The Mulberry Trust
Stay updated on changes from The Mulberry Trust and other funders
Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.
Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: £415,675 (2024/25)
- Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
- Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
- Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
- Geographic Focus: Primarily Essex, with consideration for other UK areas
Contact Details
Address: c/o Farrer & Co, 65-66 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH
Email: secretarialservices@farrer.co.uk
Phone: 020 3375 7000
Charity Number: 263296
Note: Administrative support is provided by Farrer & Co, a London-based law firm specializing in trust administration and private client services.
Overview
The Mulberry Trust is a private grant-making trust registered in 1970. With annual grant expenditure of approximately £415,675 (as of financial year ending April 2025), the trust operates as a discretionary funder focused primarily on charities in Essex, though applications from other UK areas are considered. The trust is governed by seven trustees who receive no remuneration for their service. Administered by the prestigious law firm Farrer & Co, the trust maintains a strategic approach to grant-making with a clear focus on strengthening family and community life. The trust does not accept unsolicited applications, meaning all grants are made at the trustees' discretion, typically to organizations already known to or identified by the trustees.
Funding Priorities
Priority Areas
The trust focuses on initiatives that strengthen family and community welfare across the following areas:
Family Life Support
- Strengthening family life from the very young to very old
- Projects supporting family cohesion and intergenerational connections
Social Welfare
- Homelessness initiatives and support services
- Debt advice and financial capability programs
- Promotion of inter-faith work and community cohesion
Education, Research and the Arts
- Supported only where they contribute to the core aims of strengthening family life, addressing homelessness/debt, or promoting inter-faith work
- Not funded as standalone objectives
Geographic Focus
- Primary focus: Charities operating in Essex
- Secondary consideration: Other areas in the UK
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals: The trust does not make grants to individuals under any circumstances
- Unsolicited applications: Organizations not already known to the trustees
- Education, research, and arts: As standalone objectives unrelated to core social welfare aims
Ready to write a winning application for The Mulberry Trust?
Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.
Governance and Leadership
The Mulberry Trust is governed by seven trustees who serve without remuneration. The trust operates with professional administrative support from Farrer & Co, a leading UK law firm with extensive experience in trust administration, charity law, and grant-making.
Administrative Support: Farrer & Co specializes in advising grant-making charities, social investment funds, and trusts on governance, policy, and the establishment of charitable foundations.
Trustees' names are not publicly disclosed in readily accessible sources, reflecting the private nature of this trust.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process.
The Mulberry Trust operates as an invitation-only funder. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees, and the trust explicitly does not accept unsolicited applications. This means organizations cannot apply directly for funding.
Grants are typically awarded to:
- Organizations already known to the trustees
- Charities identified by the trustees through their own networks and research
- Organizations working within their priority areas in Essex and, selectively, other UK regions
Decision Timeline
Not applicable - the trust makes grants at the trustees' discretion on their own timeline.
Success Rates
Not applicable - no public application process exists.
Reapplication Policy
Not applicable - no public application process exists.
Application Success Factors
Given this trust does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional “application success factors” do not apply. However, organizations that align with the trust's priorities may benefit from:
Strategic Alignment
- Clear focus on strengthening family life across all age groups
- Addressing homelessness, debt advice, or inter-faith work
- Operating primarily in Essex (though other UK locations are considered)
Indirect Visibility
- Building a strong reputation in the Essex charitable sector
- Demonstrating measurable impact in one or more of the trust's priority areas
- Being visible through sector networks, collaborations, and partnerships
Financial Context
With annual grant expenditure of approximately £415,675, the trust makes a significant contribution relative to its income of approximately £73,335, indicating it draws from endowment or reserves to support its grant-making. This suggests the trust takes a long-term, strategic approach to its philanthropy.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No public application process exists - this is an invitation-only funder operating at trustees' discretion
- Geographic focus on Essex - charities operating in Essex are the primary beneficiaries, though UK-wide organizations are considered
- Family life is central - the core mission is strengthening family life from young to old; all other priorities connect to this theme
- Social welfare emphasis - homelessness, debt advice, and inter-faith work are key priorities
- Education/arts are secondary - only funded when contributing to core social welfare aims, not as standalone objectives
- Professional administration - managed by Farrer & Co, a leading law firm, indicating professional governance standards
- No grants to individuals - the trust exclusively funds organizations, never individuals
🎯 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
References
- Charity Commission Register of Charities, The Mulberry Trust (Charity Number 263296). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0®id=263296
- Charity Choice, The Mulberry Trust profile. https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-mulberry-trust-157776
- OpenCharities, The Mulberry Trust data. http://opencharities.org/charities/263296
- Farrer & Co, Charities and Grant-Making Services. https://www.farrer.co.uk/legal-services/charities/