The Sackler Trust

Charity Number: 1132097

Annual Expenditure: £1.9M
Throughout England And Wales

Contact Info

Website: https://www.sacklertrust.org/

Phone: 020 4576 0560

Email: contact@sacklertrust.org

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £14.5 million (2020 figures)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Quarterly review (approximately 3 months)
  • Grant Range: No minimum or maximum specified
  • Geographic Focus: UK-based with some international activities

Contact Details

  • Website: https://www.sacklertrust.org/
  • Email: contact@sacklertrust.org (general); apply@sacklertrust.org (applications)
  • Phone: 020 4576 0560
  • Address: England and Wales

Overview

The Sackler Trust was established in 2010 as a UK registered charity (number 1132097) supporting research and education charities across the United Kingdom. Since its founding, the Trust has committed more than £60 million in support of charitable activities across six key areas: medical science, healthcare, education and the arts, community organisations, heritage sites, and environmental conservation. The Trust supports a diverse range of organisations, from leading universities and major cultural institutions to small local community organisations. In 2020, the Trust distributed £14.5 million in grants, with new commitments totaling £3.5 million. The Trust operates with trustees meeting quarterly to review applications, and no trustees receive remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Sackler Trust operates a single, flexible grant program with no fixed grant amounts or tiers. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with quarterly trustee meetings.

  • No minimum or maximum grant amount - Applications should specify the funding needed for their specific project
  • Application method: Electronic submission via email (apply@sacklertrust.org)
  • Timeline: Rolling basis with quarterly trustee meetings
  • Grant types: Running costs, projects, equipment, capital developments, or one-off initiatives
  • Duration: Single-year and multi-year grants are both considered

Priority Areas

The Trust supports charitable activities across six key areas:

  1. Science & Medical Research: Supporting medical research infrastructure and healthcare initiatives
  2. Education: Improving access to education, particularly for disadvantaged children
  3. Arts: Widening access to arts and supporting cultural institutions
  4. Heritage: Preserving cultural heritage sites and projects
  5. Environment: Conservation projects from local wildlife regeneration to global biodiversity protection
  6. Social Good: Supporting vulnerable communities including refugee assistance and community organisations

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals: The Trust only supports charitable institutions and organisations, not individual applicants
  • Non-registered organisations: Must be registered with The Charity Commission for England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, or as a Community Interest Company

Governance and Leadership

The Sackler Trust is governed by a board of trustees who meet quarterly to review grant applications. The trustees serve without remuneration, receiving no payments or benefits from the charity. The Trust is registered as both a charity (number 1132097) and a company (number 07022224) in England and Wales.

Specific trustee names are available through the UK Charity Commission register. The governance structure ensures that all grant decisions are made collectively by the trustee board during their quarterly meetings.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Timeline for submission: Submit at least 6 months before time-sensitive projects begin
  2. No application deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Decision Timeline

  • Review frequency: Trustees meet quarterly
  • Processing time: Applications reviewed at the next quarterly meeting following submission
  • Notification: The Trust will update applicants on their application status
  • Typical decision time: Approximately 3 months (quarterly cycle)
  • Site visits: The Trust may arrange to visit your organisation as part of the assessment process

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics are not publicly available. The Trust distributed £14.5 million in 2020, with new commitments totaling £3.5 million, suggesting they support both new applications and ongoing commitments.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants or previous grant recipients must wait one year before submitting a new application. This waiting period applies from:

  • The date of receiving notification of an unsuccessful application, OR
  • The date of payment of the final installment of a previous grant

Application Success Factors

Based on the Trust's guidance and funding history, successful applications typically demonstrate:

  1. Clear project specificity: The Trust emphasizes explaining “the specific element of the project to be supported” - vague or general requests are less likely to succeed
  1. Alignment with core priorities: Applications should clearly align with one or more of the six priority areas (Science, Education, Arts, Heritage, Environment, Social Good)
  1. Institutional readiness: As the Trust may arrange site visits, organisations should be prepared to demonstrate their capability and infrastructure
  1. Flexible funding needs: The Trust funds running costs, projects, equipment, or capital developments - both new initiatives and ongoing work are eligible
  1. Financial transparency: Providing recent financial reports is required, suggesting financial stability and accountability are valued

Recent grant examples (2020):

  • £500,000 to Watermill Theatre in Newbury (Arts)
  • £280,000 to Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Trust (Arts)
  • £250,000 to Edmonton Academy Trust (Education)
  • £250,000 to King's College London (Education/Science)
  • £250,000 to St Marylebone Parish Church (Social Good/Heritage)

Historical examples (2017):

  • £2.5 million to Imperial College London (Science/Medical Research)
  • £1.5 million to Royal Museums Greenwich (Heritage)
  • £6 million to Sussex University (2016) (Education/Science)
  • £3 million to Moorfields Eye Hospital London (2016) (Healthcare)

The range of grant amounts—from £250,000 to £6 million—demonstrates flexibility based on project scope and organisational capacity.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No artificial limits: With no minimum or maximum grant amounts, applicants should request what they genuinely need rather than constraining proposals to perceived limits
  • Plan ahead for quarterly cycle: Submit at least 6 months before time-sensitive projects, accounting for the quarterly review schedule
  • Diversified portfolio approach: The Trust funds both major universities (£6 million) and smaller community organisations, so organisational size is not a barrier
  • Multi-year funding available: Don't limit proposals to single-year projects if multi-year support would be more effective
  • Precision over breadth: Focus on clearly articulating the specific project element requiring support rather than describing broad organisational needs
  • Prepare for engagement: Be ready for potential site visits and ongoing communication with the Trust
  • Respect the reapplication timeline: If unsuccessful, use the mandatory one-year waiting period to strengthen the proposal rather than submitting prematurely

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References