The Sojourner Trust Grant Making Trust Management

The Sojourner Trust was established in late 2006 by five women from the African-Caribbean community who wanted to make a difference, particularly in relation to the education and personal development of young people from African and Caribbean communities in south London.

Charity Fundraising Ltd was engaged to set up, manage and administer the distribution of £200,000 in grants. Our charity consultants worked closely with the Sojourner Trustees to develop a set of clear funding criteria, guidelines for applicants, a website, a promotional strategy, assessment criteria, a tracking database, legal documentation and a grant reporting framework.

The Trust invited applications for funding from not-for-profit organisations benefitting young people (aged 10-25 years) of African and African-Caribbean origin (including mixed race) living in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark or Lewisham. The trust was particularly interested in projects focussing on education and personal development, where a grant of up to £15,000 could make a significant difference.

A total of 81 applications were received over the 13-week application period. Carefully thought out criteria, application guidance and promotion ensured that only four applications were ineligible, which is well below the sector average and demonstrates our commitment to minimising wasted time on the part of applicant organisations. Feedback on the application guidelines included: “Really clear, really straightforward” and “These are the most organised guidelines I’ve ever seen!”

Charity Fundraising Ltd solicited monitoring reports from all grantees and provided a full written report to the Sojourner Trustees at the end of the process. The Trustees said: “Charity Fundraising’s strengths lay in the area of their communication both verbally and written. They work well to agreed deadlines and are flexible when required. All in all a very professional organisation.”