The Hdh Wills 1965 Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1117747

Annual Expenditure: £1.3M
Geographic Focus: Scotland

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,270,000 (charitable activities expenditure, 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 8-10 weeks (bi-monthly committee meetings)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £50,000
  • Geographic Focus: England, Scotland, and Wales

Contact Details

Website: www.hdhwills.org

Email: trust@hdhwills.org

Phone: 01608 678051

Registered Charity Number: 1117747

Company Secretary & Administrator: Sue Trafford

Overview

The HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust is an independent grant-making charity founded by the late Sir David Wills MBE (1917-1999). The Trust is funded by assets put into it by Sir David and his son Martin Wills (1953-1992), including farming estates at Ditchley in Oxfordshire and Ousden in Suffolk, plus a portfolio of listed investments. With total income of £3.04 million and charitable expenditure of £1.27 million in 2024, the Trust supports small general charities and organizations dedicated to wildlife conservation and environmental protection. The Trust's stated objects are “to promote such charitable purposes, charitable institutions or charitable foundations anywhere in the world as the Trustees in their absolute discretion think fit,” with a particular focus on environmental and wildlife stewardship. The Trust operates multiple grant programs including small monthly grants and a large grants scheme following a seven-year cycle.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants - General Fund

  • £500 - £2,000 per grant
  • For small general charities or modest projects where the donation will have substantial benefit
  • Applications reviewed bi-monthly by grants committee
  • Rolling application basis - no fixed deadlines

Small Grants - Martin Wills Wildlife Maintenance Trust

  • £1,000 - £2,000 (occasionally up to £5,000)
  • For wildlife and environmental conservation projects
  • Applications reviewed on an ad hoc basis
  • Rolling application basis - no fixed deadlines

Large Grants

  • £5,000 - £50,000
  • Operates on a seven-year cycle
  • Only available for wildlife and environmental causes in years 3 and 4 of the cycle
  • Last awarded in 2024; next application year will be 2026
  • Fixed application periods when open

Priority Areas

Wildlife Conservation

  • Conservation and protection of wildlife
  • Indigenous woodland flora and fauna
  • Biodiversity promotion

Environmental Conservation

  • Conservation and maintenance of the natural environment
  • Protection and improvement of the physical environment
  • Character and amenity of rural areas
  • Environmental stewardship

General Charitable Purposes

  • Small charities requiring modest support (£500-£2,000 range)
  • Charities where the grant will make substantial impact

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals seeking personal support
  • Organizations that received a grant within the previous 24 months
  • Unregistered organizations (must be registered with Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR, or be exempt/excepted charities)
  • Charities that are too large to benefit substantially from grants in the £500-£2,000 range (for small grants programme)
  • Organizations outside England, Scotland, and Wales
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Tom Nelson (Chair) - Head of Natural Resources, appointed 2010
  • John Seton Burrell Carson - Chartered Accountant, appointed 2006
  • Martin Fiennes - Corporate Financier, appointed 2008
  • Richard Tulloch - Banking, appointed 2017
  • Amanda Ponsonby - Trustee
  • Liell Francklin - Trustee

Company Secretary & Administrator: Sue Trafford

The Trust employs 6 staff members. No trustees receive remuneration or payments for their service. The Trust also oversees two related charitable entities: The Martin Wills Fund (subsidiary charity) and The Martin Wills Wildlife Maintenance Trust (separate charity focused on wildlife conservation).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Online Application (Recommended)

  • Complete the online application form at hdhwills.org in one sitting (cannot be saved and resumed)
  • Must have all required information ready before starting

Alternative Methods

  • Post or email applications also accepted

Before Applying

  • Review the grant criteria for Small Grants or Large Grants
  • Ensure your organization meets eligibility requirements
  • Check that you have not received a grant within the previous 24 months

Required Information

  • Contact details
  • Charitable status and registration number
  • Brief organizational description
  • Most recent financial accounts
  • Safeguarding policy (if applicable)
  • Project document including:
  • Description of the project and amount sought
  • Details of who will manage the project
  • Start and completion dates
  • Project budget
  • Details of funds already raised and other sources approached
  • Monitoring and evaluation plan

Decision Timeline

Small Grants

  • Grants committee meets bi-monthly (every 2 months)
  • Applications can be submitted at any time on a rolling basis
  • Typical timeframe from submission to decision: 8-10 weeks

Large Grants

  • Applications reviewed when programme is open (years 3 and 4 of seven-year cycle)
  • Longer review process due to larger grant amounts
  • Specific timelines announced when programme opens

Notification

  • Information submitted is strictly confidential
  • Applicants notified of decisions after committee meetings
  • Specific notification methods not publicly disclosed

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly disclosed by the Trust.

Reapplication Policy

The Trust will not generally make a grant to an organization that it has supported within the previous 24 months. Organizations must wait at least 2 years after receiving a grant before reapplying.

Application Success Factors

Key Alignment Factors

1. Size and Impact

  • The Trust seeks to support organizations small enough that a grant of £500-£2,000 will have substantial benefit
  • Demonstrate how the grant will make meaningful impact relative to your organization's size

2. Conservation Focus

  • Strong preference for wildlife and environmental conservation projects
  • Align with the Trust's focus on “conservation and maintenance for the benefit of the public of the natural environment and its indigenous woodland flora and fauna”
  • Emphasize rural character and amenity preservation

3. Complete and Clear Applications

  • Provide comprehensive project documentation
  • Include specific, measurable outcomes
  • Detail how the project will be monitored and evaluated
  • Present clear budget breakdown and funding strategy

4. Project Management

  • Clearly identify who will manage the project
  • Provide realistic start and completion dates
  • Demonstrate organizational capacity to deliver

5. Financial Transparency

  • Submit most recent financial accounts
  • Show other funding sources approached or secured
  • Demonstrate sustainable project planning

Strategic Approach

For Environmental/Wildlife Organizations:

  • Highlight specific conservation outcomes (species, habitats, biodiversity)
  • Emphasize rural and natural environment focus
  • Connect to indigenous woodland flora and fauna where relevant
  • Demonstrate public benefit

For General Charities:

  • Apply only if you are genuinely a small organization
  • Show how modest funding (£500-£2,000) will create substantial impact
  • Be realistic about grant expectations

Process Tips

  • Have all documentation ready before starting online application (cannot save and resume)
  • Respect the 24-month reapplication restriction
  • Consider timing: bi-monthly decisions mean some applications may wait longer depending on submission date
  • For large grants, note the seven-year cycle and plan accordingly

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Focus on conservation: Wildlife and environmental projects receive higher grant amounts (£1,000-£2,000+) compared to general charities (£500-£2,000)
  • Size matters: The Trust specifically targets smaller organizations where their grants will have substantial impact - don't apply if you're a large charity
  • Plan ahead for large grants: The seven-year cycle means large grants (£5,000-£50,000) are only available in specific years; next opportunity is 2026
  • Respect the waiting period: You cannot reapply within 24 months of receiving a grant, so make your application count
  • Complete documentation is essential: Have all required materials ready, including financial accounts, safeguarding policies, and comprehensive project plans
  • Rolling applications work in your favor: No fixed deadlines means you can apply when your project is ready, but expect 8-10 week decision timeframes
  • Demonstrate clear outcomes: Include specific monitoring and evaluation plans to show how you'll measure success and impact

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