The Phillips Family Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 279120
• Annual Giving: £100,000 (approx.)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales
• Application Process: No public application process - grants made at trustees' absolute discretion

Contact Details

Address: 67-69 George Street, London W1U 8LT

Phone: 020 7487 5757

Email: psphillipsbsh@aol.com

Website: No public website

Note: Contact information provided for reference only. This trust does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Phillips Family Charitable Trust was established in 1980 and is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity Number 279120). The trust operates as a private grant-making foundation with an annual giving of approximately £100,000. The trust's governing document grants the three trustees absolute discretion in determining which charitable purposes or charitable institutions to support. The trust focuses primarily on general charitable purposes benefiting children and young people across England and Wales. The trust maintains a consistent governance structure with three long-serving trustees who have been involved for over 40 years. The trust operates efficiently with no staff costs and all grant-making decisions made at the trustee level.

Funding Priorities

Grant-Making Approach

The trust operates under a discretionary grant-making model where the trustees have complete freedom to determine:

• Which charitable purposes to support
• Which organizations to fund
• The amount of each grant
• The proportions in which funds are distributed

Priority Areas

Based on their registered activities with the Charity Commission:

• General Charitable Purposes: Broad remit allowing trustees to support various causes
• Children and Young People: Primary beneficiary group
• Geographic Focus: Throughout England and Wales

What They Don't Fund

Information about specific exclusions is not publicly available, though as a discretionary trust, the trustees determine all funding decisions privately.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Gary Phillips (Appointed October 1983)

• One of the longest-serving trustees with over 40 years of service
• No other public trusteeships recorded

Paul Phillips OBE (Appointed February 1982)

• Awarded OBE for services to Holocaust Education and Awareness (2020)
• Former Chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust (9 years of leadership)
• Now Joint President of the Holocaust Educational Trust
• Also trustee of “Learn About Britain - History, Citizenship, Culture, Values”
• Involved with the Holocaust Educational Trust from its inception, initially in audit capacity and since 2008 as Honorary Treasurer
• Recognized for instrumental role in growth and development of Holocaust education

Martin Paisner CBE (Appointed October 1979)

• Senior partner in private client law at Payne Hicks Beach
• Qualified as solicitor in January 1970
• Became partner with Paisner & Co in 1972
• Specialist in charity law and private client practice throughout his career
• Awarded CBE in 2004 for charitable services
• Serves as trustee on numerous other grant-making trusts including:
• The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation
• Shaare Zedek UK
• British Friends of Edith Wolfson Hospital
• The Wolfson Family Charitable Trust
• Bluston Charitable Trust
• Phillips & Rubens Charitable Trust
• Colwinston Charitable Trust
• The Stuart Young Foundation
• Honorary Fellow at multiple universities
• Honorary Doctorates from University of Glasgow and Weizmann Institute
• Ranked as “Leading Partner” in The Legal 500 UK
• Described as having “Outstanding intellect, technical skill and vast experience”

Governance Structure

• Board composition: All male, three trustees
• Very stable board with trustees serving between 42-46 years
• No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits
• Policies in place: Conflicting interests, risk management, and trustee expenses
• No employees - entirely trustee-managed

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. The trust operates as a private charitable trust where the trustees exercise their absolute discretion in identifying and supporting charitable purposes and institutions. There is no website, published grant guidelines, or application forms available to the public.

The trust deed explicitly states that funds are held “for the benefit or in furtherance of such charitable purposes or charitable institutions in such proportions and names as the Trustees in their absolute discretion think fit.”

This means:

• Grants are made at the trustees' initiative
• The trustees proactively identify beneficiaries
• Unsolicited applications are not part of the trust's operating model
• Funding decisions are made through the trustees' own knowledge, networks, and charitable interests

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust does not operate on an application cycle. Grant decisions are made by the trustees as and when they identify appropriate charitable purposes to support.

Application Success Factors

Given the nature of this trust, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on the trustees' backgrounds and interests, the following observations may be relevant:

Trustee Interests and Expertise:

• Holocaust Education and Awareness: Paul Phillips OBE's significant involvement with the Holocaust Educational Trust suggests education about historical awareness and tolerance may align with trustee interests
• Citizenship Education: Paul Phillips OBE's trustee role with “Learn About Britain” indicates interest in citizenship, history, culture, and values education
• Charity Law Expertise: Martin Paisner's extensive experience in charity law means the trustees will have sophisticated understanding of charitable purposes and governance
• Jewish Charitable Causes: Martin Paisner's trustee roles with Shaare Zedek UK, British Friends of Edith Wolfson Hospital, and other related causes suggest familiarity with Jewish charitable organizations
• Education and Youth Development: The trust's stated focus on children and young people indicates this remains a core interest

Geographic and Organizational Focus:

• Organizations operating in England and Wales
• Focus on children and young people
• Likely preference for established organizations with clear charitable purposes
• May favor organizations within the trustees' professional or personal networks

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Applications: This trust cannot be approached through traditional grant application processes - they do not accept unsolicited applications
• Discretionary Model: All funding decisions rest entirely with the three trustees based on their own judgment and interests
• Long-Term Stable Governance: The trustees have served for over 40 years, suggesting deep personal commitment and established giving patterns
• Modest Scale: With annual giving around £100,000, this is a small to medium-sized trust making selective grants
• Children and Young People Focus: Organizations working with young people in England and Wales align with their stated priorities
• Trustee Network: Grants are likely made to organizations within the trustees' extensive charitable and professional networks
• Multiple Trustee Interests: The diverse backgrounds of the trustees (Holocaust education, citizenship education, charity law, Jewish causes) suggest a broad range of potential charitable interests

For Fundraisers: While you cannot apply to this trust directly, understanding their existence and focus areas is valuable for intelligence purposes. If your organization works with children and young people in England and Wales, particularly in areas related to education, citizenship, or historical awareness, and you happen to have connections to the trustees through other channels, this trust may potentially be a funding source. However, cultivating such relationships would need to occur naturally through shared charitable sector activities rather than through direct solicitation.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Delves Charitable Trust
• The Nesbitt-Cleland Trust
• THE P A R CHARITABLE TRUST
• Woodcock Charitable Trust
• Thorne Lodge Charitable Trust
• THE J AND H ORLANDER TRUST
• The George Cadbury Trust (George Henry T and Laurence J Cadbury Sections)
• The Dagny Raymond Charitable Trust
• The Doouss Charitable Trust
• The Harris Family Charitable Trust

References

• UK Charity Commission Register: The Phillips Family Charitable Trust - Charity 279120
• UK Charity Commission - Accounts and Annual Returns: 279120 Accounts
• Giving is Great - Charity Factsheet: The Phillips Family Charitable Trust
• Payne Hicks Beach: Martin Paisner CBE Profile
• Holocaust Educational Trust: Paul Phillips OBE to stand down as Holocaust Educational Trust Chair
• Holocaust Educational Trust: Craig Leviton to become the new Chair
• Powerbase: Martin Paisner
• Peter Cruddas Foundation: Biography Martin Paisner Esq. CBE