Dorset Health Trust Limited

Dorset Health Trust Limited, established in 1977 as a private company limited by guarantee, is a responsive grantmaker dedicated to advancing health-related charitable activities, with a core mission to relieve sickness through targeted grants to worthy organisations and medical providers in Dorset. Its ethos emphasizes trustee-led discretion to support improved health outcomes, focusing on healthcare delivery, medical research, and service enhancements amid local needs, without rigid thematic prescriptions or strategic frameworks. This local, flexible approach distinguishes it as a discreet supporter of Dorset's healthcare ecosystem, prioritizing established providers over broad public health or national initiatives.

The Trust funds projects enhancing direct healthcare provision, such as medical equipment acquisition, facility improvements, hospital support, and occasional specialist medical research, benefiting communities facing ill health through organisations like local hospitals, health charities, and community medical projects. It supports UK-registered charities and healthcare entities with a strong Dorset presence and service delivery, showing preference for established small- to medium-sized organisations with annual incomes typically between £100,000 and £5,000,000 that demonstrate local impact.

Grants typically range from £5,000 to £50,000 (most £10,000–£30,000), awarded at trustee discretion without accepting unsolicited applications—organisations must be invited based on reputation and alignment. Decisions occur at quarterly trustee meetings, with case-by-case instructions for selected invitees and responses within 2–3 months. It excludes unrestricted core funding, seed grants, emergency relief, direct individual aid, and activities outside Dorset or sickness relief, setting it apart as an invite-only, geography-specific funder for proven local health deliverers.