Fowler Smith and Jones Trust

Description

FSJ incorporates three Trusts established at different times by the Fowler Family, Albert & Florence Smith and Edward Cecil Jones. They were all very much ‘Essex people’ and lived in the South-East of the county. The Trust now makes awards throughout the county.

The Trust distributes, on average, £400-500,000 annually to between 120-150 organisations principally for projects within the county. As with many funds, the recent economic climate has reduced the value of the fund, but judicious investment has enabled the Trust to maintain its income.

The Trustees meet three times a year, to consider the applications being put forward. The meetings take place in February, May and September.

At our May 2025 Trustees meeting, we awarded grants to over 80 applicants.

Very often we find an application falls across two or more categories. In these cases the Grant Administrators evaluate each application, before allocating them to whichever category they feel is more suitable. Allocation of funds is not restricted by the chosen category heading.

Grant Type

Community, Group - Organisation

Grant Category

Communities

Elibility and Criteria

Applications are divided into the following categories:

Arts
Churches
Community
Medical
Miscellaneous
Youth

The Trust does not fund:

Individuals
Political activities
Festivals
Animal Charities
Commercial Ventures
Parish Councils

Direct replacement of statutory funding or activities that are primarily the responsibility of local or central government are not considered to be qualifying areas for awards by the Trustees. The Trust provides grants to institutions which are in the main UK based charities, and whose objectives comply with the Trust’s criteria. It is noted that the recipients themselves are thus regulated to ensure they operate for the public benefit

How to Apply

There is no formal Application Form, as the Trustees acknowledge every request to be unique.

If you wish to apply, please use the bullet points below for guidance as to the information required for assessment and possible consideration by the Trustees, and email the application to the trustees at plangran@fsjtrust.org.uk

If you have received a grant from us before, please allow at least 12 months before reapplying – which in view of how our meetings fall, in effect means approximately a 16 month gap. If you have been lucky enough to receive three consecutive grants, we ask that you refrain from applying for two years to give us the opportunity to support other organisations.

A brief description of the organisation involved (no more than 2 pages A4), including staff / volunteer numbers.
An outline of the project / or the needs identified (including core funding, if required).
An outline of the total costing of the project, with an indication of size of grant applied for. (Average grant awarded £2-3,000).
A copy of your latest accounts, including a current summary of your fundraising.
An indication of any wider community use and an indication of those who might benefit from being involved with the project.
If your application is successful, the Trustees expect a brief evaluation report to follow within 12 months, giving an indication of the benefit derived from the grant.
Please confirm if you have a bank account in the name of the charity, with the correct Payee name. If not, please tell us how the funds are managed, and by whom.
Please confirm whether 2 or more signatories are needed when paying out cheques; and if not, what expenditure controls are in place.
We will need contact details for our records. These should include a postal address, an email address and a telephone contact number

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