Israel Lazarus Charitable Trust

The Israel Lazarus Charitable Trust, established on 4 December 1989 by philanthropist Israel Lazarus with an initial endowment of £2,000 plus shares in London Merchant Securities Plc—later bolstered by his estate—operates as a legacy grantmaking trust governed by a trust deed and a small board of trustees, including chair David Winton, Alan Lee, and Sam Lipton. Its core mission is to make unrestricted charitable donations to any UK-registered charity at the absolute discretion of trustees, embodying a generalist ethos with no thematic, sectoral, beneficiary, or geographic restrictions. Values of broad public benefit, trustee judgment, and fidelity to the founder's intent guide its consistent approach, unchanged since inception, as confirmed in annual reports and Charity Commission filings.

The trust funds a diverse array of charitable activities, providing core support to well-established organizations in areas like elder care (e.g., £25,000 grants to Nightingale Hammerson in 2014 and 2015 for Jewish community residential services), community welfare (e.g., World Jewish Relief), and other public benefit causes. Grants draw from both income and capital of its invested endowment, supporting core costs, projects, or general operations without prescribed priorities.

Eligible applicants are solely UK-registered charities of any size or income, operating anywhere in England and Wales with no regional preferences. There are no formal income thresholds, competitive processes, or unsolicited applications accepted—funding arises ad hoc via trustee meetings, recommendations, or networks, with no deadlines, online forms, or published ranges (though recent grants suggest mid-five figures).

Distinctively, the trust excludes no causes or beneficiaries, differentiating it as a purely discretionary, relationship-driven funder reliant on trustees' experience rather than strategies or open calls, ideal for established charities with trustee connections demonstrating traditional public benefit.