Douglas Arter Foundation

The Douglas Arter Foundation, established in 1962 as a family-founded UK grant-making trust based in South-West England, is chaired by the Arter family and dedicated exclusively to enhancing the lives of people with physical and mental disabilities across all ages. Its enduring mission, rooted in compassion, practical support, and voluntary self-help, focuses on fostering inclusive communities through targeted grants that enable disabled individuals to flourish via accessibility improvements, social inclusion, specialist equipment, therapy, recreation, education, and disability-friendly services. With a steadfast refusal to diversify, it prioritizes projects like confidence-building for children, service delivery for conditions such as CGD or Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, and support for charities including The Ethel Trust and Amber Trust.

Eligible applicants are solely UK-registered charities delivering direct benefits to disabled people UK-wide, with particular attentiveness to those in Bristol, Somerset, and Gloucestershire; it favors small and medium-sized local or grassroots organizations demonstrating strong voluntary ethos, robust accounts, and self-help efforts, without strict income thresholds.

Grants typically range from £250 to £2,500 (most £250–£2,000) as one-off contributions for discrete, tangible project outcomes. Unsolicited applications are welcomed via written letter by post to the Secretary—including a covering letter with objectives, existing funding, timetable, and latest audited accounts—at least two weeks before quarterly trustee meetings in early March, June, September, or December; only successful applicants are notified within two weeks. Exclusions include core costs, salaries, research, major capital projects, long-term commitments, or individual appeals. Distinctively, its generational family governance and preference for high-impact, community-engaged projects make it an ideal, unwavering ally for aligned disability charities.