The Tolkien Trust

Charity Number: 1150801

Annual Expenditure: £6.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £6,305,610 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not disclosed
  • Grant Range: Grants range from modest amounts to £100,000+
  • Geographic Focus: UK and International
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Contact Details

Website: www.tolkientrust.org

Email: nicola.peedell@howespercival.com

Phone: 01865 536800

Address: c/o Howe Percival, 267 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7HT

Overview

The Tolkien Trust is a highly distinctive UK registered charity (No. 1150801) established in 1977 by the four children of author J.R.R. Tolkien - John, Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla. The Trust was created to enable the Tolkien family to give regularly to charitable causes of their choice. Unlike most grant-making trusts, it operates entirely on a discretionary basis, with family trustees personally selecting beneficiaries based on their own knowledge and interests. The Trust is funded exclusively through royalties from J.R.R. Tolkien's copyrighted works and subsequent investments, with no fundraising activity. With an annual income of approximately £6.5 million and total expenditure of over £6.6 million in charitable activities (2024), the Trust maintains substantial unrestricted reserves of approximately £37 million. The Trust has an ethical investment policy, avoiding investments in tobacco, armaments manufacturing, and gambling services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Tolkien Trust does not operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles or amounts. Instead, the Trust makes discretionary grants to UK registered charities working in the UK and/or overseas. Historical records show that grants have ranged from modest amounts to major grants of £100,000 or more for emergency relief and development projects.

Priority Areas

The Trust supports a wide spectrum of charitable causes globally, including:

  • Emergency and disaster relief (including major disaster appeals)
  • Overseas aid and development
  • Homelessness and refugees
  • Healthcare charities - particularly those focusing on illnesses of childhood and old age, the needs of disadvantaged communities, and medical research
  • Religious causes promoting peace and reconciliation and work with impoverished communities
  • Arts and education
  • Environmental conservation
  • International relations and peacebuilding
  • Migration issues
  • Prison reform and prisoner education
  • UK and international health and medical research

Many beneficiary charities receive support on an annual basis, with a large number having received support from the Trust for many years.

What They Don't Fund

The Trust's ethical investment policy provides some indication of values: they avoid funding connected to tobacco, armaments, or gambling. However, specific funding exclusions are not published.

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Governance and Leadership

The Trust is governed by family trustees - descendants of J.R.R. Tolkien who serve without remuneration. Current trustees/directors include:

  • Simon Mario Reuel Tolkien (appointed December 2020)
  • Baillie Jean Tolkien (appointed January 2013, widow of Christopher Tolkien)
  • Royd Allan Reuel Tolkien (appointed December 2024)
  • Rachel Clare Reuel Tolkien (appointed December 2024)
  • Amanda Mary Doyle (appointed December 2024)

The Trust operates with no paid staff, with the directors serving as trustees. According to the Trust's website, they describe themselves as enabling "the trustees, the members of Tolkien's family, to donate regularly to whichever causes they may choose."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Tolkien Trust does not have a public application process.

The Trust's website explicitly states: “Unfortunately the Trust does not have the capacity to appraise uninvited applications. Please only submit an application if you have been invited to do so by the Trust.”

The Trust is wholly discretionary, meaning trustees decide whom to benefit based on their own knowledge of charities operating in areas of interest to them. The Trust does not publish guidelines concerning the charities of interest to them.

Historical information from local council funding directories suggested that “a letter of introduction is thought to be the best way to approach the Trust in the first instance,” though this appears to be superseded by the Trust's current explicit policy against unsolicited applications.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded at the discretion of family trustees rather than through a formal application and decision cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable given the invitation-only model.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature of the Trust, traditional “application success factors” do not apply. However, research reveals the following about how the Trust operates:

How the Trust Identifies Beneficiaries:

  • Trustees select charities based on their personal knowledge and interests
  • Many charities are supported on an annual, ongoing basis
  • The Trust has historically responded to major disaster appeals (Haiti earthquake, Pakistan flooding)
  • Long-term relationships appear important - many beneficiaries receive support for multiple years

Known Beneficiaries (Historical Examples):

Organizations that have received support include:

  • Birdlife International
  • Koestler Trust (arts in criminal justice)
  • Orchestra of St. John's
  • Oxford Botanic Garden
  • Prisoners' Educational Trust
  • WWF UK
  • Enfants du Monde
  • The Grail Centre Trust
  • Oxfam
  • Action Against Hunger
  • Médecins Sans Frontières
  • UNICEF
  • Find Your Feet
  • King Edward's School Birmingham Trust
  • The Bodleian Library
  • University of Manitoba (Alan Klass Memorial Fund)
  • Rebuilding Sri Lanka

This list suggests the trustees have particular interests in:

  • International humanitarian relief
  • Prisoner education and rehabilitation
  • Arts and cultural institutions (especially in Oxford)
  • Environmental conservation
  • Educational institutions
  • Medical and humanitarian organizations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - the Trust only accepts applications by invitation, making this an unsuitable target for standard grant applications
  • Family discretion is paramount - funding decisions rest entirely with Tolkien family trustees based on their personal charitable interests
  • Long-term relationships matter - many organizations receive support for multiple years, suggesting established relationships are key
  • Diverse but focused interests - while the Trust supports a wide spectrum, the pattern of known beneficiaries suggests particular interests in international humanitarian work, prisoner rehabilitation, Oxford-area cultural institutions, and environmental causes
  • Major giving capacity - with £6.3 million in charitable expenditure annually and willingness to make six-figure grants, this is a significant funder when engaged
  • Values-driven - the ethical investment policy and pattern of beneficiaries suggest strong values around peace, reconciliation, education, and humanitarian relief
  • Invitation-only model means traditional grant-seeking strategies won't work - organizations cannot apply directly and must be known to the trustees through other means

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