The Portal Trust

Charity Number: 312425

Annual Expenditure: £6.6M
Throughout London

Contact Info

Website: portaltrust.org

Phone: 020 7480 5884

Email: hello@portaltrust.org

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £2.2 million (approximately, based on £11 million over 5 years)
  • Success Rate: Not disclosed (varies year on year)
  • Decision Time: 6+ months
  • Grant Range: No minimum or maximum (typical grants £30,000-£90,000)
  • Geographic Focus: 14 inner London boroughs

Contact Details

Address: 31 Jewry Street, London EC3N 2EY

Website: portaltrust.org

Email: hello@portaltrust.org

Phone: 020 7480 5884

Overview

Founded in 1748 as Sir John Cass's Foundation, The Portal Trust is one of London's oldest educational charities with a 275-year history. The charity rebranded in April 2021 following recognition of the founder's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Operating with an endowment fund, the Trust awarded £11 million in grants to 152 organisations over the last five years, reaching over 200,000 young people across London. The charity is governed by 12 voluntary governors, managed by 8 staff, and supported by 4 ambassadors and 5 special advisers. As an accredited Living Wage Employer and Funder, and member of London Funders, ACF, and ACEVO, the Trust focuses on removing barriers to education for disadvantaged young people under 25 in inner London, investing £2.5 million in capacity building alongside direct grant-making.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Portal Trust operates a rolling application system with three decision points annually (March, June, October). There is no minimum or maximum grant amount, though grants sometimes fund entire projects while others require match funding.

Recent Grant Examples:

  • £90,000 to University of Westminster (supporting 45 care leaver undergraduates)
  • £54,000 to The Share Foundation (financial awareness training)
  • £31,000 to Debate Mate (debate workshops)
  • £30,000 over three years to Scarabeus Aerial Theatre (Flying Into Physics programme)

Individual Bursaries: £1,000-£2,000 per year of study (based on need and available budget)

Priority Areas

The Trust has six funding priorities that all applications must address:

  1. Portal Trust Schools - Enhancing learning at Aldgate School and Stepney All Saints CofE Secondary School
  1. Widening Access and Participation in Further and Higher Education - Promoting access for disadvantaged young people, including work readiness, career planning, and transitions to employment
  1. Truancy, Exclusion and Behaviour Management - Supporting engagement and attainment, reducing truancy and exclusion rates in primary and secondary schools
  1. Prisoner Education - Reducing re-offending through education, improving literacy and numeracy, and supporting employability for prisoners and ex-offenders
  1. New Initiatives - Testing innovative approaches to learning that influence education policy and practice with potential for scale across inner London
  1. Scholarships, Bursaries and Individual Grants - Removing financial barriers to further and higher education for young Londoners

Core Beneficiary Group: Young people under 25 from disadvantaged or low-income backgrounds living in 14 inner London boroughs (Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster, and the City of London)

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects outside stated funding priorities
  • General fundraising campaigns or appeals
  • Supplementary schools
  • Youth and community groups
  • Equipment or salaries that are statutory responsibility of education authorities
  • Costs substituting for withdrawal/reduction of statutory funding
  • Retrospective costs (work already completed)
  • Costs already covered by core funding or other grants
  • Capital costs exclusively for purchase, repair or furnishing of buildings
  • Purchase of vehicles, computers, sports equipment
  • Improvements to school grounds
  • Qualifications at same or lower level than already possessed (for individuals)

Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Richard Foley provides strategic leadership for the Trust's endowment management and grant-making focus. On the rebrand, Foley stated: "We're excited to announce our brand has evolved with a fresh new feel and strapline, that we believe reflects our vision, core proposition and most importantly our valued community.“ He emphasized that the new name allows the organization to ”continue that work with renewed vigour“ focused on ”the community and recipients."

Governance Structure:

  • 12 voluntary governors
  • 8 staff members
  • 4 ambassadors
  • 5 special advisers

Trustees include:

  • Sophie - Common Councilman for the City of London (Deputy Chairman for Licensing)
  • Brian - Former judge and former Chairman who instituted reforms for training and accountability
  • Anton - Appointed as Governor in May 2024 (previously Ambassador from March 2021)

The Trust is a member of Tower Hamlets Education Partnership, ACEVO, Association of Charitable Foundations, and London Funders.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Two-stage process:

  1. Eligibility Quiz - Complete online eligibility quiz
  2. Stage One: Initial Enquiry - Submit online Initial Enquiry form (guidance sheet available)
  3. Follow-up Questions - Trust may request additional information
  4. Stage Two: Full Application - Invitation to submit full application (if shortlisted)
  5. Site Visit - Potential visit to your organisation
  6. Grants Committee Review - Final decision by Committee

Applications accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Decision Timeline

  • Total timeline: 6+ months from initial application to award
  • Committee meetings: Three times per year (March, June, October)
  • Planning recommendation: Apply approximately 6 months in advance of project start date
  • Example: Submit Stage One in October for consideration at March Committee meeting

The Trust notes: “It can take six months or longer for an application to progress from submitting a stage one application to receiving an award, depending on the time of year, the number of applications they receive and the grants budget available.”

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed as they “vary year on year depending on the number of applications received and the grants budget available.” The Trust explicitly states: “Applying for funding is a competitive process and our grants budget is limited. Because of the high volume of applications received, good projects sometimes have to be refused, even if they meet one of our priorities.”

Reapplication Policy

For Organisations: Unsuccessful organisations must wait a minimum of 12 months from the date their application was declined before reapplying. Any additional applications received during these 12 months will not be considered.

For Individuals: Can reapply next August for the following academic year, though outcomes are unlikely to differ if circumstances haven't changed significantly.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Trust

Authenticity is Essential:

The Trust emphasizes that "applications that feel generic prevent the applicant's unique voice from coming through, and such applicants don't give themselves the best chance of success.“ They specifically warn that ”applications relying heavily on AI often lose their individuality and originality, making it harder for them to understand you and your charity."

Key Guidance: “If you use AI, make sure you tailor your response to reflect your own voice, experiences and ideas.”

Accuracy in Data:

“When using data to show the need for your work, Portal Trust encourages applicants to rely on trusted research rather than AI-generated information. Drawing on your own knowledge and expertise helps you give more authentic, relevant and accurate answers that better showcase your work.”

For Individual Applicants:

“Tell them as much about yourself as you can – describing it as your one chance to tell your story and why you need a bursary.”

Assessment Criteria

“Each application is assessed on its own merit, and they consider how closely it meets their stated priorities for grant making.”

Examples of Funded Work

Innovative Education Approaches:

  • Scarabeus Aerial Theatre - Flying Into Physics programme using aerial theatre to teach physics to disadvantaged 9-10 year olds
  • Debate Mate - Debate workshops in state schools with high free school meal profiles

Access to Higher Education:

  • University of Westminster - Bursaries for care leaver undergraduates
  • The Share Foundation - Stepladder Plus financial awareness training for looked-after children

Career Development:

  • Future Frontiers - Career coaching for over 300 disadvantaged young people (supported since 2019)

Arts Education:

  • London Music Fund - Four-year music scholarships for children from struggling families (supported since 2013)

Language and Terminology

The Trust uses language emphasizing:

  • “Disadvantaged” or “low-income backgrounds”
  • “Widening access” and “participation”
  • “Work readiness” and “employability”
  • “Removing barriers”
  • “Fulfilling potential”
  • “Testing new and groundbreaking approaches”
  • “Influencing education policy and practice”
  • “Direct impact”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Plan ahead: Start your application at least 6-7 months before you need funding, as the decision process takes 6+ months
  • Align precisely: Your project must explicitly address at least one of the six stated priorities; alignment is assessed on merit against these priorities
  • Geographic requirement is strict: Only work benefiting young people under 25 in the 14 inner London boroughs qualifies
  • Authenticity matters: Avoid generic applications and AI-generated content; the Trust values genuine organisational voice and unique approaches
  • Be specific about need: Use trusted research and your own expertise to demonstrate need with accurate, relevant data
  • No guaranteed amounts: While there's no minimum or maximum, study their recent grants (£30,000-£90,000 typical for organisations) to gauge appropriate request levels
  • Competition is high: Good projects are refused due to limited budgets and high application volume, so exceptional alignment with priorities is crucial
  • Build relationships: The Trust may conduct site visits and appreciates being approached at hello@portaltrust.org or 020 7480 5884 with questions

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

References

  1. The Portal Trust Official Website - Homepage (https://portaltrust.org/) -
  2. The Portal Trust - Apply for Funding: Organisations (https://portaltrust.org/apply-for-funding/organisations) -
  3. The Portal Trust - About Us: Our Story (https://portaltrust.org/about-us/our-story) -
  4. The Portal Trust - Who We've Funded (https://portaltrust.org/who-weve-funded) -
  5. The Portal Trust - About Us: Our People (https://portaltrust.org/about-us/our-people) -
  6. Charity Commission - The Portal Trust (312425) (https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/312425) -
  7. Kensington & Chelsea Social Council - Portal Trust Grant Factsheet (https://www.kcsc.org.uk/funding/portal-trust-grant) -
  8. UK Fundraising - “Sir John Cass Foundation relaunches under new name of The Portal Trust” (https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/04/28/sir-john-cass-foundation-relaunches-under-new-name-of-the-portal-trust/) -
  9. Young Camden Foundation - The Portal Trust (https://youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk/funding/the-portal-trust) -
  10. University of Westminster News - “The Portal Trust awards University of Westminster £90,000” (https://www.westminster.ac.uk/news/the-portal-trust-awards-university-of-westminster-ps90000-to-support-45-final-year-care-leaver-undergraduates) -