Parthenon Trust
Overview
Although the contact address is in Switzerland, the Parthenon Trust is a UK grant-making trust (whose correspondent happens to live in Switzerland).
The largest share 37% of direct charitable expenditure was awarded towards medical research, substantial grants were also awarded towards assistance to the disadvantaged, for cultural and heritage purposes, to international aid organisations and towards medical treatment and care.
Parthenon is a pure grant-giver, giving grants to officially-approved charitable bodies, no grants being made to individuals. Many grants are made for general purposes and as a general rule, Parthenon does not enter into long-term commitments.
In selecting grantees the Trustees consider the following criteria:
- Where it is possible to make a comparative judgement, how does the potential grantee score?
- What views on the potential grantee do other charities hold?
- Would the award of a grant enable the potential grantee to attract grants from other sources?
- If it is appropriate for the potential grantee to use volunteers and/or donated aid, how successful is it likely to be from this point of view?
- Is there a serious danger that a failure to continue Parthenon's support would be a disastrous blow to the potential grantee?
- Will the potential grantee's activities (even if this is not their primary object) help to advance the establishment of civil society in a developing country or a troubled part of the world?
It goes without saying that great weight is attached to an assessment of the potential grantee's management: and that a high expense ratio would be cause for inquiry (though it often turn s out that there are good reasons for a high ratio).
Most grants are awarded at a Trustees' Meeting held in the first half of the year, though grants can be awarded at any time.