The Jephcott Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £87,939 (2023/24)
• Grant Range: £2,000 - £10,000 (up to £20,000 in exceptional cases)
• Decision Time: Variable (depends on submission timing relative to April/October meetings)
• Geographic Focus: International (primarily Africa and Asia, but accepts UK applications)
• Current Portfolio: ~70 active projects
• Application Method: Fixed deadlines (twice yearly)

Contact Details

Website: www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk

Phone: 07941102509

Postal Address:

The Secretary

Jephcott Charitable Trust

The Threshing Barn

Ford

Kingsbridge

Devon TQ7 2LN

United Kingdom

Overview

The Jephcott Charitable Trust was established in 1965 by Sir Harry Jephcott, a pharmaceutical chemist and industrialist who helped build Glaxo into a major pharmaceutical company. With assets of £8.77 million (as of June 2024) and annual expenditure of approximately £152,000, the Trust makes grants in four main areas: population control, natural environment, education, and health. The Trust is run by trustees with varied backgrounds who typically serve for ten years, with one member of Sir Harry Jephcott's family always serving as a trustee. In 2023/24, the Trust supported 10 projects with grants totalling £87,939. The Trust currently funds around 70 projects globally, with approximately 40 in Africa, 20 in Asia, and others in Europe and Latin America. The Trust focuses on making “pump-priming” grants that will make a tangible difference, particularly supporting charities or projects that have difficulty getting started or raising funds from other sources.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust operates a single rolling grant program with the following characteristics:

• Grant Size: £2,000 - £10,000 (up to £20,000 in exceptional cases)
• Application Method: Fixed deadlines - trustee meetings in April and October
• Type of Costs: Strongly prefer capital costs rather than running costs

Priority Areas

Natural Environment

• Small-scale agriculture and livestock production
• Horticulture and agricultural training
• Community water supply
• Environmental education
• Tree planting and rewilding
• Renewable energy (including solar panels)
• Protection of habitats and farm sustainability
• Biodiversity conservation
• Initiatives to combat climate change and carbon capture

Education

• Formal education at all levels
• Vocational skills training
• Technical development
• Health and hygiene training
• School construction and renovation
• Residential schools for vulnerable children

Health

• Projects to upscale health infrastructure
• Purchase of updated medical equipment
• Renovation of existing healthcare buildings
• Professional development of healthcare professionals
• Projects that improve wellbeing and life chances of communities

Population Control

• Projects related to population control (limited detail publicly available)

What They Don't Fund

• General appeals for large national charities or organisations
• Individual expeditions
• Promotion of religion
• Animal welfare projects
• Heritage sites and buildings
• Running costs including staff salaries, administration, marketing, and travel costs
• Organizations with excessive administrative costs
• Projects that have already taken place

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

• Mr Mark Jephcott (Chairman)
• Mr Keith Morgan CBE (Deputy Chairman)
• Mr Stephen Lamdin
• Dr David Thomas
• Mr James Parker
• Mr Christopher Parker
• Ms Corjanne van Drimmelen

The Trust maintains strong governance procedures and is committed to ensuring no trustees receive remuneration or payments. The trustees have noted of the late President Sir Neil Jephcott: “His wisdom, generosity and guidance will be missed by everyone associated with the Charity,” reflecting the Trust's commitment to thoughtful stewardship.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Download the application guidelines and form from www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk/apply
2. Complete the application form thoroughly
3. Submit by post to The Secretary at the address above
4. Include all necessary supporting documentation

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be a UK registered charity (which may work in any country)
• OR provide the name of a UK registered charity which will endorse the application and accept the grant on behalf of the applicant
• Project must fall within JCT's funding priorities
• Project must not have already taken place
• Project must benefit a community or large number of people

Decision Timeline

• Acknowledgement: Within a few weeks of submission
• Trustee Meetings: April and October each year
• Decision Notification: Shortly after the trustee meetings
• Total Timeline: Variable depending on when you submit relative to the twice-yearly meetings

If trustees need further information, they will contact you for additional discussion before making a final decision.

Success Rates

The Trust receives many more applications than it can fund each year. In 2023/24, they supported 10 projects with total grants of £87,939. The Trust notes that “many applications will unfortunately not be funded, even though they are eligible under their guidelines and priorities,” indicating competition is significant.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is documented publicly. Applicants are advised to contact the Trust directly for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

The Trust has explicitly stated what they look for when evaluating applications:

Key Selection Criteria:

1. Ability to objectively evaluate project effectiveness - The Trust wants to see how you will measure success
2. Project sustainability - Can the project continue after initial funding?
3. Organizational self-help - “The extent to which the organisation has worked hard to obtain support and to help themselves”
4. Efficient use of charitable funds - “The amount of charitable funds spent on salaries, administration, marketing and expenses”

What Makes a Strong Application:

The Trust states they “like to make grants which will make a tangible difference” and prefer projects that are:

• Pump-priming in nature - Start-up funding that enables organizations to get going
• Clearly beneficial - Projects with “significant, tangible, long-term and sustainable benefit to a community, region, area or large number of people”
• Capital-focused - Funding for equipment, materials, construction of buildings, solar panels, etc.
• Hard to fund elsewhere - The Trust “will consider charities or projects which have difficulty getting started or raising funds from other sources”

Type of Projects They Fund:

Recent examples include:

• Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund (Uganda) - renovation of a primary school in Bugulumbya
• Lotus Flower (India) - building a residential school for homeless children
• Various small-scale agriculture, water supply, and environmental education projects across Africa and Asia

Strategic Advice:

• Focus on capital costs rather than running costs
• Demonstrate how the project will have measurable, long-term impact
• Show evidence of organizational efficiency (low administrative overhead)
• Explain why the project is difficult to fund from other sources
• Emphasize sustainability beyond the initial grant period
• Involve third parties or community stakeholders where possible

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Capital over revenue: The Trust strongly prefers capital projects (equipment, buildings, materials) and does not fund running costs like salaries or administration
• Pump-priming focus: Ideal for start-up projects that need initial funding to get off the ground, especially those struggling to secure funding elsewhere
• Demonstrate efficiency: Show low administrative overhead and efficient use of funds - this is explicitly evaluated
• Sustainability is crucial: Trustees want to see how the project will continue after their initial investment
• Plan around meeting dates: Applications are only reviewed in April and October, so timing your submission strategically can reduce waiting time
• International welcome: While you must be or partner with a UK registered charity, projects can be located anywhere in the world
• Competition is high: With only 10 projects funded in 2023/24 from many applications, ensure your application clearly demonstrates tangible impact and alignment with their priorities

References

• The Jephcott Charitable Trust official website: www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk
• Application guidelines: www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk/apply
• About page: www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk/about
• Charity Commission Register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=240915
• Funding Scotland database: https://funding.scot/funds/a0R3z00000JHtKXEA1/jephcott-charitable-trust
• Environmental Grants directory: https://www.environmentalgrants.org/jephcott-charitable-trust-jct/