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Joffe Charitable Trust

We are a specialist grant-maker. We mainly support work to strengthen financial integrity in the UK and tackle the UK’s dirty money problem. We have a history of supporting high potential UK non-profits which make a difference in low income countries. We take an engaged approach, as a proactive funder.

Overview

Total reviews: 0


What was the overall relationship with the funder?
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How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
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How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
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How many hours did your grant application take?

Median hours

Top descriptors for this funder
84 Builds relationships
78 Friendly
72 Responsive
67 Insightful
67 Openminded
65 Understands nonprofits and issues

Latest Reviews

    Oct 22, 2020

    Funded for amount requested - applied in 2019

    Speak to Alex Jacobs first. He is a great source of guidance on what the trust are you looking for.

    Pros

    Gives more than money Insightful Friendly Builds relationships Responsive

    Cons

    What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?

    Current or former grantee

    If you were funded tell us the outcome

    Funded for amount requested

    What year was this experience?

    2019

    How would you rate this funder's accessibility?

    Excellent

    How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?

    Excellent

    Tell us one thing that this funder does really well

    Advice and support from Alex Jacobs

    If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?

    Perhaps they are sometimes too interventionist, trying to direct the grantees too much

    How was your relationship overall with the funder?

    Excellent

    If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.

    Oct 22, 2020

    Funded for amount requested - applied in 2019

    They are highly approachable and always up for a chat about a potential project. They take a lot of interest in the sector and have a wealth of knowledge and connections. I'd suggest having an open and frank conversation about the project - you're likely to get useful feedback and clarity on what will or won't work for the fund.

    Pros

    Positive leader in the field Gives more than money Risk taker Insightful Friendly Builds relationships Openminded Responsive

    Cons

    What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?

    Current or former grantee

    If you were funded tell us the outcome

    Funded for amount requested

    What year was this experience?

    2019

    How would you rate this funder's accessibility?

    Excellent

    The funder's staff are reasonably open. When I started in my current role, my organisation already had a grant so it's a little difficult to tell how they would react to a cold approach. But they've always been open to chat to other people I've suggested.

    How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?

    Excellent

    I think they've done well to leverage their small(ish) spending to incubate and catalyse work in the areas they care about. They've helped bring in other, bigger, funders.

    Tell us one thing that this funder does really well

    Discussions about strategic direction of my org and the broader movement.

    If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?

    Think carefully about the balance between providing advice/input and allowing grantees the space to take their own path

    How was your relationship overall with the funder?

    Excellent

    If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.

    Oct 21, 2020

    Funded for amount requested - applied in 2019

    Talk to their ED - he's very approachable and insightful!

    Pros

    Positive leader in the field Gives more than money Risk taker Insightful Builds relationships Understands nonprofits and issues Openminded Responsive

    Cons

    What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?

    Current or former grantee

    If you were funded tell us the outcome

    Funded for amount requested

    What year was this experience?

    2019

    How would you rate this funder's accessibility?

    Excellent

    How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?

    Excellent

    Tell us one thing that this funder does really well

    Tailoring support to grantee needs and priorities

    How was your relationship overall with the funder?

    Excellent

    If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.

    Oct 21, 2020

    Funded for amount requested - applied in 2019

    Consider how your application ties into the debate around tax justice, and how your aim to 'plug in' to the wider tax justice movement during the project.

    Pros

    Insightful Friendly Likes site visits Openminded

    Cons

    What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?

    Current or former grantee

    If you were funded tell us the outcome

    Funded for amount requested

    What year was this experience?

    2019

    How would you rate this funder's accessibility?

    Average

    How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?

    Average

    Tell us one thing that this funder does really well

    Engages on project strategy, e.g. recommending contacts and approaches to imcrease impact

    How was your relationship overall with the funder?

    Excellent

    If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.

    Oct 21, 2020

    Funded for amount requested - applied in 2019

    Make sure you really understand what the trust wants and is trying to achieve, and whether you 'fit the bill'. It's better having a very honest conversation at the start.

    What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?

    Current or former grantee

    If you were funded tell us the outcome

    Funded for amount requested

    What year was this experience?

    2019

    How would you rate this funder's accessibility?

    Excellent

    Easy to get hold of and talk to.

    How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?

    Average

    Not 100% sure as I don't know the overall goals and don't have a great overview of the trust's work.

    If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?

    More constructive feedback and an understanding of the constraints we were working under could really have helped. I feel they didn't really understand us as an organisation very well, and then sort of 'took it out on us'. I think we helped make a fairly big change, though admittedly not in the way we'd anticipated, but the results are still being seen now. I deal with a good few funders, not all of them easy, but this was for sure the most challenging relationship in recent years.

    How was your relationship overall with the funder?

    Bad

    Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?

    I'm sure the Trust does great work, and clearly does fund many smaller NGOs, and obviously we were delighted to receive the funding. But I feel they expect a 'big NGO' level of feedback and efficiency. We don't have a trust funding officer, and most communications are with campaigners direct. I feel we couldn't come up with the level of servicing they would have expected from a grant.

    If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.