The Pickwell Foundation

Charity Number: 1149424

Annual Expenditure: £0.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Approximately ??260,000 (estimated from recent accounts)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only model)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: ??1,000 - ??25,000
  • Geographic Focus: One-third South West England, one-third UK national, one-third international

Contact Details

Website: https://www.thepickwellfoundation.org.uk

Email: richard@thepickwellfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 01271 890110

Address: Based in North Devon

Note: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. If you believe your organisation represents a strong match, a letter of introduction is the recommended first approach.

Overview

The Pickwell Foundation was established in 2008 by four friends???Susannah Baker MBE, Steve Baker, Tracey Elliott, and Richard Elliott???who jointly purchased Pickwell Manor on the North Devon coast. What began as a holiday accommodation and wedding venue business has evolved into a grant-making trust with a clear social mission. The Foundation focuses exclusively on two interconnected global challenges: supporting displaced people and addressing the climate emergency. Their funding approach is deliberately relational, seeking to build long-term partnerships rather than one-off grants. The Foundation's funding comes from their business ventures, including Pickwell Manor, alongside social investments in green energy and social housing sectors. Trustee Susannah Baker MBE was recognized with an MBE in 2023 for her services to Ukraine, reflecting the Foundation's deep commitment to refugee support.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation operates a single, unified grant program with the following characteristics:

  • Grant Size: ??1,000 - ??25,000
  • Grant Duration: Often provided over a 3-year period
  • Application Method: Invitation-only (no unsolicited applications accepted)
  • Geographic Distribution: Deliberately split equally???one-third to South West England organizations, one-third to UK national charities, and one-third to international organizations

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports charitable organizations working in two specific areas:

Climate Change

  • Climate change mitigation projects
  • Climate change adaptation initiatives
  • Projects supporting transition to a lower carbon future
  • Campaigning for legislative change on climate issues
  • Organizations helping vulnerable communities adapt to climate change effects and build resilience

Displaced People

  • Support for people displaced by war and conflict
  • Support for those displaced by environmental challenges
  • Support for people displaced by economic necessity
  • Organizations working with individuals displaced by social, economic, or other factors
  • Projects working with both displaced populations and those at risk of displacement
  • Community sponsorship schemes (the Foundation has recruited and supported 13 volunteer groups)
  • Support for Homes for Ukraine Scheme
  • Support for Afghan Resettlement Scheme (ARAP)
  • Dispersal Scheme support

Funding Flexibility

  • Will consider grants towards core costs
  • Will consider unrestricted funds where appropriate
  • Emphasis on building longer-term funding relationships and partnerships

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation explicitly cannot make grants towards:

  • Personal education
  • Personal training
  • Personal development
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The Foundation has four trustees consisting of two members each from two families:

  • Susannah Baker MBE - Co-founder and trustee, director of asylum and refugee work. Serves on multiple strategic engagement groups with the Home Office. Received an MBE in 2023 for services to Ukraine.
  • Steve Baker - Co-founder and trustee
  • Tracey Elliott - Co-founder and trustee
  • Richard Elliott - Co-founder and trustee, Co-Founder of Pickwell Manor Ltd and Director of Homemade (Pickwell) Ltd

Related Ventures

The Foundation operates alongside:

  • Pickwell Manor (holiday accommodation and wedding venue)
  • A renewable energy company
  • A social housing company

These ventures generate income that supports the Foundation's grant-making activities, creating a sustainable funding model aligned with their “people and planet” values.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Pickwell Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for grants. Instead, they make invitations to organizations they wish to support.

Recommended First Step: If you believe your organization represents a strong match against the Foundation's values and objectives, a letter of introduction is the best approach. This should outline your organization's alignment with their focus areas (climate change and/or displaced people) and your geographic fit.

Decision Timeline

The Foundation has not publicly disclosed specific decision timelines. Given their relational, invitation-only approach and multi-year grant commitments, the process is likely to involve relationship-building over time rather than rapid decision cycles.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the invitation-only model suggests that organizations invited to apply have a reasonably high likelihood of receiving funding, as the Foundation pre-screens for alignment before extending invitations.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly available. Given their focus on building longer-term relationships and their typical 3-year grant periods, the Foundation appears to favor ongoing partnerships over repeated application cycles.

Application Success Factors

Relational Approach

The Foundation explicitly states they “take a relational approach to grant-making” and seek to “build longer-term funding relationships and partnerships.” This means:

  • They value ongoing engagement beyond financial support
  • They want to “actively engage with and advocate for partner projects”
  • Multi-year support is common (often 3-year grants)
  • They're looking for alignment of values, not just projects

Additional Support Beyond Funding

The Foundation offers use of Pickwell Manor as a residential resource for supported charities. This can be used for:

  • Team retreats
  • Strategy weekends
  • Trustee meetings
  • Volunteer training

Organizations that can articulate how they might benefit from this unique resource may stand out.

Geographic and Thematic Alignment

The Foundation maintains a deliberate balance:

  • One-third of funding to South West England organizations
  • One-third to UK national organizations
  • One-third to international organizations

Organizations should clearly articulate their geographic scope and how they fit within this framework.

Focus Area Clarity

The Foundation has two clear focus areas. Successful applicants will likely:

  • Demonstrate clear work in climate change OR displaced people (or both)
  • Show understanding of the interconnection between these issues
  • Use language around “people and planet” that aligns with the Foundation's values

Flexibility in Funding Use

The Foundation's willingness to support core costs and unrestricted funding suggests they:

  • Trust their partners to deploy funds effectively
  • Understand organizational sustainability needs
  • Value honest conversations about actual funding needs

Organizations should feel comfortable discussing core costs and unrestricted support needs.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Don't Apply Directly: This is an invitation-only funder. Instead, focus on building awareness through a well-crafted introductory letter that demonstrates clear alignment with their climate change or displaced people focus areas.
  1. Think Long-Term: The Foundation favors 3-year partnerships over one-off grants. Frame your work as part of an ongoing relationship, not a single project.
  1. Demonstrate Geographic Fit: Be explicit about whether you're a South West England, UK national, or international organization, as they deliberately balance funding across these three categories.
  1. Show Values Alignment: Their “people and planet” framing and the trustees' hands-on involvement suggest they fund organizations that share their worldview, not just their issue areas.
  1. Be Open to Partnership: They offer resources beyond funding (like Pickwell Manor for retreats). Organizations that can demonstrate how they'd engage with these additional resources may be more attractive partners.
  1. Consider Core Costs: Unlike many funders, they're open to core costs and unrestricted funding. Don't shy away from asking for what you actually need.
  1. Highlight Connections Between Issues: Given their dual focus on climate and displacement, organizations that can articulate connections between these issues (e.g., climate-driven displacement) may be particularly compelling.

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