The Harris Family Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1064394

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Stay updated on changes from The Harris Family Charitable 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 Giving: £237,970 (2024)
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
Geographic Focus: England and Wales
Assets: £4,007,712 (2024)

Contact Details

Address:

101 New Cavendish Street

1st Floor South

London W1W 6XH

Phone: 020 7467 6300

Email: Not publicly available

Website: No public website

Note: The trust is administered through Harris & Trotter LLP, a firm of chartered accountants specializing in general practice, digital assets, and entertainment sectors.

Overview

The Harris Family Charitable Trust was established under a constitution dated 26 March 1997 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 15 September 1997 (Charity Number 1064394). The trust holds assets of over £4 million and distributed £237,970 in grants during the financial year ending April 2024. The trust operates with a broad charitable remit, holding funds “to apply them for all charitable purposes allowed by law within England and Wales.” The trust is a family-operated charitable foundation with five trustees, all members of the Harris family, led by Ronnie Harris as Chair. The trust maintains a low public profile with no website or published grant guidelines.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs with published criteria. According to their public filings, "The Charity invites applications for funding of projects through various sources. The applications are reviewed by the trustees who ensure that they are in accordance with the Charity's objectives."

Priority Areas

The trust's objectives allow for funding across all charitable purposes within England and Wales. The Charity Commission records indicate the trust's main activities include:

General charitable purposes
Advancement of health or saving of lives

Beneficiary groups include:

Children and young people
Elderly people
People with disabilities
People of particular ethnic or racial origin

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly disclosed. Given the broad charitable purposes, trustees have wide discretion in determining eligible projects.

Ready to write a winning application for The Harris Family Charitable 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

The trust has five trustees, all family members:

Ronnie Harris (Chair)

Ronnie Harris is a chartered accountant with Harris & Trotter LLP and has been involved in the charity sector for over 25 years. He has personally raised over £2 million for charities through challenge events including marathons, cycling around the world, and mountain climbing. He serves as Vice President and Vice Chairman at Norwood, a charity supporting children and families with learning disabilities. He also serves as a trustee of:

Robyn Charitable Trust (founded by musician Mark Knopfler, focusing on children's welfare)
H & T Clients Charitable Trust (general charitable purposes in England and Wales)
The Illsley Family Charitable Trust (worldwide charitable purposes)
Teenage Cancer Trust (Vice President role)

Sophie Hannah Harris

Trustee since 30 January 2012

Toby Saul Harris

Trustee since 30 January 2012

Charlotte Emma Harris

Trustee (appointment date not publicly disclosed)

Loretta M Harris

Trustee (appointment date not publicly disclosed)

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The management of the charity is the responsibility of the trustees who are elected and co-opted under the constitution.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process or published guidelines. According to their Charity Commission filings, “The Charity invites applications for funding of projects through various sources,” and applications can be made in writing to the trust's address. However, the specific process, required documentation, and eligibility criteria are not publicly disclosed.

Applications should be sent to:

The Trustees

The Harris Family Charitable Trust

101 New Cavendish Street

1st Floor South

London W1W 6XH

A detailed breakdown of grants made is noted as “available on request” in their annual accounts, suggesting the trust operates with discretion and may prefer direct contact over open applications.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The trust does not publish information about trustee meeting schedules or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. The trust's accounts show they made grants totalling £237,970 in the 2024 financial year and £228,914 in 2022, but do not disclose the number of applications received or success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information about this trust's grant-making preferences, the following insights can be drawn from their structure and governance:

Family Connection and Trustee Interests:

Chair Ronnie Harris's extensive charity work focuses on children's welfare, health (particularly cancer services), and disability support. His involvement with Teenage Cancer Trust, Norwood (learning disabilities), and the Robyn Charitable Trust (children's welfare) suggests these may be areas of personal interest that could influence grant decisions.

Professional Administration:

The trust is administered through Harris & Trotter LLP, a respected firm of chartered accountants. Applications should be professionally presented with clear financial information and charitable objectives.

Broad Charitable Purposes:

The trust's constitution allows funding for “all charitable purposes allowed by law within England and Wales,” giving trustees wide discretion. This suggests flexibility but also means there are no published criteria to guide applicants.

Grant Size Considerations:

With annual distributions of approximately £238,000 and assets of over £4 million, this is a moderately sized trust capable of making meaningful grants, though specific grant amounts are not publicly disclosed.

Discretionary Approach:

The trust states that grants information is “available on request” rather than being published, indicating a preference for private, relationship-based grant-making rather than open competition.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process: This is a private family trust without published guidelines, application forms, or deadlines. Contact the trust in writing to express interest.

Trustee discretion is paramount: With broad charitable objectives covering “all charitable purposes” in England and Wales, the trustees have complete discretion over funding decisions.

Consider trustee interests: Chair Ronnie Harris has demonstrated passion for children's welfare, cancer services, disability support, and health causes—alignment with these areas may be beneficial.

Professional presentation matters: Administered by a respected accounting firm, applications should be well-organized with clear financial information and charitable objectives.

Build relationships first: The trust's low public profile and private approach suggests they may prefer to fund organizations they know or that come recommended through their networks.

No published success rates or timelines: Be prepared for an uncertain timeline and understand that the trust does not disclose information about application volumes or success rates.

Moderate funding capacity: With annual giving around £238,000, the trust has meaningful but not unlimited resources. Tailor funding requests appropriately.