The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust

Charity Number: 326358

Annual Expenditure: £0.5M

Stay updated on changes from The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare 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: £500,000
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: 4 months from deadline
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £35,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK-registered charities working in UK and internationally

Contact Details

Website: https://www.jeansainsburyanimalwelfare.org.uk

Email: Office@jeansainsburyanimalwelfare.org.uk

Phone: 020 7602 7948

Address: Contact via email for correspondence

Overview

The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust (JSAWT) was founded in 1982 by philanthropist Mrs Jean Beryl Lilian Sainsbury, with the first grants distributed in 1983. Since its establishment, the Trust has awarded over £12 million to more than 1,000 animal welfare charities. The Trust distributes approximately £500,000 annually through three funding rounds. In 2015, a substantial legacy enabled the Trust to expand its remit from supporting UK-based work only to include UK-registered charities working internationally. The Trust achieved a milestone in 2023, celebrating its 40th anniversary by distributing nearly £1 million, including £412,000 in additional legacy-funded awards supporting 43 diverse projects worldwide. The Trust is overseen by seven unpaid trustees with expertise in veterinary medicine, law, animal welfare, and finance, who meet three times annually to assess applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Standard Grants: £1,000 - £10,000 (most common range)
  • Small Grants: Under £1,000 (processed outside regular deadlines on rolling basis)
  • Capital Projects: Up to £35,000 (occasional larger grants for building projects)

Application Schedule: Three fixed deadlines annually

  • 1st December (Spring meeting)
  • 1st April (Summer meeting)
  • 1st August (Autumn meeting)

Priority Areas

The Trust supports charities whose purposes include:

  • Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation: Active re-homing and rehabilitation programs for domestic animals
  • Wildlife Conservation: Rescue, rehabilitation, and release of wildlife, particularly endangered species
  • Feral Animal Control: Feeding, capture, neutering, and release programs for feral cats
  • Veterinary Services: Low-cost or emergency veterinary care for animals in need
  • Running Costs: General operational expenses associated with animal welfare activities
  • Capital Purchases: Building improvements, equipment, and facilities (must meet specific ownership criteria)

Geographic Scope: Supports UK-registered charities working both domestically and internationally. Recent funded projects span from Northern Scotland to Sri Lanka, India, Peru, and Thailand.

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual applicants (only registered charities)
  • Charities registered outside the UK
  • Animal sanctuaries without active re-homing, fostering, rehabilitation, or release policies (except for endangered species)
  • Charities importing animals from overseas unless they meet all specified criteria
  • Charities without humane destruction policies for animals that cannot achieve reasonable quality of life
  • Charities with excessive reserves (cash/investments exceeding one year's expenditure, unless held for specific projects)
  • Charities with unreasonable administration costs or cannot justify cost per animal helped
  • Loan applications
  • Overseas charities seeking capital expenditure (generally not supported)
  • Veterinary schools unless funds directly benefit animal welfare or support low-cost first opinion treatment projects
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare 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

The Trust is managed by a board of seven trustees who bring diverse expertise to their oversight role:

  • Two practicing veterinary surgeons: One is a partner in a mixed small animal, farm animal, and equine practice; the other specializes in birds and wildlife
  • Additional expertise: Legal, finance, and animal welfare professionals

All seven trustees serve without remuneration, payments, or benefits. They meet three times annually to review applications and oversee Trust administration. The trustees' collective veterinary and animal welfare experience ensures informed decision-making aligned with the Trust's mission to benefit animals and relieve suffering.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Pre-Application: Review detailed UK Guidelines or Overseas Guidelines on website before applying
  2. Questions: Contact Administration Team at Office@jeansainsburyanimalwelfare.org.uk

Decision Timeline

  • Decision Time: Awards typically made within 4 months (10-12 weeks) of application deadline
  • Notification: Applicants receive feedback about decision
  • Site Visits: Expect a visit from Trust representative either before grant award or during funding period

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics are not publicly available. However, the Trust:

  • Funded 43 projects in 2023 (40th anniversary year with enhanced giving)
  • Has supported over 1,000 charities since 1983
  • Favours smaller charities where grants can have significant impact

Reapplication Policy

  • Successful Applicants: Repeat applications are encouraged when further support might be helpful
  • Minimum Waiting Period: 12 months must elapse from original application deadline before reapplying
  • Post-Grant Requirements:
  • Confirm donation receipt via email
  • Complete Grant Monitoring Form within 6 months
  • Encouraged to share impact stories, photos, and promote the Trust in marketing materials

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Trust

  • Target Smaller Charities: The Trust explicitly favours smaller organizations where “relatively modest grants can have a significant impact”
  • Demonstrate Active Rehoming: Show clear evidence of active re-homing and rehabilitation policies for animals in care, or rescue-rehabilitation-release programs for wildlife
  • Justify Costs: Be prepared to demonstrate reasonable cost per animal helped and justify administration expenses
  • Prepare for Site Visits: Applications should anticipate that Trustees may visit facilities before or during funding period
  • Complete Documentation: Provide current, comprehensive documentation and carefully review application forms
  • Contact with Questions: Administration Team welcomes inquiries before submission

Recently Funded Projects (2023 Examples)

The Trust's 40th anniversary giving funded diverse projects including:

  • New kennels for rescue dogs in Nottinghamshire
  • Hospital rescue tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka
  • Specialist training at Gloucestershire-based hedgehog rescue
  • TOLFA (Tree of Life For Animals): Life-saving veterinary treatment for stray animals in Rajasthan, India
  • Globalteer: Veterinary care for dogs and cats in rural villages around Cusco, Peru
  • Nowzad Charity: Rescue of animals befriended by soldiers in Afghanistan
  • Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation: Elephant conservation work
  • Four Steps to Freedom: Animal rescue and rehabilitation

Key Language and Terminology

  • Emphasize “rescue, rehabilitation, re-homing or release”
  • Reference “relief of suffering in animals”
  • Highlight “wildlife conservation” for endangered species
  • Demonstrate “active re-homing policy” or “capture, neutering, and release”
  • Focus on “benefit and protection of animals”

Standing Out

  • Show Impact per Pound: Smaller organizations should emphasize how grant funds will create meaningful change
  • Demonstrate Professionalism: Provide independently verified accounts even if not legally required
  • Evidence-Based Approach: Share measurable outcomes and cost-effectiveness
  • Align with Veterinary Standards: Trustees include practicing veterinarians, so demonstrate high standards of animal care
  • International Work: UK charities working overseas should clearly demonstrate local impact and complete supplementary questionnaire thoroughly

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Timing is Critical: Three deadlines per year (December 1, April 1, August 1) with 4-month decision windows—plan applications well in advance
  • Size Matters: Being a smaller charity is an advantage; the Trust explicitly favours organizations where modest grants have significant impact
  • Active Rehoming is Essential: Must demonstrate active efforts to re-home, rehabilitate, foster, or release animals—pure sanctuary models are not supported unless for endangered species
  • Expect Accountability: Site visits are standard practice, and Grant Monitoring Forms must be completed within 6 months—prepare for ongoing engagement
  • 12-Month Rule: Cannot reapply within 12 months of original application deadline, so ensure first application is strong and well-timed
  • Reserves Matter: Excessive reserves (over one year's expenditure) without specific project justification will disqualify applications
  • Documentation Standards: All applicants need 12 months of independently verified accounts regardless of charity size—prepare this in advance

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References