The Willow Tree Trust

Charity Number: 1096149

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

Charity Number: 1096149
Annual Giving: £180,383 (2024)
Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
Geographic Focus: Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Uganda
Founded: 2003
Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Registered Office:

Moore Kingston Smith & Partners Ltd

9 Appold Street

London EC2A 2AP

Email: kscharities@kingstonsmith.co.uk

Phone: 020 7566 4000

Overview

The Willow Tree Trust is a UK-registered charitable company established in 2003 that makes grants to individuals and organizations in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. With an annual income of approximately £180,000, the Trust focuses on general charitable purposes across multiple sectors including education and training, advancement of health or saving of lives, and the prevention or relief of poverty. The Trust operates through its registered office at Moore Kingston Smith, a London-based accountancy firm. The charity maintains a low administrative overhead, with no trustees receiving remuneration and no employees earning over £60,000. All three founding trustees have served continuously since the charity's inception in December 2002.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Willow Tree Trust does not operate structured grant programs with published guidelines. Their approach is discretionary, with trustees making grant decisions based on alignment with the Trust's charitable objects.

Priority Areas

Geographic Focus:

Ethiopia
Sierra Leone
Uganda

Thematic Areas:

Education and training
Health and saving lives
Poverty prevention and relief
Culture and arts
Humanitarian and disaster relief
General charitable purposes

Beneficiaries:

Other charities and voluntary organizations
Individuals
The general public

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the Trust limits its geographic focus to Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Projects outside these countries would not be considered.

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

The Willow Tree Trust has maintained a stable three-person board since its founding in 2002:

Paul Edmund Flintoff - Director/Trustee (appointed December 24, 2002)
David Jeremy Horner - Director/Trustee (appointed December 24, 2002)
David Raymond St Clair Philips - Director/Trustee (appointed December 24, 2002)

All trustees serve without remuneration, ensuring charitable funds are directed entirely to grant-making activities. The longevity of the trustee board (over 20 years) suggests deep commitment to the Trust's mission and likely indicates established relationships and knowledge in the regions where they fund.

Administrative Support:

The Trust's administrative functions are handled through Moore Kingston Smith & Partners Ltd, a professional accountancy firm, ensuring proper financial oversight and regulatory compliance.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Willow Tree Trust does not have a public application process.

This is a private grant-making trust where funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees. Grants are awarded to organizations and individuals based on trustee knowledge, relationships, and strategic priorities rather than through an open application system.

The Trust makes grants to both individuals and organizations that align with its charitable objects and operate in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Given the Trust's sustained operation since 2003 with the same trustee board, grant recipients are likely identified through:

Trustees' existing networks and knowledge of work in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda
Recommendations from trusted partners in these countries
Direct trustee research and engagement with charitable work in their focus regions

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since The Willow Tree Trust does not accept unsolicited applications, the following factors appear relevant for organizations working in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, or Uganda:

Geographic Alignment is Essential:

The Trust exclusively funds work in three countries. Organizations must operate in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, or Uganda to be considered.

Long-term Relationships:

With the same three trustees serving for over 20 years, the Trust likely values sustained relationships with trusted partners rather than one-off grants to new organizations.

Alignment with Core Themes:

Projects should clearly address education, health, poverty relief, or humanitarian needs - the Trust's documented priority areas.

Financial Efficiency:

The Trust itself operates with minimal overhead. They likely appreciate organizations that demonstrate similar efficiency in delivering charitable impact.

Work with Individuals and Organizations:

The Trust funds both individuals and organizations, suggesting flexibility in their grant-making approach depending on how best to achieve charitable impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process - This is a private trust making grants through trustee discretion rather than open applications
Geographic restriction is absolute - Only work in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda is funded
Relationship-based funding model - With the same trustees for 20+ years, grants likely flow through established networks
Modest funding scale - Annual income of approximately £180,000 suggests individual grants are likely small to medium-sized
Broad thematic scope - The Trust funds across education, health, poverty relief, culture, and humanitarian work
Professional administration - Managed through a respected accountancy firm, suggesting proper governance and compliance standards
Contact through administrators - Any initial inquiries would need to go through Moore Kingston Smith at kscharities@kingstonsmith.co.uk