The Schroder 1905 Trust

Charity Number: 1117748

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: £237,072 (2024)
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with particular focus on former County of London
Total Assets: £13.26 million in long-term investments

Contact Details

Address: 3.18 Warnford Court, 29 Throgmorton Street, London EC2N 2AT

Phone: 0203 170 5793

Website: Not available

Email: Not available

Overview

The Schroder 1905 Trust, registered with the Charity Commission in February 2007 (charity number 1117748), administers the charities formerly managed by the Kaiser Wilhelm II Fund. This philanthropic family charitable trust specifically supports individuals of German nationality, origin, or descent (and their dependents) who are living in conditions of social or economic hardship. With total assets of £13.26 million and annual expenditure of £237,072 (2024), the trust operates through both direct grants to individuals and grants to organizations working with these target groups. The trust is administered by members of the Schroder family, who have a long history of supporting German welfare causes in the UK, including funding the German Christ Church in London in 1904.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates three main areas of grant-making, inherited from the Kaiser Wilhelm II Fund scheme:

Relief of Persons in Need: Grants to persons of German nationality, origin or descent and their dependents who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress, including those who are sick, convalescent, disabled, handicapped or infirm. Grants made both directly to individuals and to organizations.

Educational Support: Promotion of education of persons of German nationality, origin or descent, particularly orphans under the age of 25 years who are in need of financial assistance.

Religious Support: Furtherance of the religious and other charitable work of German churches, particularly the German Protestant Church, in the former County of London or elsewhere, including providing financial assistance to pastors and their dependents.

Priority Areas

Relief of poverty for people of German origin
Support for elderly people of German descent
Support for people with disabilities of German heritage
Educational assistance for young people (under 25) of German origin
Religious activities, particularly supporting German Protestant churches
Organizations providing services to the German community in the UK

What They Don't Fund

The trust exclusively focuses on beneficiaries of German nationality, origin, or descent. Organizations or individuals outside this demographic focus would not be eligible for support.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by four trustees who serve without remuneration or benefits:

John Henry Frederick Schroder (appointed November 2016) - Museum Consultant. Also serves as trustee of the Schroder Charity Trust (since 2011) and The German Christ Church London Charity. Member of the Schroder family, which has supported German welfare causes in the UK for over a century.

Leonie Kira Emma Schroder (appointed November 2016) - Museum Consultant. Also serves as trustee of the Schroder Charity Trust (since 1998) and The Schroder Foundation. Member of the multi-generational Schroder family philanthropic network.

Mortimer Menzel - Trustee with expertise in German community support.

Theodora E M Mayer (appointed September 2025) - Most recently appointed trustee.

Administrative Support

The trust receives administrative services from The Schroder Foundation, which provides professional support to four Schroder family charities including the Schroder 1905 Trust.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. The trust operates through trustee discretion, identifying beneficiaries through their established networks within the German community in the UK and through relationships with organizations serving people of German origin.

Grants are made by the trustees based on their knowledge of needs within the German community rather than through open application rounds or advertised funding opportunities.

Getting on Their Radar

The trust works closely with established organizations serving the German community in the UK. Based on research, specific pathways include:

German Welfare Council Connection: The German Welfare Council (founded 1952, registered charity since 1983) works closely with trusts that help German nationals or their descendants in financial crisis. Their bilingual social worker has wide experience with both German and UK social care provisions and maintains relationships with relevant funding sources including the Schroder 1905 Trust.

German Church Networks: Given the trust's objective to support German churches and the Schroder family's historical connection to the German Christ Church in London (Deutsche Evangelische Christuskirche, funded by Baron J. Henry Schroder in 1904), organizations connected to German Protestant churches in the UK may have pathways to the trustees' attention.

Existing Beneficiary Organizations: Organizations already working with people of German origin in the UK, particularly those providing services to elderly people, people with disabilities, or those in poverty, may become known to the trustees through sector networks.

Application Success Factors

Since this trust operates without a public application process, success in receiving funding depends on:

Alignment with German Heritage Focus: All beneficiaries must be of German nationality, origin, or descent. This is the fundamental eligibility criterion for all grants, whether to individuals or organizations.

Demonstrated Need: The trust specifically targets those in “conditions of need, hardship or distress.” Organizations should be serving people facing genuine economic or social challenges, not providing general services to the German community.

Established Organizational Presence: As a trust operating through trustee discretion rather than open applications, organizations with established track records serving the German community in the UK are more likely to come to the trustees' attention.

Focus on Priority Beneficiary Groups: The trust has particular interest in elderly people, people with disabilities, young people needing educational support (under 25, especially orphans), and those in poverty. Organizations serving these specific groups within the German community align most closely with stated objectives.

Connection to German Protestant Church Networks: Given the trust's explicit objective to support German churches and the Schroder family's historical funding of the German Christ Church in London, organizations with connections to these religious networks may have greater visibility to the trustees.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This is not an open-application funder - The Schroder 1905 Trust operates through trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations they don't already know.

Highly specialized focus - Only organizations serving people of German nationality, origin, or descent in conditions of need are eligible. This is a non-negotiable criterion.

Strong financial position - With £13.26 million in assets and annual income of £547,457, the trust has substantial resources, though annual grant expenditure (£237,072 in 2024) suggests selective grant-making.

Part of wider Schroder philanthropy - Understanding the broader Schroder family charitable network (including the Schroder Charity Trust and Schroder Foundation) provides context for this trust's operation and values.

Network-based identification - The trust identifies beneficiaries through established connections within the German community, German welfare organizations, and German church networks rather than through public advertising.

Historical continuity - As successor to the Kaiser Wilhelm II Fund (established 1996 scheme), the trust continues over a century of Schroder family support for German welfare causes in the UK.

Relationship building is essential - For organizations serving eligible populations, building connections through the German Welfare Council, German churches, or existing beneficiary organizations offers the most realistic pathway to funding.