The Shears Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £700,000-£800,000
• Success Rate: 32.7% (2024/25)
• Decision Time: 6-8 weeks after quarterly deadline
• Grant Range: £3,000 - £6,000
• Geographic Focus: North East England (primary: Tyne & Wear, Northumberland), plus York, Harrogate, Bradford, Greater Manchester
• Endowment: £16.5m+

Contact Details

• Website: www.shearsfoundation.org
• Email: bruce@shearsfoundation.org
• Phone: 07544380316
• Administrator: Carla Greenwood - 07860 131297 (enquiries Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
• Mandatory pre-application contact: Telephone or Zoom call required before application

Overview

The Shears Foundation was established in 1994 by Trevor and Lyn Shears with an initial endowment of £8 million from shares in the Go-Ahead Group upon its flotation on the London Stock Exchange. Now worth over £16.5 million, the foundation has distributed more than £15 million since 1996. The foundation is currently run by Lyn's son Mark Shears and son-in-law Bruce Warnes, alongside 6 additional trustees. Following Trevor's death in 2014, Lyn continued leading the foundation until retiring as chair in 2022, becoming Honorary Lifetime Patron. The foundation focuses on education as “the route to liberation from all kinds of economic and social problems,” while also supporting culture, environment, community building, and health research. They are signatories to IVAR's 8 commitments for flexible, open and trusting grant-making. Trevor received an OBE in 2009, Lyn in 2021, and both received The Prince of Wales Medal for arts philanthropy in 2015.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Small Grants Programme: £3,000 - £6,000 (rolling quarterly deadlines)
• Core Organization Support: Long-term relationships with strategic partners (typically larger amounts)
• Application method: Quarterly review cycle with fixed deadlines after mandatory pre-application conversation

Priority Areas

1. Culture and the Arts: Development of cultural opportunities and arts programs
2. Educational Opportunities: For both adults and children
3. Natural Environment: Protection, preservation, and enhancement
4. Stronger Communities: Creating better, more sustainable communities
5. Health and Medicine: Emphasis on research and education

Geographic Priority: 55-60% of grants go to organizations in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, with remaining funds supporting York, Harrogate, Bradford, and Greater Manchester.

What They Don't Fund

• Capital projects (building purchases, refurbishments, major repairs)
• Outdoor infrastructure works
• Vehicles
• Large equipment
• Organizations with income over £1.5M (restriction effective March 1, 2024; excludes core partners)
• Projects outside priority geographic areas (unlikely to succeed due to high competition)
• Applications submitted without prior telephone/Zoom consultation

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Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership:

• Mark Shears (Son of founders, daily operations)
• Bruce Warnes (Son-in-law, Trustee and Grants Manager)
• 6 additional trustees
• Total of 9 trustees

Founding Family:

• Trevor Shears (1945-2014): Former Director of Finance at Northern General, led management buy-out creating Go-Ahead Group, OBE 2009
• Lyn Shears: Co-founder, former Chair (retired 2022), Honorary Lifetime Patron, OBE 2021

Key Quote from Bruce Warnes (Grants Manager):

“The Shears Foundation should never be that black hole. As funders, good communication should be at the heart of everything we do.”

Funding Philosophy:

Bruce emphasizes their core principle: "HAVING MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS > BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS > ESTABLISHING TRUST"

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

• Q1 (April-June): Deadline May 31
• Q2 (July-September): Deadline August 31
• Q3 (October-December): Deadline November 30
• Q4 (January-March): Deadline February 28/29

Critical Requirement: “Applications where we have not had a telephone conversation or ZOOM call prior to application will not be considered by our trustees.”

Decision Timeline

• Applications reviewed quarterly
• Decisions made within 6 weeks after deadline
• Q1: Decisions in June/early July
• Q2: Decisions in early October
• Q3: Decisions in December/early January
• Q4: Decisions in March/early April

Success Rates

• Overall Success Rate: 32.7% (2024/25)
• Scoring Threshold: Applications must score average of 42+ to progress to trustee consideration
• Application Volume: High competition for grants, especially outside core geographic areas
• Grant Data: 235 total grants made to 224 recipients since January 2019

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified - contact foundation directly via pre-application call for guidance

Application Success Factors

What Trustees Value:

1. Multiple Funding Sources: “Trustees look more favourably on applications where work is being funded from a range of sources, or when the grant covers the full cost of a single piece of work.”

1. Collaborative Working: “Trustees look more favourably on applications where you can show you are working collaboratively with other groups, organisations and charities.”

1. Complete Information: Provide all information possible to help trustees make decisions. Ensure financial sections are accurate and balance.

1. Alignment with Values: Foundation values “what a charity achieves, not strictly how they achieve it” - they are “flexible, agile and take a degree of risk.”

1. Honest Communication: Foundation emphasizes trust, transparency, and meaningful conversation over formality

Funding Approach:

• Supports both project and core costs, including staffing and operational overheads
• Offers core funding for specific roles/positions
• Moving toward more unrestricted funding models
• Committed to flexible funding practices per IVAR commitments

Common Characteristics of Funded Organizations:

• Income below £1.5M
• Located in priority geographic areas (especially North East England)
• Working in one or more priority areas
• Demonstrate collaborative approach
• Clear alignment with foundation values

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Pre-application call is mandatory and non-negotiable - Applications without prior conversation will be automatically rejected. Use this call strategically to test fit and gain insights.

1. Geographic location matters significantly - 55-60% of funding goes to Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. If outside this area, application must be exceptionally strong in priority areas.

1. Demonstrate collaboration and diverse funding - Show you're working with other organizations and securing funding from multiple sources to significantly improve your chances.

1. Relationship-focused foundation - Values trust, transparency, and meaningful conversation. Build genuine relationship rather than transactional approach.

1. Understand the scoring system - Review the scoring criteria document on their website before applying. Need 42+ average to progress to trustees. Success rate is only 32.7%.

1. Financial accuracy is crucial - Ensure all financial sections are complete, accurate, and balanced. Trustees scrutinize budget details.

1. Core vs. project costs welcomed - Unlike many funders, they actively support core costs and staffing. Be clear about what you're requesting.

1. Patience with quarterly cycles - Plan ahead for quarterly deadlines and 6-week decision timelines. Don't rush the application.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Garfield Weston Foundation
• P F Charitable Trust
• THE BARBOUR FOUNDATION
• THE SIR JAMES KNOTT TRUST
• Awards for All
• MOONDANCE FOUNDATION
• THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY
• THE HEADLEY TRUST
• The Clore Duffield Foundation
• The Baring Foundation
• The Elton John AIDS Foundation
• The Dunhill Medical Trust (Vivensa Foundation)
• The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation (Forte Charitable Foundation)
• Rosetrees Trust
• The Grace Trust
• THE BALLINGER CHARITABLE TRUST
• National Lottery
• THE HADRIAN TRUST
• THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUST
• THE HENRY LUMLEY CHARITABLE TRUST

References

• The Shears Foundation official website: https://shearsfoundation.org/
• “About the Shears Foundation”: https://shearsfoundation.org/about
• “How to Apply”: https://shearsfoundation.org/how-apply-funding
• Charity Commission Register - THE SHEARS FOUNDATION (1202285): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5207908
• 360Giving GrantNav - The Shears Foundation: https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-1202285
• IVAR, “Having meaningful conversations about your funding approach”: https://www.ivar.org.uk/blog/meaningful-conversations-funding-approach/
• Philanthropy North East, “Lyn and Trevor Shears, Champions for Philanthropy”: https://www.philanthropynortheast.com/the-philanthropists/shears-lyn-and-trevor
• VONNE, "Funder's Spotlight: The Shears Foundation": https://www.vonne.org.uk/funders-spotlight-shears-foundation
• Charity Commission financial data for year ending March 31, 2024