I Kaufman Charitable Trust

The I Kaufman Charitable Trust, established in 1969 and governed by a small board of trustees, is a flexible, trustee-led philanthropy focused on providing modest donations to educational and needy organisations and individuals worldwide. Its core mission centers on alleviating hardship among the disadvantaged and advancing educational opportunities, guided by a pragmatic, responsive philosophy that prioritizes direct charitable expenditure over formal strategies or measurable outcomes. With no published mission statement or guiding values, the trust embodies personal stewardship, absorbing overheads to maximize funds for beneficiaries, and maintains privacy by not disclosing recipient case studies in public filings.

It supports a broad spectrum of causes, including project funding, educational grants, general hardship relief, and core costs for small to medium organisations or individuals experiencing disadvantage. There are no narrow thematic restrictions, allowing global responsiveness to needs as they arise, from grassroots efforts to personal support, without favoring specific programmes.

Eligible applicants face no formal restrictions on legal entity type, income size, or geography—grants span worldwide with a preference for smaller entities—but the trust does not accept unsolicited applications. Approaches must be made directly to trustees via letter, post, or personal introduction, with decisions at their ad hoc discretion and no deadlines or published meetings. Typical grants range from £250 to £2,000, occasionally higher but rarely exceeding £5,000.

Distinctive for its operational simplicity, global remit, and discretion-driven model without exclusions, strategic boundaries, or open calls, the trust stands out as a quietly generalist funder emphasizing philanthropic flexibility over structured impact reporting.