Ratcliff Foundation

The Ratcliff Foundation is a longstanding charitable trust registered in England and Wales since 1963, originating from a 1959 deed of settlement and stewarded by five trustees with robust governance including conflict policies, risk management, and investment controls. Its core mission is to deliver general charitable benefits to the public through discretionary grants to charities, emphasizing support for organizations in the Midlands and Wales while maintaining a broad, responsive generalist approach as a family foundation committed to stewarding capital for generational public good.

It funds a diverse range of charitable activities across England and Wales, including core costs, unrestricted support, revenue, capital projects, and broad initiatives in community life, social welfare, and public benefit, without thematic specialisms. Beneficiaries are primarily small to medium-sized charities and voluntary bodies, often grassroots or community-based, empowering the voluntary sector through flexible, impactful grants.

Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities based in the UK, with strong preference for those operating in or benefiting the Midlands and Wales; larger organizations or those without regional ties are unlikely to succeed. It does not fund individuals.

Grants typically range from £2,000 to £20,000, occasionally higher for multi-year needs. Highly discretionary and invite-only, it does not accept unsolicited applications—trustees select via networks, referrals, or direct outreach—with decisions at biannual (or triannual) trustee meetings and no published deadlines or guidelines. Distinctive for its opaque, regionally rooted style and enduring transparency via Charity Commission reports, it stands out as a reliable, non-publicized supporter of evolving voluntary sector needs.