The Sigrid Rausing Trust

Charity Number: 1194828

Annual Expenditure: £42.0M
Geographic Focus: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada ... [45 more]

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £42 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Invitation-only (highly competitive)
  • Decision Time: Not specified (varies)
  • Grant Range: £50,000 - £250,000 (typical), no set limits
  • Geographic Focus: Global, with priority on Central/Eastern Europe, Eurasia, North Africa, South Africa

Contact Details

Overview

The Sigrid Rausing Trust was established in 1995 by anthropologist and publisher Sigrid Rausing to support human rights globally. Since its founding, the Trust has awarded approximately £575 million to over 950 organizations worldwide. With an annual income of £82.6 million and expenses of £55.1 million in 2023, it is one of the UK's most significant human rights funders. The Trust operates through an invitation-only model, proactively identifying and approaching organizations rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Under current leadership including Acting Co-Director Andrew Puddephatt OBE and Chief Executive Clare Algar, the Trust is focusing on deeper partnerships with fewer organizations, planning to reduce grantee numbers by nearly half to retain only the most effective partners.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Human Rights and Rule of Law: Access to justice, international crimes accountability, torture prevention, criminal justice reform, memorialization
  • Open Societies: Democracy promotion, civic space protection
  • The Environment: Environmental rights and protection
  • Strategic Initiatives: Combating homophobic laws, UK community cohesion, Ukraine reparations
  • Trustees' Small Grants: Smaller organizations, often UK-based
  • Regional Programs: Turkey Strategic Fund, Angelica Trust (Mexico), MENA Strategic Fund

Priority Areas

  • Human rights organizations with proven effectiveness
  • Medium-sized and growing organizations
  • Groups working in Central/Eastern Europe, Eurasia, North Africa, South Africa
  • Organizations needing core/unrestricted funding
  • Groups with innovative methodologies and strong leadership

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations requiring more than 30% of their budget from a single funder
  • Unsolicited applications (invitation-only process)
  • Organizations outside their three main program areas
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Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership:

  • Sigrid Rausing: Founder, Publisher of Granta Books, former Editor of Granta Magazine
  • Andrew Puddephatt OBE: Acting Co-Director, Deputy Chair, awarded OBE for services to human rights
  • Clare Algar: Chief Executive
  • Jane Pickering: Chief Operating Officer
  • Beth Fernandez: Deputy Director

The Trust employs 22 staff members based in London. No trustees receive remuneration. As Andrew Puddephatt notes: “The trustees feel groups best embody the qualities they admire through: good leadership, proven effectiveness... and an imaginative and innovative methodology.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Invitation Only: The Trust does not accept unsolicited applications. They proactively identify organizations through research and fieldwork, then invite applications. Organizations can introduce themselves via info@srtrust.org but cannot formally apply without invitation.

Decision Timeline

Not specified - varies based on the Trust's proactive identification process and board meeting schedules.

Success Rates

Highly competitive - operates invitation-only system. The Trust is reducing grantee numbers by nearly half to focus on the most effective partners.

Reapplication Policy

Long-term partnerships encouraged. Initial grants are one-year, potentially followed by multiple three-year cycles for successful grantees, dependent on work quality.

Application Success Factors

Direct advice from the Trust:

  • “We look for good and effective leadership”
  • “We value clarity and brevity in applications and reports”
  • “We are flexible and responsive to needs and opportunities”
  • Organizations should demonstrate “proven effectiveness” - how they've altered the landscape and can continue doing so

What makes organizations stand out:

  • Strong, effective leadership
  • Proven track record of impact in human rights
  • Innovative and imaginative methodologies
  • Ability to provide clear, brief reporting
  • Alignment with Trust's geographic priorities
  • Need for core/unrestricted funding rather than project-specific grants

Trust preferences:

  • Majority of grants range £50,000-£250,000, averaging around £110,000
  • Prefers covering operating costs over specific projects
  • Values organizations that can demonstrate long-term sustainability
  • Looks for groups that embody innovation in addressing specific problems

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No direct applications possible - Focus on building field visibility and networking with current grantees or staff
  • Geographic focus matters - Priority given to Central/Eastern Europe, Eurasia, North Africa, South Africa
  • Core funding preferred - They value unrestricted grants over project-specific funding
  • Quality over quantity approach - Trust is reducing grantee numbers to focus on most effective partners
  • Long-term thinking required - Initial one-year grants can lead to multiple three-year cycles
  • Leadership crucial - Strong, effective leadership is a primary evaluation criterion
  • Innovation valued - Organizations need imaginative approaches to specific problems the trustees care about

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References