The Foundation generally makes small grants - by invitation only - to charitable organisations working in the area of Climate Change and Displaced People. Its funds are evenly distributed to organisations in the South West of England, the United Kingdom and internationally.
The Pickwell Foundation is an interesting grant-making charity operating out of Braunton, North Devon. The Foundation has 4 trustees, consisting of two members each from two families. It takes a relational approach to grant-making and seeks to build longer-term funding relationships and partnerships. Grants are often awarded over a 3-year period and can include contributions towards core costs or unrestricted funds where appropriate.
However, the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and prefers to offer invitations to charitable organisations to apply for support. If you believe your organisation represents a strong match against the Foundation’s values and objectives, a letter of introduction is probably the best approach to take in the first instance.
The Foundation aims to direct a third of its support to organisations working in the South West of England, a third to those working nationally and a third internationally.
The Foundation’s priorities for grant support are:
• Climate Change - its funding is aimed at both climate change mitigation and adaptation. To try to mitigate climate change it supports projects that help transition to a lower carbon future, as well as those campaigning for legislative change.
• Displaced People – the Foundation’s support in this area is wide-ranging and includes projects working both with people who have been displaced and those at risk of displacement.
The Foundation also works locally in Devon to provide support to refugees and asylum seekers through a number of schemes (these are listed on its website), and offers the use of Pickwell Manor as a residential resource for some of the charities it supports for such things as team retreats, strategy weekends, trustee residential time, volunteer training, as well as for the bi-annual social enterprise training course that it hosts and jointly run.
Further information about the Foundation is available on its website.