The Elephant Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £114,462 (2024)
• Success Rate: Data not publicly available
• Decision Time: 6 weeks
• Grant Range: £2,000 - £5,000 (with potential for larger grants through Shelagh Wakely Bequest)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Website: www.elephanttrust.org.uk

Email: enquiries@elephanttrust.org.uk

Address: International House, 64 Nile Street, London

Overview

Founded in 1975 by English surrealist painter Roland Penrose and American photographer Lee Miller, The Elephant Trust was created to develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the fine arts in the United Kingdom. Remarkably, the Trust was endowed by the sale of a single painting - Max Ernst's “The Elephant Celebes” - to the Tate Gallery, and for almost 50 years this one canvas has been funding artists to produce new work. In the year ending April 5, 2024, the Trust awarded 47 grants (12 to institutions totalling £36,000 and 35 to individuals totalling £78,462). The Trust's philosophy remains true to its founders' vision: “an original, inquisitive, open-minded, generous and unshockable approach to art in all its forms with a bias towards the visual arts.” In 2011, the Trust received the Shelagh Wakely Bequest, expanding its capacity to award some larger grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Grant Programme: £2,000 - £5,000 (rolling deadlines twice yearly)

• Supports visual artists and small organizations to make new work or exhibitions
• Applications submitted via online portal (Submittable)
• Two annual rounds: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter
• Projects with total budgets exceeding £30,000 will not be supported

Shelagh Wakely Bequest: Enables some larger grants beyond the standard £2,000-£5,000 range

• Integrated into main fund for exceptional proposals
• Also supports residencies for Latin American artists in London

Joanna Drew Travel Bursary: Separate award administered by the Trust

• Set up in memory of Joanna Drew (founder member, died 2003)
• Recent winners include Onyeka Igwe (2021), Adeena Mey (2022), Dan Guthrie (2023), and Rehana Zaman (2024)

Priority Areas

The Trust is committed to helping artists and art institutions/galleries that:

• Depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities
• Are frustrated by lack of funds and need support to undertake and complete projects
• Demonstrate originality and imagination in their proposals
• Create new work in the fine arts (visual arts focus)

Priority is given to:

• Individual artists working in the fine arts
• Small organizations and galleries
• Well-argued, imaginative proposals for making or producing new work or exhibitions

What They Don't Fund

• Arts Festivals
• Group Exhibitions
• Community projects
• Students
• Educational or other studies
• Residencies or research (except via Shelagh Wakely Bequest for Latin American artists)
• Symposia or conferences
• Theatres
• Catalogues and monographs
• Projects taking place outside the UK
• Projects by organizations or individuals who have been supported by the Trust in the past 2 years

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees (9 members)

Chair: Benjamin Cook

Board Members:

• Melissa Gronlund
• Ghislaine Charlotte Eva Leung
• Larry Achiampong
• David Musgrave
• Janice Kerbel
• Oliver Basciano
• Elizabeth Carey-Thomas
• Antony William Roland Penrose (son of co-founder Roland Penrose)

The Board maintains the original vision set by founders Roland Penrose and Lee Miller, adhering to their injunction to maintain “an original, inquisitive, open-minded, generous and unshockable approach to art in all its forms with a bias towards the visual arts.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Application Method: Online via Submittable platform only (no email applications accepted)

Application Rounds: Two per year

• Spring/Summer round (typically opens mid-June, deadline mid-July)
• Autumn/Winter round (typically opens mid-December, deadline mid-January)

Application Requirements:

• Must adhere strictly to the Trust's application format
• Submit by midnight on deadline date
• Applications not following format will be discarded

Important: The Trust encourages successful applicants to leverage their awards to unlock additional funding from organizations such as Arts Council England.

Decision Timeline

Notification: Within 6 weeks of application deadline

• Successful applicants are contacted directly
• If you have not heard within 6 weeks, your application was unsuccessful
• The Trust does not contact unsuccessful applicants individually

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, in 2024 the Trust made 47 awards (35 to individuals, 12 to institutions) from what is understood to be a high volume of applications, suggesting a competitive process.

Reapplication Policy

Waiting Period: 2 years minimum

• Successful applicants must wait a minimum of two years before reapplying for help with a new project
• This policy ensures wider distribution of the Trust's modest resources

Application Success Factors

Based on the Trust's stated priorities and philosophy, successful applications demonstrate:

Originality and Imagination: The Trust specifically seeks proposals that “depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities.” This reflects the founders' commitment to supporting cutting-edge artistic practice.

New Work Focus: The Trustees' main objective is to support new work. Proposals should clearly articulate what new work will be created, not documentation or dissemination of existing work.

Modest but Complete Projects: Given grants typically range £2,000-£5,000 and projects over £30,000 total budget are excluded, successful applications present projects that can be meaningfully advanced or completed within these parameters.

Well-Argued Proposals: The Trust looks for “well-argued, imaginative proposals” - applications should provide clear rationale for why the project matters and how the grant will enable its realization.

Alignment with Fine Arts: While maintaining an “unshockable approach to art in all its forms,” the Trust has “a bias towards the visual arts.” Strongest applications come from fine arts contexts.

Financial Need: The Trust aims to help artists and organizations “frustrated by lack of funds” - applications should demonstrate genuine financial need and explain how this funding is critical to the project.

Format Compliance: The Trustees “reserve the right to discard any application which does not adhere to their application format” - meticulous attention to guidelines is essential.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Stay true to the founding vision: The Trust values “original, inquisitive, open-minded, generous and unshockable” approaches to art - embrace bold, experimental proposals
• Focus on new work: This is the Trustees' main objective - clearly articulate what new work will be created
• Right-size your project: With grants of £2,000-£5,000 and a cap of £30,000 total project budget, successful applications present appropriately scaled projects
• Follow format meticulously: The Trust will discard non-compliant applications - strict adherence to guidelines is non-negotiable
• Six-week decision window: Plan accordingly - you'll know within 6 weeks of the deadline whether you've been successful
• Think strategically about leverage: The Trust encourages using their award to unlock additional funding from larger bodies like Arts Council England
• Two-year gap for reapplication: If successful, plan your next application at least two years ahead; if unsuccessful, you can reapply in the next round

References

• The Elephant Trust Official Website: www.elephanttrust.org.uk
• Charity Commission Register: THE ELEPHANT TRUST - Charity 269615, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/269615/full-print
• Multiple third-party funding databases including Get Grants, Artquest, and regional CVS organizations
• Financial data from Charity Commission returns for year ending April 5, 2024