Duncan Wordsworth Foundation

The Duncan Wordsworth Foundation is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales since March 2022, established to advance general charitable purposes through flexible, trustee-led grant-making. Chaired by Harold Duncan Wordsworth with a board of six trustees—many bearing the founder's surname—it operates with broad discretion, deploying capital and income to support diverse causes and beneficiaries at the trustees' determination. Its mission emphasises unrestricted philanthropy, balancing current grants with long-term sustainability via strategic investments, such as acquiring 15 holiday lodges in 2024 to generate future income.

The Foundation funds a wide array of general charitable activities without thematic restrictions, including support for children and young people, other charities and voluntary bodies, the general public, education, training, and broader charitable purposes. Grants go to both individuals and organisations across England and Wales, covering project funding, core costs, capital, or revenue needs, as evidenced by £77,598 disbursed in the year ending April 2024.

Eligible applicants are limited to UK-registered charities and community groups with no income size thresholds, geographic sub-restrictions within England and Wales, or other special criteria—though it does not accept unsolicited applications. There is no public application process, online form, guidelines, deadlines, or enquiry mechanism; all decisions are made internally by trustees at their discretion, with no specified meeting frequency or grant size ranges.

Distinctively generalist, the Foundation stands out for its family-influenced, fully discretionary model, absence of published priorities or case studies, and asset-backed approach enabling sustained, open-ended support for charitable endeavours in England and Wales, prioritising trustee judgment over structured programmes.