Dawes Trust

The Dawes Trust, established in 2011 as a UK grant-making charity, is dedicated to combating crime—including organized crime—by protecting people and property, preserving public order, and advancing crime prevention and detection for public benefit. Governed by trustees with law enforcement expertise, it emphasizes research, innovation, and interventions addressing serious threats like child sexual abuse and violence against women and girls, fostering long-term societal safety through evidence-based, forward-thinking strategies and cross-sector collaboration.

It funds high-impact projects in crime reduction, public protection, and policing innovation, prioritizing research centers, data analytics, technology-driven prevention, and policy-influencing programs. Beneficiaries include the general public and organizations tackling critical crimes, with grants supporting academic institutions and charities delivering practical outcomes, such as the £7 million Dawes Centre for Future Crime at UCL and £1.15 million for Anglia Ruskin University’s Global Public Protection Data Research Programme.

Eligible applicants are limited to UK-registered charities and academic institutions based in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland), with a preference for established, large- or medium-sized entities demonstrating expertise and capacity; unsolicited applications are not accepted—funding is invite-only via trustee outreach on an ad hoc basis, with no published deadlines. Typical grants range from £100,000 to multi-million-pound multi-year investments for strategic initiatives.

Distinctively, the Trust avoids unrestricted core costs, unrelated capital projects, or smaller-scale efforts, focusing exclusively on scalable, innovative solutions to emerging criminal challenges, setting it apart as a strategic investor in UK public safety research and technology.