The O'sullivan Family Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £490,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Generally £5,000 and under
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales (operates nationally)

Contact Details

Address: 36 Edge Street, London, W8 7PN

Phone: 020 7131 4000

Website: No public website identified

Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The O'Sullivan Family Charitable Trust was established in 2008 and is registered with the Charity Commission (No. 1123757). With annual expenditure of £490,438 in 2024 and income of £105,682, the trust operates by drawing down its assets to support its charitable mission. The trust focuses on supporting respite care for severely disabled children and young adults, with additional support for education and genetic research into the causes of long-term disability. The trust's long-term objective is to support in a major way a proposed respite care home for severely disabled children, while also supporting individual charities with an emphasis on disabled care, education, and occasionally scientific research in the genetics field. The trust makes grants to both individuals and organizations, consistently spending significantly more than its annual income to advance its charitable purposes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• General Grants: Generally £5,000 and under to UK registered charities working in the UK and/or overseas
• Application method: Not publicly disclosed; appears to operate through trustee discretion

Priority Areas

• Respite Care: Primary focus on respite care for children and young adults affected by severe long-term disability
• Disabled Care: Supporting charities that provide care and support for people with disabilities
• Education: Advancing education in the field of long-term disability and supporting educational opportunities for those affected
• Genetic Research: Promoting scientific research into the genetic causes of severe long-term disabilities

What They Don't Fund

• Specific exclusions are not publicly documented
• Operates with a clear focus on disability-related causes, suggesting limited interest in unrelated causes

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by five trustees from the O'Sullivan family:

1. Diana Gay Wellesley O'Sullivan
2. Finian O'Sullivan
3. Emily Charlotte O'Sullivan
4. Sophie Elizabeth O'Sullivan
5. Tessa Clare Cartwright

No trustees receive remuneration or payments from the charity. The trust operates with established policies including financial reserves, risk management, trustee conflict of interest, and serious incident reporting procedures. The family governance structure suggests the trust operates based on the family's philanthropic priorities and direct knowledge of causes they wish to support.

How to Apply to The O'sullivan Family Charitable Trust

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The trust appears to identify and support beneficiaries through trustee discretion and direct relationships. With five family trustees and no public application portal, website, or published guidelines, grants are likely awarded based on causes and organizations known to the trustees or brought to their attention through personal networks and sector connections.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust operates through trustee discretion rather than formal application cycles.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's family governance structure and lack of public application process, success in securing funding would likely depend on:

• Direct Alignment with Core Mission: Organizations working specifically on respite care for severely disabled children and young adults, or conducting genetic research into causes of long-term disability, align most closely with the trust's stated objectives
• Personal Connection: As a family trust without public application processes, relationships with trustees or referrals from trusted sources in the sector are likely significant factors
• Small to Medium-Sized Organizations: With grants “generally of £5,000 and under,” the trust appears focused on supporting smaller organizations or specific projects rather than major institutions
• UK Registered Charities: The trust specifies support for UK registered charities, though these may work internationally
• Long-term Disability Focus: The emphasis on “severe long-term disability” rather than general disability work suggests preference for organizations supporting those with significant, permanent impairments

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a private family trust that does not accept unsolicited applications through a formal process
• The trust has a very specific mission focused on respite care for severely disabled children and genetic research
• With £490,000 in annual expenditure and grants generally of £5,000 and under, the trust supports multiple beneficiaries annually
• The trust is spending down its assets (expenditure significantly exceeds income), suggesting a committed philanthropic approach
• Without public application processes, building relationships in the disability and respite care sector, particularly in areas of interest to the O'Sullivan family, may be the most viable path to support
• Organizations should align closely with the stated mission around severe long-term disability in children and young adults
• The trust operates throughout England and Wales and supports both UK-based work and international projects run by UK charities

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Geoff & Fiona Squire Foundation
• The A.d. Charitable Trust
• Masonic Charitable Foundation
• Edwin Fox Foundation
• The Rix-thompson-rothenberg Foundation
• The G D Herbert Charitable Trust
• The Macfarlane Family Foundation
• The Marian Elizabeth Trust
• The Inman Charity
• Clara E Burgess Charity

References

• The Charity Commission Register of Charities, "THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST - 1123757," https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=1123757
• Giving is Great, "THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST | Charity Factsheet," https://givingisgreat.org/charity-factsheet/?regNo=1123757
• Bath and North East Somerset Council, "The O'Sullivan Family Charitable Trust," https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/node/88747
• The Charity Commission financial information for year ending 30 June 2024: Income £105,682, Expenditure £490,438