The White Oak Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 298781
• Annual Giving: £47,000 (year ending April 2022)
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not applicable (no public applications)
• Application Method: No public application process - trustee discretion only
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales, and elsewhere
• Free Reserves: £1,938,421 (as of April 2022)

Contact Details

Email: WhiteOakCharitableTrust@gmail.com

Phone: 020 7823 8851

Note: The trust does not operate a public grant application process. Contact details are provided for reference only.

Overview

The White Oak Charitable Trust is a small private charitable trust registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales in 1987. With free reserves of approximately £1.9 million and annual grant distributions of around £47,000, the trust operates under a discretionary model where trustees make donation decisions based on the wishes of the settlor (founder). The trust's primary charitable object is the relief of poverty and hardship, though trustees have discretion to support other charitable purposes. The trust continues to make distributions to charities in England and Wales and elsewhere, operating as a traditional family trust with no public application process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The White Oak Charitable Trust does not operate formal grant programs or publicly advertised funding streams. All grant decisions are made at the trustees' discretion.

Recent Grant Activity:

• Year ending April 2022: £47,000 in grants distributed
• Year ending April 2021: £49,000 in grants distributed

Priority Areas

Based on the trust deed and charitable objects:

Primary Focus:

• Relief of poverty and hardship

Secondary Areas:

• Other charitable purposes at trustees' discretion
• Geographic focus includes England, Wales, and potentially other locations

What They Don't Fund

As a private discretionary trust:

• The trust does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations
• Grant decisions are made internally based on trustees' knowledge and the settlor's wishes
• No open funding rounds or application deadlines

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by three trustees who are responsible for controlling the work, management, and administration of the charity. Trustees receive no remuneration or payments.

Trust Structure

• Type: Unincorporated trust
• Number of Trustees: 3
• Staff: No employees
• Trading Subsidiaries: None

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The White Oak Charitable Trust does not have a public application process.

This is a private discretionary trust where grant decisions are made by the trustees based on:

• The original wishes of the settlor (founder)
• The trustees' own knowledge and connections
• Proposals that come to their attention through their networks
• The primary charitable object of relieving poverty and hardship

Organizations cannot submit applications for funding. All grant distributions are initiated by the trustees at their discretion.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust does not operate on an application cycle. Grant decisions are made throughout the year as the trustees review proposals and identify suitable charitable causes aligned with the settlor's wishes.

Success Rates

Not applicable - without a public application process, there are no success rate statistics available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the trust does not accept applications or reapplications from organizations.

Application Success Factors

While The White Oak Charitable Trust does not accept public applications, understanding their approach may be valuable for context:

Trust Decision-Making Framework:

• Trustees exercise discretion based on the settlor's original wishes and intentions
• Primary focus remains on the relief of poverty and hardship as specified in the trust deed
• Grant proposals are reviewed and approved by trustees as appropriate
• The trust maintains consistent annual distributions (£40,000-£50,000 range in recent years)
• Decisions consider both England and Wales, with potential for support elsewhere

Charitable Alignment:

• Organizations working on poverty relief and hardship alleviation align with the trust's primary object
• Annual expenditure patterns suggest multiple smaller grants rather than a few large distributions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This trust does not accept unsolicited applications - it operates purely on trustee discretion based on the settlor's wishes
• The trust makes genuine grants to multiple charitable institutions, with annual distributions around £47,000
• The primary charitable focus is relief of poverty and hardship, though trustees have broader discretionary powers
• With nearly £2 million in reserves, the trust has substantial assets relative to its annual giving
• Grant-making appears to involve multiple beneficiaries based on the trust's stated purpose of supporting “charitable institutions” (plural)
• This is a traditional family trust model where charitable distributions flow from personal connections and the trustees' awareness of worthy causes
• Organizations working in poverty relief should focus on building relationships within London philanthropic networks rather than direct applications

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• E B M Charitable Trust
• S Sterling Charitable Trust
• The C L Loyd Charitable Trust
• Grimsdale Charitable Trust
• The B G S Cayzer Charitable Trust
• John James Underdown Charitable Trust
• D C R Allen Charitable Trust
• ACACIA CHARITABLE TRUST
• Equitable Charity Trust
• The Welland Charitable Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, The White Oak Charitable Trust (298781): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=298781
• Charity Commission Annual Return Data for The White Oak Charitable Trust, year ending April 5, 2022