Objective
The Genesis Charitable Trust ("the Trust") provides grants for public benefit to help communities within developing countries to improve their standards of living. The Trust funds projects that provide sustainable, long-term income generation and self-sufficiency, especially those making a demonstrable positive impact on marginalised communities currently beyond the reach of traditional government or market-based solutions.
The Trust takes sustainable income to mean “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
The Trust prioritises income-generating projects in selected developing countries. It actively seeks to support:
- enterprise development, including support for smallholders, in value chains which support marginalised communities
- the improvement of vocational opportunities for marginalised communities, including targeted skills training
- more effective and sustainable management of markets in natural capital.
Eligibility
The Trust carefully assesses underlying needs within project countries, and we give priority to projects located in countries where we can best utilise our existing knowledge and business network.
We will only consider applications from organisations that comply with the following eligibility criteria:
- registered as an organisation in their operating country, or associated with an organisation with a social purpose recorded on an official register in the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Singapore
- works in a developing country indicated in the country list
- addresses the needs of disadvantaged and under-served communities
Priority will be given to organisations which:
- have a track record in activities that accord with our income-generation priorities
- can demonstrate a meaningful uplift in income at household level and other positive effects of their interventions
- are cost-effective in their approach
- have good governance and financial management
- engage beneficiaries and people who are local to beneficiaries in management and decision-making
- plan to achieve sustainability of the social mission after grant funding ends, by developing local resilience and ongoing business models
Exclusions and Safeguarding
We will not fund:
- activities focused outside the country list
- individual sponsorship or personal appeals
- work that is aligned to a political party or preferential to a religious or spiritual faith
- animal charities
- third-party construction and infrastructure projects
- funding for work that has already occurred
- medical research.
Please read our guidance on the Trust’s approaches and exclusions if your project involves:
The Trust takes its safeguarding duties seriously and it is an integral part of initial review and the monitoring of funded project work. If you have any concerns, please see our safeguarding statement for further information.
Applying for Funding
We review applications throughout the year, meaning there is no 'deadline'. The Trustees hold grant meetings around five times per year.
The Trust does not set a minimum or maximum grant value at application stage, although it is exceptional for grant payments to exceed $300,000 in any single year of a project. There is no minimum or maximum timescale for project delivery, although the usual practice is to engage projects for around three years.
The Trust is trialling a new method of receiving initial proposals, intended to save applicants’ time.
Organisations that meet the eligibility and exclusions criteria and whose projects match the priorities of the Genesis Charitable Trust are invited to send a synopsis This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with ‘Project idea’ in the subject line. Please provide a concise outline of your project, including its location(s) and these five figures:
1. The amount requested and the total project budget
2. The timescale, with any fixed start date
3. The number of participants or households expected to benefit
4. The best available forecast of the typical uplift in income expected at individual or household level
5. The registration number and type of organisations involved in fund holding and project delivery.
After review, those organisations with projects that are felt to be potentially suitable for a grant will be invited to submit an application form, which is posted here for reference only. Detailed plans and financial information will be requested in advance of any discussion.
Successful grantees will be asked to sign a Grant Agreement which will include reporting requirements (normally six monthly). Where suitable and beneficial, the Trust offers some forms of non-financial support.
Before submitting your idea by email, please review the Trust's privacy & data policy. Please do not send the application form unless requested. The Trust acknowledges each message submitted but we will not reply personally to messages unless a proposal is of interest to us.
More information, including the Trust’s most recent annual report, is available via the Charity Commission.
Manager: Tom Hoyle
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7201 7200
Address: The Genesis Charitable Trust, 21 Grosvenor Place, London, SW1X 7HU, UK
