J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust

Overview

The J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust was endowed by Sir John Paul Getty, KBE, who died in April 2003 in London, where he had lived since the 1970s. The Trust started distributing funds in 1986, and since then it has awarded nearly £58 million to over 3,300 charities across the United Kingdom.

The Trust currently has a capital of around £40 million, and in 2010, it awarded grants amounting to £9.5 million to support its charitable aims.

The Trust's main aim has always been to fund well managed projects (in their areas of interest)which help to relieve poverty, support disadvantaged people and effect long term change.

In accordance with the expressed wishes of Sir Paul, the trustees have now decided to wind down the Trust within the next five years. It is likely that the Trust will close its online applications in the next two years and at least 6 months notice will be provided on their website in due course.

This means that they will be increasing the level of annual spend and will be looking for opportunities to award a number of more substantial grants that will have an enduring impact.

The Trust can award grants towards both revenue and capital costs. However, the trustees will not normally approve grants to cover more than 20% of a charity's entire annual running costs, as we feel it is important for organisations to develop a range of income sources and not become dependent on any single funder.

Main grants

Can be between £10,000 and £250,000 over a period of 1 to 3 years. Multi-year grants will often be paid as a single instalment. On average it takes us between 6 and 9 months to award a main grant, so please allow plenty of time when making your application.

Small grants

Of up to £5,000 are also available for smaller charities. Applications are made in exactly the same way as for our main grants programme. However, if you are successful, your grant may be awarded in as little as 3 to 6 months.

If you are a faith-based community group planning to apply for a grant of £5,000 or less, assistance may be available through the Church Urban Fund Mustard Seed Programme, to which the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust makes a contribution. We recommend that you look at www.cuf.org.uk for further guidance, or contact Nick Waters at the Church Urban Fund (020 7898 1647).

At present, their grant making is largely focused on supporting registered charities in England, although applications may sometimes be considered from other parts of the United Kingdom if the project is likely to be of nationwide significance.

Occasionally, they will fund organisations of comparable charitable status, such as Industrial Provident Societies or Community Interest Companies, but only where there is a very strong connection with one or more of their current funding priorities.

They are currently inviting applications from registered charities in the following areas:

Social Welfare Category

• Reducing Reoffending: projects aiming to improve the lot of people in prison and smooth the transition for those leaving prison, maximising their chances of successful resettlement
• Improving Prospects: projects providing meaningful occupation for young people aged 14-19 to improve their employability and diminish the risk of social exclusion; work to improve the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers
• Repairing Communities: projects led from within the community with the aim of integrating different social and ethnic groups in pursuit of worthwhile goals
• Repairing Lives: projects making a lasting impact on the lives of people with substance misuse problems; projects helping people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness

Arts and Heritage Category

• Preserving Heritage: conserving or restoring buildings and landscapes which are of national value and accessible to the public; saving from export art and manuscripts of national importance; developing conservation skills, especially among disadvantaged groups
• Sustaining the Arts: nurturing and developing artistic endeavour of the highest quality

They aim to ensure that grants are made to charities which do not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, race, colour or nationality, and therefore they support organisations with a clear commitment to equal opportunities. However, they recognise that the sensitive nature of some of the work they fund means that appropriate restrictions on staff or participants may sometimes need to be applied.

Example Grants

• 2011: Addiction NI - £75,000; Belfast Circus School - £30,000; Irish Georgian Society - £30,000
• 2010 The Pushkin Trust - £60,000 for cross-community creative arts workshop days for children in the North and South of Ireland; The Scout Association NI - £45,000 for the Leader Active Programme
• 2009; Oh Yeah Music workshops for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Belfast £42,000 over 3 years
• 2007; Northlands, Derry £30,000; Conservation Volunteers NI £10,000; Homeplus, Belfast £1,000
• £36,000 was given by the Trust in Northern Ireland in 2006 in 2 grants. Linenhall Library £12,000 x 3
• The Trust received 1,155 applications in 2011 (1,516 in 2010) and grant commitments totalling £11,703,960 with £11,388,400 being committed to 143 grants with an average grant size of just over £80,000 and £315,560 in grants of £5,000 or less.