The Kitchen Table Charities Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £220,000 (approx.)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (rolling basis)
• Grant Range: £1,200 - £6,500
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Africa (East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa)
• Grants Per Year: 20-25 projects

Contact Details

Address: 151 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2AH

Website: www.kitchentablecharities.org

Email:

• General enquiries: charityservices@lcvs.org.uk
• Grant applications: donaldsonatKTCT1@yahoo.co.uk (Committee Chairman Brian Donaldson)

Phone: 0151 227 5177

Registered Charity Number: 1110829

Overview

Founded by broadcaster John Humphrys after receiving over 2,000 letters from readers following newspaper articles about small charities doing exceptional work in developing countries, The Kitchen Table Charities Trust (KTCT) was established to support grassroots organizations that lack fundraising capacity but serve the world's most vulnerable populations. The charity has been operating for approximately 20 years and maintains a distinctive governance model where trustees literally gather around John Humphrys' kitchen table annually to make funding decisions.

With annual expenditure of approximately £221,015 (financial year ending June 2024) and income of £309,466, KTCT focuses exclusively on small-scale, high-impact projects primarily across Africa. The trust operates with zero paid staff and no trustee remuneration, ensuring every penny raised goes directly to beneficiaries. Administrative services are provided by Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS), which handles back-office functions for over 400 charitable trusts.

The trust's philosophy, articulated by founder John Humphrys, is that “Charity is about individuals helping other individuals with the minimum of bureaucracy,” with a strong emphasis on education as the pathway out of poverty.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants Programme: £1,200 - £6,500 (rolling applications)

• Applications accepted year-round on a rolling basis
• Grants rarely exceed £6,000 per project or organization
• Average of 20-25 projects funded annually
• Committee reviews applications and makes funding decisions
• Cannot part-finance projects costing more than £6,000

Priority Areas

Primary Education

• School building repairs, maintenance, and renovation
• Classroom furniture and educational equipment
• Pre-primary and nursery facilities
• School sanitation and cooking facilities

Health & Maternal Care

• Training Traditional Birth Attendants and midwives
• Maternity wing equipment and infrastructure
• Hospital equipment and facility improvements
• Oxygen and medical equipment installation

Water & Sanitation

• Borehole drilling and renovation with solar-powered pumps
• Spring protection and maintenance
• Rainwater harvesting systems
• Community water access projects
• Maintenance training for water systems

Poverty Alleviation & Income Generation

• Micro-finance schemes
• Agricultural training and irrigation systems
• Revenue-generating projects (bakeries, cafés, farming)
• Support for vulnerable youth and women's groups

Disability Support

• Wheelchairs and artificial limbs
• Accessibility improvements

What They Don't Fund

Explicitly Excluded:

• Land purchases
• Vehicles
• Salaries or staff costs
• Food or medicines
• Transport costs
• General running costs or operational expenses
• Advertising campaigns
• Any administration costs in the UK
• Part-financing for projects exceeding £6,000
• Contributions to general running costs (preference for specific projects)

Fundamental Requirement: No part of any grant should be spent in Britain on administration, including salaries and advertising campaigns.

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Governance and Leadership

Founder and Trustee: John Humphrys (broadcaster and journalist)

• Established KTCT after witnessing small charities' work in Africa
• Hosts annual trustee meetings at his kitchen table
• Emphasizes minimal bureaucracy and maximum impact

Committee Chairman: Brian Donaldson

• Former British diplomat with extensive African experience
• Most recently served as British Ambassador to Madagascar
• Reviews all grant applications
• Brings on-the-ground knowledge of African development challenges

Other Trustees: Syed Kamall (mentioned as participating in kitchen table meetings)

Governance Structure:

• Charity Commission records show 1 formal trustee
• No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits
• Entirely volunteer-run with no paid staff
• Administrative services provided by LCVS
• Transparent grant history published on website dating back to 2005

John Humphrys on KTCT's Mission: “Charity is about individuals helping other individuals with the minimum of bureaucracy” and believes education offers the pathway out of poverty.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Initial Contact: Applications must be submitted by email only to Committee Chairman Brian Donaldson at donaldsonatKTCT1@yahoo.co.uk

Application Requirements:

• Must be registered as a UK charity OR have local registration in country of operation (Africa)
• Must undergo annual audits or independent examination of accounts
• Must publish periodic newsletters or annual reports
• Must acknowledge KTCT support in all publications

Rolling Basis: Applications accepted throughout the year with no fixed deadlines

Committee Review: A small committee has been established to consider applications as they arrive

Decision Timeline

Process: Rolling applications reviewed by committee as received

Timeframe: Not publicly disclosed - applicants should expect committee review process

Notification: Not specified - likely by email through Committee Chairman

Success Rates

Application Volume: Has increased significantly as KTCT has grown

Grants Awarded: Average of 20-25 projects per year

Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed, but high volume of applications suggests competitive process

Recent Awards: 20 organizations received funding totaling £118,250 in 2025 grants round

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed - unsuccessful applicants should contact the Committee Chairman directly for guidance

Application Success Factors

Critical Alignment Factors

1. Direct Impact on Poorest Populations

KTCT's fundamental criterion is serving “the very poorest, the people (usually children) at the very bottom of the ladder.” Applications must demonstrate work with the most vulnerable - typically children, widows, or extremely marginalized communities. Projects serving middle-income beneficiaries will not be considered.

2. Zero UK Administration Costs

This is non-negotiable. Organizations must spend “no money in this country on administration and salaries.” The trust specifically looks for charities where volunteers handle all UK-based work. Applications from organizations with UK staff costs or overhead will be rejected.

3. Small-Scale, Specific Projects

The committee “prefers funding specific projects rather than requests for contributions to general running costs.” Successful applications present concrete, achievable projects with clear deliverables - drilling a specific borehole, renovating a particular classroom, training a defined number of birth attendants. Vague requests for operational support will not succeed.

4. Cost-Effectiveness and Value

Review the trust's funded projects: £1,200 renovated a well serving 3,000 people in Uganda; £4,500 purchased classroom furniture while supporting local employment in Kenya. Applications must demonstrate exceptional value for money and high impact relative to modest investment.

Evidence from Funded Projects

Education: Community Development Watch (Tanzania) received £6,000 for pre-primary classroom renovation; Children of Choba (Tanzania) received £6,500 for sanitation and cooking facilities; Mtende Community Project (Malawi) received £6,000 for classroom renovation and kitchen construction

Healthcare: Healthy Desire (Kenya) received £6,000 to equip a maternity wing and train Traditional Birth Attendants; Friends of Sick Children in Malawi received £6,000 for oxygen piping installation; Rural Health Mission (Nigeria) received £6,000 for TBA and midwife training

Water: Foundation for Development and Relief Africa (Uganda) received £4,500 for spring and borehole renovation; Empower and Care Organisation (Uganda) received £6,000 for water well renovation and maintenance training

Income Generation: Bright Future Organisation (Uganda) received £6,000 for farming technique training; Jitolee Women Group (Kenya) received £4,500 for irrigation system installation

Application Guidance from the Trust

On Monitoring and Accountability: Organizations must “allow independent assessment of their work” through audited accounts, newsletters, or annual reports with KTCT acknowledgment

Brian Donaldson's Role: As former British Ambassador to Madagascar with extensive African diplomatic experience, Donaldson brings deep understanding of development challenges. Applications should demonstrate credible local presence and realistic implementation plans that would withstand expert scrutiny.

John Humphrys' Vision: Applications aligned with his belief that “education offers the pathway out of poverty” may resonate particularly well, especially projects combining immediate relief with long-term capability building.

What Makes Applications Stand Out

• Precise budgeting: Break down exactly what £4,500 or £6,000 will purchase
• Local capacity building: Projects that train community members (e.g., water system maintenance, agricultural techniques)
• Multiplier effects: Demonstrate how modest investment creates lasting change (e.g., school repairs benefit generations of students)
• Transparency: Provide clear mechanisms for independent verification and regular reporting
• UK volunteer base: Show strong volunteer support in UK handling all domestic administration at zero cost

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Target the ultra-poor: Applications must demonstrate work with the absolute poorest populations - this is the trust's core mission and non-negotiable criterion
• Be specific and modest: Request £4,000-£6,000 for a clearly defined project with measurable outputs, not vague operational support
• Prove zero UK overhead: Explicitly state that all UK administration is volunteer-run with zero salary or administrative costs - this is a fundamental requirement
• Emphasize value for money: Show how your small grant will create disproportionate impact (3,000 people served for £1,200)
• Focus on Africa: While not exclusively African, the trust's primary geographic focus is clear from its grant history
• Provide accountability mechanisms: Demonstrate robust financial oversight through audited accounts and commitment to regular reporting with KTCT acknowledgment
• Contact Brian Donaldson directly: As Committee Chairman with extensive African diplomatic experience, he's your primary point of contact - well-crafted initial enquiries matter

References

• Kitchen Table Charities Trust official website: https://www.kitchentablecharities.org/ (accessed 27 December 2025)
• KTCT Application Guidelines: https://www.kitchentablecharities.org/apply.html (accessed 27 December 2025)
• KTCT Grants History: https://www.kitchentablecharities.org/given.html (accessed 27 December 2025)
• UK Charity Commission Register - The Kitchen Table Charities Trust (1110829): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4017247 (accessed 27 December 2025)
• TripleFunds - Kitchen Table Charities Trust Grant Program: https://triple-funds.com/tf-entry/grant-program-kitchen-table-charities-trust/ (accessed 27 December 2025)
• Rotary Club of Ely - John Humphrys and the Kitchen Table Charities Trust: https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/page.php?PgID=824854&ClubID=467 (accessed 27 December 2025)
• Girls Not Brides - Kitchen Table Charities Trust: https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/fundraising/funding-opportunities/kitchen-table-charities-trust/ (accessed 27 December 2025)