Barnsbury Charitable Trust

The Barnsbury Charitable Trust, an independent grant-making charity established in 1965, focuses on combating climate change and biodiversity loss by funding environmental organisations pioneering regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Governed by a small board of three unremunerated trustees with no staff, it maximises impact through low overheads and strategic philanthropy, prioritising scientific evidence, grassroots innovation, and ecosystem restoration to transform the UK's food and farming systems for long-term environmental stewardship.

It supports thematic priorities including soil health regeneration, biodiversity restoration, sustainable land management, field-scale demonstration projects, research programmes, advocacy for systemic change, and educational initiatives on ecological farming. Funding targets medium to large sector-leading charities and occasionally innovative grassroots groups capable of scalable, measurable climate impact, with examples including multi-year grants for PhD scholarships and advocacy, though core costs are limited to strategic partners.

Eligible applicants must be UK-based organisations delivering UK-wide or regional interventions; no specific legal entities or income thresholds are stated, but preference favours established groups with proven capacity. Grants typically range from £25,000 to £150,000 annually, often multi-year for high-impact projects. Applications are strictly invitation-only via trustee networks—no unsolicited submissions, forms, or deadlines—with decisions at ad hoc meetings two to three times yearly on a rolling basis.

Distinctively, the trust avoids direct people/community support, emergency relief, or unrestricted funding, differentiating itself through its laser focus on regenerative agriculture as a climate solution, high-value catalytic grants to exemplars driving policy and adoption, and rejection of responsive giving in favour of proactive, visionary partnerships.