Constance Travis Charitable Trust

The Constance Travis Charitable Trust is an independent endowed grant-making foundation established in 1986 by Constance and Ray Travis, with family contributions linked to the Travis Perkins legacy. Rooted in family stewardship and strategic philanthropy, it sustains a long-term investment strategy to preserve capital while funding impactful charitable activities. Its core values emphasize independence, prudence, and high-value support for major institutions, having evolved from broad giving to concentrated grants for leading national and international charities in medical care and research, environmental protection, international aid, poverty alleviation, health and wellbeing, education, gender equality, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities, climate action, and social justice.

The Trust prioritizes large-scale societal impact through diverse beneficiaries, including registered UK charities, exempt charities, and community amateur sports clubs. Recent grants to organizations like Age UK Northamptonshire, Crisis, RNID, Mental Health Foundation, and SignHealth highlight support for professional, high-impact entities, with a strategic Northamptonshire focus via affiliated community endowments, though unrestricted geographically across the UK and worldwide. It favors well-established charities demonstrating proven scale and effectiveness, typically those with substantial incomes.

Grants range from £20,000 to £100,000 (averaging £50,000), occasionally higher for endowments, covering project work, core funding, capacity building, and unrestricted support—excluding capital projects. Strictly invitation-only, it accepts no unsolicited applications; trustees select via networks at ad hoc meetings with no public deadlines or forms. Distinctive for its discretion, family governance, and pivot to fewer, larger gifts, it stands apart by shunning small grassroots groups, open programs, and non-strategic causes, ideal for invited national leaders in health, environment, or development.