The Three Monkies Trust was founded by Nigel Higgins, Chair of Barclays plc, and his wife, the architect Sanya Polescuk, in 2015.
During 2026, they posted the following notice on their website:
At present we are not open for new applications and are funding charities and projects which we have come to know well. That may well change in the future when for instance we decide that we need to refresh our list of grant recipients. At that point the website will be updated but we do not expect to do that for a few years".
Previously, the Trust provided grants for small to medium sized charities with an annual income of £500,000 or less operating primarily in England and Wales.
The Trust focuses its grant-making on the following three areas:
- Promoting the advancement and accessibility of music and the arts.
- Helping children and young people under the age of 25, and
- Supporting London-based charities to provide accommodation for key workers.
Applicants were asked to provide a short document of no more than between 2-5 pages covering the following:
- A brief description of the organisation including its current priorities and main activities, and
- A brief description of the project for which funds are being sought covering:
- What funds are being sought from Three Monkies and what funds will be used for.
- Demonstrable a link to the organisation’s priorities and to Three Monkies’ key areas of interest
- The rationale for the project and the target beneficiaries.
- What the project aims to achieve.
- What the applicant hopes to achieve as a result of undertaking the project.
- The project time frame.
- The budget for the project and the funding already secured (if appropriate).
- Information about the sustainability of the project and/or its legacy.
They had two deadlines per year usually in May and November.