The J G Graves Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 207481

Annual Expenditure: £0.3M
Geographic Focus: Sheffield City

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £283,248 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 4 weeks after quarterly trustee meetings
  • Grant Range: £500 - £3,000 (typical)
  • Geographic Focus: Sheffield only

Contact Details

Website: https://jggravescharitabletrust.co.uk

Email: JGG@bhp.co.uk / rachel.heath@bhp.co.uk

Phone: 0114 266 7171

Pre-Application Support: Contact Laura Green or Rachel Heath for application assistance

Overview

The J G Graves Charitable Trust was established in 1930 by Sheffield's renowned philanthropist John George Graves, who gifted over £1 million to the city during his lifetime. The Trust continues his legacy through grant-making focused exclusively on Sheffield. With annual expenditure of £283,248 (2024) and total income of £234,994, the Trust is managed by nine trustees including Adrian Graves, the fourth generation of the family to serve. The Trust makes approximately 50 grants each year, primarily supporting disadvantaged groups, community-based projects and facilities, activities that improve health and wellbeing, and projects celebrating Sheffield's heritage. Chair Dona Womack notes that she “continues to be amazed and impressed by the variety of local organisations that the Trust is able to support.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants Programme: £500 - £3,000 (typical range)

  • Application method: Quarterly deadlines (31 March, 30 June, 30 September, 31 December)
  • The Trust rarely covers full project costs unless the amount is modest
  • Applications may result in immediate grants, conditional grants, or recurring grants for multiple years

Priority Areas

The Trust supports projects aligned with the founder's charitable interests:

  • Community & Social Welfare: Food poverty initiatives, social isolation reduction, wellbeing programs for disadvantaged groups
  • Environment & Conservation: Park restoration, biodiversity projects, climate change adaptation, woodland management
  • Arts & Culture: Gallery acquisitions, art courses, creative workshops
  • Heritage Projects: Historic building restoration, memorial preservation
  • Recreation & Play: Adventure playgrounds, community gardens, accessible leisure activities outside statutory provision
  • Education & Science: Educational initiatives and community learning
  • Medical & Health Facilities: Hospital or medical facilities benefiting the community in terms of earlier availability
  • Food Security: Supporting charities providing meals to those in need

Funding Preferences:

  • Preference for capital projects, though “seed corn” funding and running costs also supported
  • Preference for special projects as opposed to supplementing normal income
  • Will support projects for up to three years in exceptional circumstances
  • Majority of funds donated to local charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs)

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual applications: Grants not generally made for the benefit of individuals; applications by or on behalf of individuals unlikely to be successful
  • Non-Sheffield projects: Applications from charities whose work does not benefit Sheffield and its inhabitants are excluded
  • National organisations: Only considered when submitted by a local representative and the application relates specifically to Sheffield
  • Non-charitable projects: Applications for projects without a charitable or community-based focus unlikely to be successful
  • Recent grant recipients: Trustees do not usually consider applications from charities that have requested a grant within the last 12 months
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Governance and Leadership

The Trust is managed by nine trustees, with no trustees receiving remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. Current trustees include:

  • Adrian Graves: Fourth generation of the Graves family to serve as trustee, having succeeded his father in 2018
  • Dona Womack: Chair, trustee for over 20 years
  • Jackie: Former Lord Mayor of Sheffield (2006-07), trustee for over 15 years
  • Peter: Former City Councillor for Shiregreen/Brightside Ward for 50 years, Sheffield's 100th Lord Mayor (1996-97)
  • Rick: Accountant by profession, acted as Secretary to the Trustees for 27 years, became trustee in 2012

Quote from Chair: Dona Womack states she “continues to be amazed and impressed by the variety of local organisations that the Trust is able to support.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted by quarterly deadlines:

  • 31 March
  • 30 June
  • 30 September
  • 31 December

Application Method: Online application form available at https://jggravescharitabletrust.co.uk/applying-for-a-grant/application/

Key Requirements:

  • Clearly articulate the purpose and measurable community benefit
  • Demonstrate organizational sustainability
  • Show careful attention to detail in all submissions
  • Emphasize how funding will create meaningful impact for large audiences
  • Organisations without charitable status must provide additional information to ensure compliance with Common Reporting Standard

Additional Inquiries: The Trust conducts additional inquiries and site visits to assess applications as part of their stewardship approach.

Decision Timeline

  • Trustees' Meetings: Held quarterly, usually during the last week of January, April, July, and October
  • Decision Notification: Within four weeks of the relevant trustees' meeting
  • Possible Outcomes: Immediate funding, conditional grants, multi-year recurring commitments (rare), requests for additional documentation or site visits, or rejection

Success Rates

The Trust makes approximately 50 grants each year. Specific success rates and total application numbers are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

12-month waiting period: Trustees do not usually consider applications from charities that have requested a grant within the last 12 months.

Post-Award Obligations: Grant recipients must complete a grant monitoring form and return it within six months. Failure to do so disqualifies the organisation from future consideration.

No Feedback: The Trust provides no feedback on declined applications.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Trust's documented guidance and funded projects:

Demonstrate Clear Community Benefit: “The funding request should clearly demonstrate its purpose and benefit, as well as the sustainability of the organisation.” Each application is carefully considered on its own merit.

Maximize Reach: “The Trustees place importance on benefiting as wide a range and as large a number of people as possible from a single grant.”

Sheffield-Specific Impact: All projects must directly benefit Sheffield and its inhabitants. The Trust focuses exclusively on the Sheffield area “as the area of which the Trustees have adequate knowledge.”

Capital Projects Preferred: While running costs are considered, the Trust shows preference for capital projects and special projects rather than supplementing normal income.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

  • Grayson Perry's “Comfort Blanket” tapestry for Museums Sheffield (2014)
  • Sheffield Botanical Gardens curvilinear glass pavilions renovation (Grade 2* listed, 2022/23)
  • FareShare Yorkshire for food redistribution to 323+ community groups
  • Pitsmoor Adventure Playground capital grant for climbing boulder (2017) plus ongoing running costs
  • St Mary's Church COVID-19 pandemic response
  • RivelinCo's intergenerational creative programs addressing social isolation
  • Graves Park climate resilience and biodiversity project
  • The Sheffield Wheat Experiment (community food/education initiative)
  • Ethel Trust waterborne experiences for disadvantaged groups
  • Art House pottery and recovery support programs

Organizational Sustainability: Applications must demonstrate the sustainability of the organisation, not just the project.

Attention to Detail: “Show careful attention to detail in all submissions” - this is explicitly stated as important to the trustees.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Sheffield-only focus: Your project must directly benefit Sheffield and its inhabitants; national organisations need local representation and Sheffield-specific projects
  • Capital projects favored: While running costs are supported, capital projects and special initiatives have preference over supplementing normal income
  • Maximize beneficiary reach: Emphasize how many people will benefit and the breadth of community impact
  • Demonstrate sustainability: Show how your organisation is sustainable beyond this single grant
  • Respect the 12-month rule: Don't reapply within 12 months of a previous application, and submit monitoring forms on time to remain eligible
  • Meet quarterly deadlines: Plan submissions for 31 March, 30 June, 30 September, or 31 December
  • Support available: Contact Laura Green or Rachel Heath (0114 266 7171, JGG@bhp.co.uk) for application assistance before submitting
  • Typical grant size: Budget for £500-£3,000; full project costs rarely covered unless modest in amount

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