Primrose Trust

The Primrose Trust is a grant-making charitable trust registered in England and Wales since 1988, dedicated to making donations to charitable institutions and authorities at the absolute discretion of its trustees. Its core mission is to support general charitable purposes benefiting the general public and mankind, operating as a generalist funder without explicit thematic priorities, guidance notes, or strategic plans. Guided by values of financial stewardship, governance transparency, risk management, safeguarding, and prudent investment, the Trust maintains a minimalist, trustee-led structure with no paid staff, emphasizing careful due diligence and flexible decision-making to enable positive change across diverse sectors.

It funds a broad spectrum of charitable activities, including general purposes that may benefit people, communities, animals, and the public at large, through project funding, core costs, or unrestricted support. There are no fixed causes or programmes; grants align with trustees' judgement, historically spanning small local charities to larger national bodies without sector restrictions.

Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities based in England and Wales, with no income thresholds, size limits, or special criteria beyond organisational status—individuals are explicitly excluded. The Trust does not accept unsolicited applications; grants are awarded proactively via trustee initiative or networks, with decisions made at periodic, ad-hoc trustee meetings and no published deadlines or application process.

Distinguished by its high discretion, lack of publicity on grants or impact stories, and unrestrictive scope, Primrose Trust stands out as a traditional, low-profile funder prioritising trustee autonomy over open calls, typically awarding from a few hundred to several thousand pounds per grant.