The G C Gibson Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 258710

Annual Expenditure: £0.6M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £585,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Less than 2% (10 grants from 600+ applications for new applicants)
  • Decision Time: 12-14 weeks (decisions by November)
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £10,000 (new applicants up to £5,000)
  • Geographic Focus: UK registered charities, supporting projects globally

Contact Details

  • Website: www.gcgct.org
  • Email: gcgibsoncharity@gmail.com
  • Phone: 07850859824

Note: The trust explicitly states questions “almost certainly will not” be answered and requests applicants do not contact them.

Overview

Established in 1968 by George Gibson through a grant of shares in his Cardiff-based shipping business (Atlantic Shipping), the G C Gibson Charitable Trust currently holds assets worth £16 million invested in quoted equities. The trust distributes approximately £585,000 annually to around 200 charities, though the majority of these are recurring grants to charities the trustees have worked with previously. The trustees are the grandchildren of George Gibson and are all highly involved in various philanthropic activities. The trust has helped more than 1,000 small and medium-sized charities since the 1970s. The trust operates two distinct funding streams: ongoing support for established grantees (approximately 190 charities) and an annual competitive application round for new charities (approximately 10 grants).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Annual Open Application Programme: £1,000 - £5,000

  • 10 grants available annually through online application
  • One-off grants for capital or product purchases
  • Application window: July 31 - end of August
  • Decisions communicated by November

Recurring Grants Programme: £1,000 - £10,000 (average £3,000)

  • Approximately 190 grants to established partner charities
  • Primarily supports core expenditure
  • Priority given to charities trustees have previously worked with
  • Not open to new applicants through standard process

Priority Areas

The trust funds capital or product purchases for UK registered charities in:

  • Education: Educational projects and resources
  • Sport: Sports facilities and equipment
  • Conservation: Nature and environmental conservation projects
  • Social Inclusion: Projects supporting social cohesion and inclusion
  • Physical and Mental Health: Health-related capital projects for all ages

The trust is religiously neutral and supports projects anywhere in the world.

What They Don't Fund

The trust explicitly excludes:

  • Christian Church fabric
  • Hospices
  • Educational farms
  • Animal sanctuaries
  • Riding/carriage driving for disabled people
  • Cancer care and research
  • Charities with annual donation income over £1 million
  • Projects with total costs exceeding £20,000
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by the grandchildren of founder George Gibson. The trustees receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity and are described as “all highly involved in various philanthropic activities.”

The family-run structure means trustees have direct personal involvement in funding decisions and prioritize relationships with charities they know and trust. This personal approach has enabled the trust to support over 1,000 charities since the 1970s.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Online Application Only: Applications must be submitted through the trust's website at www.gcgct.org during the annual application window.

Application Window: July 31 - end of August (one month only)

Key Application Guidance:

  • “Short applications do better”
  • “Take your time – there will be no advantage in being early”
  • Complete the simple webform provided

Decision Timeline

  • Application Period: Late July - end of August
  • Decision Timeline: Approximately 12-14 weeks
  • Notification: By end of October/November
  • Contact Method: Successful applicants only are contacted

The trust explicitly states: “We will provide no reason for rejecting any application.”

Success Rates

The trust has experienced an overwhelming response to its online application process:

  • Over 600 applications received in recent rounds
  • 10 grants awarded through annual open application
  • Success rate: Less than 2% for new applicants
  • The trust itself warns: “Your individual chance of success is negligible”

However, approximately 190 charities receive recurring grants, representing long-term partnerships built over time.

Reapplication Policy

No explicit reapplication policy is stated. The trust runs annual application rounds, but does not specify whether unsuccessful applicants may reapply in subsequent years. Given the trust's minimal communication approach, unsuccessful applicants are not prevented from reapplying but should note the extremely low success rates.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

The trust provides two key pieces of explicit guidance:

  1. “Short applications do better” - Brevity is valued over lengthy detail
  2. “Take your time – there will be no advantage in being early” - Quality matters more than speed

Strategic Insights

What the Trust Values:

  • Smaller charities: Maximum annual donation income of £1 million
  • Defined projects: Capital or product purchases with clear outcomes
  • Modest project costs: Maximum total project cost of £20,000
  • Simplicity: Simple, straightforward applications
  • Impact potential: Projects where the grant “will not get lost and will influence the lives of many”

Understanding the Trust's Context:

The trust acknowledges that “AI has made it too easy to find them,” contributing to overwhelming application volumes. This suggests they value applicants who have genuinely researched their priorities rather than mass-applying.

Relationship Building:

While new applicants face extremely competitive odds (less than 2%), the trust adds “a few new charities each year” to its roster of recurring grantees. This suggests successful applicants may be considered for ongoing funding relationships.

Common Challenges

  • Very high competition: Over 600 applications for 10 grants
  • No feedback: The trust will not explain rejection reasons
  • Limited communication: Questions “almost certainly will not” be answered
  • Changing themes: The trust may change its focus theme year-to-year for new applications

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Keep it brief: The trust explicitly favors short applications - don't overwhelm with detail
  1. Focus on capital purchases: This is specifically what the annual programme funds - equipment, products, capital items, not running costs
  1. Ensure eligibility: Verify your charity's donation income is under £1 million and project costs under £20,000 before applying
  1. Align with excluded categories: Check the exclusion list carefully - several specific areas (hospices, animal sanctuaries, cancer care, etc.) are explicitly excluded
  1. Accept the odds: With less than 2% success rate, treat this as a lottery but ensure your application is high quality
  1. Target smaller organizations: The trust prefers charities where their grant will have significant impact relative to organizational size
  1. Apply during the window: July 31 - end of August only; no advantage to early submission so take time to craft a quality application

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