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: 2
Median hours
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.
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
Pros
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
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
Pros
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
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
Pros
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
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
Pros
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
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.