligned with the resources donated to the Trust” - their grantmaking is shaped by what their own funders designate, meaning organizational fit depends on current donor priorities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public applications accepted: This funder cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. Do not submit unsolicited requests.
  • Invitation-only model: The Trust proactively identifies and contacts organizations aligned with their funded initiatives and donor intentions.
  • Partnership approach: When the Trust does engage grant partners, they emphasize deep collaboration, involving grantees in strategy and design rather than top-down funding.
  • Network visibility matters: With leadership deeply embedded in UK and international environmental funders networks, being visible and well-regarded in these networks may increase chances of being identified.
  • Root causes focus: The Trust explicitly seeks work addressing underlying drivers of environmental harm, not symptomatic interventions - frame your work accordingly if you do connect with them.
  • Hosted initiatives as pathways: The Leuser Ecosystem Action Fund and Funders for Fair Trade represent specific thematic areas where the Trust is active - organizations working in these spaces may be more likely to be identified.
  • Unusual funding model: The Trust operates without an endowment, instead channeling funds from other philanthropists and organizations, meaning their grantmaking capacity and focus areas shift based on current donor resources.

🎯 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

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References