Tisbury Telegraph Trust

The Tisbury Telegraph Trust, established in 1990, is a grant-making charitable trust dedicated to disbursing funds to UK charities and voluntary bodies for public benefit purposes, guided by trustee discretion rather than rigid strategies. With six volunteer trustees and no paid staff, it embodies a flexible, responsive ethos, supporting diverse causes like poverty relief, overseas aid and famine relief, housing and accommodation, religious activities, and environment, conservation, and heritage. Its generalist approach favors projects aiding disadvantaged or marginalized communities, from local food banks and housing initiatives in London to international anti-slavery efforts, always prioritizing organizational grants over direct individual aid.

Eligible applicants are strictly UK-registered charities based in England and Wales, with no strict income thresholds—though it often supports small to medium-sized groups—but unsolicited applications are not accepted. Geographic scope is broad, funding UK-local and international activities without regional priorities.

Grants typically range from £2,000 to £25,000 (most £5,000–£20,000) for project work, core costs, or general charitable activities, awarded at trustee meetings with no published deadlines, application forms, or processes. This trustee-led model, absent prescriptive guidelines or exclusions beyond individuals, distinguishes the trust as a discreet, breadth-focused funder, responsive to interpreted charitable needs across welfare, relief, and heritage sectors without competitive rounds or thematic silos.