E C Graham's Charitable Settlement

The trust supports a broad range of activities that deliver clear local benefits. Its funding spans social welfare, community services, and voluntary groups, reflecting an open, generalist approach rather than a fixed set of priorities. Grants may support project costs, core costs, capital items, or revenue needs, depending on what the local organisation requires. Geographically, the Settlement concentrates on Carlisle and the surrounding areas of Cumbria, with a strong emphasis on work that is deeply embedded in the local community. Because there are no thematic restrictions, the most common thread is that the activity must contribute to community well-being and serve a genuine local need.

Eligibility is focused and local. The trust accepts applications only from UK-registered charities and community groups operating in Carlisle and Cumbria. It has a strong preference for smaller, grassroots organisations with limited income that are deeply embedded in the local area and may struggle to access mainstream funding. There are no religious restrictions and no strict income thresholds, so the emphasis is on local roots and community connection rather than size. Organisations outside the Cumbrian footprint are outside the trust's scope.

The trust does not operate as a national funder and does not support work beyond Carlisle and the surrounding Cumbria area. It does not accept unsolicited applications, and it avoids strategic plans, public guidelines, and open application rounds. Organisations that are not registered charities or community groups, or that have ready access to mainstream funding, are unlikely to be considered.

The Settlement funds through a discretionary, relational process. Trustees draw on local knowledge and direct engagement to select organisations, without published criteria or open calls. Support is flexible in form, adapting to the needs of the local organisation. Unsolicited applications are not accepted; instead, the trust works quietly through the trustees' own networks and knowledge of Carlisle's community landscape.