Stow Allen Trust

The Stow Allen Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales dedicated exclusively to advancing the Christian faith by making discretionary grants to Christian organisations, as outlined in its governing documents and annual reports. Operating with a volunteer-led, low-overhead model, the Trust embodies Christian principles of stewardship and charity, prioritising support for churches, ministries, faith-based community groups, and bodies promoting religious education or practice. Without a specified founding date, it maintains a consistent, trustee-driven approach focused on bolstering the infrastructure and mission of Christian charities rather than broader social or secular causes.

It funds a narrow but deep range of activities aligned with Christian ethos, including operational and programmatic needs for established faith-based projects, without emphasis on specific sub-themes like age groups, health, or social issues—the key criterion is an expressly Christian organisational identity. Grants support both project-specific and general purposes, typically directed to small or medium-sized UK Christian charities.

Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities with a clear Christian mission; there are no strict income thresholds, though patterns favour smaller, voluntarily managed entities operating anywhere in the UK. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—grants are awarded solely at trustees' discretion via adhoc meetings, with no open calls, guidelines, or deadlines. Typical awards range from £1,000 to £10,000, as seen in recent expenditures like £53,555 distributed across a few recipients.

Distinctive for its unwavering religious exclusivity and opaque, invitation-only process, the Trust excludes non-Christian, secular, or individual applicants, differentiating it as a niche supporter of faith-aligned charities in a trustee-centric, non-competitive funding landscape.