Costa Family Charitable Trust

The Costa Family Charitable Trust, established in 1959 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (number 221604), is a family-led grant-making trust governed by trustees Mr Kenneth Johann Costa and Mrs Ann Fiona Costa. Operating from London with no employees or trustee remuneration, it distributes capital and income at trustees' discretion for public benefit, embracing a generalist approach without fixed themes, sectors, or beneficiaries. Its ethos emphasises tangible impact, robust governance, and personalised philanthropy, reviewed annually through strategic meetings, fostering a selective, trustee-driven model prioritising personally connected causes.

The trust funds diverse charitable projects across faith-based organisations, health, education, heritage, and humanitarian relief, supporting both UK charities and individuals—such as grants to The Ecclesiastical Parish of St Paul Hammersmith, British Red Cross, Queens College, and Audacious Church. It backs specific initiatives with clear public benefit, including project funding, capital support, and occasionally core costs, with a pattern favouring grassroots groups, faith entities, and established institutions in England, particularly London and the South East, though without explicit geographic limits.

Eligible applicants are strictly UK-registered charities; unsolicited applications are not accepted or acknowledged, with funding sourced via trustee networks or recommendations. Typical grants range from £5,000 to £50,000 (averaging £10,000–£30,000), awarded discretionally without deadlines or formal processes. Distinctively, its long legacy, closed-access policy, and bespoke selectivity differentiate it from open funders, suiting organisations with trustee alignment over broad programmatic appeals; it excludes unrestricted or unvetted proposals.