Wates Family Enterprise Trust
The Wates Family Enterprise Trust is an independent charity set up by the Wates family, the owners of the Wates Group. Launched in 2008, the Trust is integral to the Wates family’s approach of being responsible business owners and its vision of being a force for good. The Trust’s mission is focused on building communities and improving lives beyond tomorrow. All the proposals for awards come from the Wates Family and Employees, as a result we are unable to accept unsolicited applications for funding.
Overview
Total reviews: 1
Median 16 hours
Latest Reviews
Feb 17, 2025
Other - applied in 2025
Grants team are open to giving advice and feedback on the application and are very helpful. Grants team appreciate a relational approach to fundraising. Application form is fiddly and some of the multiple choice sections may not be directly applicable to your project. The character counter on the application form questions does not match Microsoft word, so more time needs to be spent editing to ensure your answers fit.
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Grant currently pending
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Other
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Grants team are easily accessible and approachable (we are a long-term partner so that might make a difference) . The application guidance was straight forward and easy to understand, but the online form is a bit fiddly and takes longer than expected to fill out.
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
The relational approach of the grants team and the advice/guidance they offer is hugely appreciated, especially because it is increasingly difficult to speak with or build relationships with foundations.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Replace the character/word counts in the application form with something that still encourages applicants to be brief, but isn't as restrictive or time consuming.
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Feb 19, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to reply. You have raised some valuable points - one of which we have been grappling with for a while. We appreciate your sharing your experience and we will incorporate this into our process reviews.
Feb 14, 2025
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2024
You will need to take time to understand the funder and their aspirations, build relationships with them and understand what they are looking to fund.
Pros
Friendly
Builds relationships
Likes site visits
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
They now have a person in place who is dedicated to this and keen to engage with applicants to help shape the application.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
They can get the grantee to develop a project that meets their needs and aspirations
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
They engage and come out and visit prior to award to build relationships and talk about the types of things that they will fund
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Think about proportionality for the charity that you are working with. How much time does the charity need to put in to building the relationship and co-designing the project before getting awarded the funding? Is there a way that the charity can put in an application that meets the needs of their organisation and community with less intervention from WFET?
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?
Not a normal funder. They like to co-develop projects with the grantee. This can be very time consuming. The application process was also rigid with a fairly lengthy online form, considering the amount of funding that is available.
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Feb 19, 2025
We appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts and experience which will be shared with the wider team and feed into our regular process review. You have raised some important points which we will take time to consider. thank you
Feb 14, 2025
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2024
Ask the funder for clarity on what the funder wants to fund. look at what they have previously funded. Does it look like they are funding things that others have/are funding already? If the project you want funded is totally new to them and other funders, this may not be the right funder. They are risk averse. If your project is truly innovative, you will need to address how this funder sees their risk of investing in it.
It feels like this funder wants the reassurance others are funding these projects. Having another funder already in place or previously involved seems to help this funder feel more confident about supporting a project.
Pros
Builds relationships
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
the form to fill in was great, simple and easy. getting a true idea of what the funder wanted to fund was less easy. This made it hard to tailor the application initially. understanding who they can fund as well wasn't that clear (socially responsible business, not for profit, charity etc.) Once [person] was in post the application process was easier. #It was much easier to understand what the foundation wanted. [They were] clear and having easy access to [them] was brilliant.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Average
I'm still not totally sure this funder knows what it wants to accomplish. Or has the confidence to take more risks in supporting projects that will achieve it.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
[The person] combined with a short simple application form and simple reporting. Time is spent on project delivery not on admin of reporting.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Have more confidence to fund things that are different, risk and reward with a degree of failure accepted (and learnt from). Think of broadening the types of organisations you fund, like SMEs. Some of the stuff we need to shift the needle must be delivered by skilled people who should be paid properly for their work. these are often the things that are required for successful projects, but are rarely funding from anywhere these days (like high quality facilitation, engagement, evaluation and design).
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?
Positive on the light touch application process, this was a breath of fresh air.
The cycle of funding with applications going to board meetings isn't ideal, and you need to profile that into any project development work.
Having case studies of previously funded projects would be great.
projects which involve high levels of collaboration get delayed by the nature of partners differing needs/requirements. Asking if there is the possibility of flexibility around the funding to respond to these situations to prevent this being an issue, would be great. Outcome focused, less time scale focused.
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Feb 19, 2025
Thank you for your review. You appear to have had a very mixed experience through application development to award. This is something I will share with the team and is always valuable for us to hear and to feed into our process review.
Mar 13, 2024
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2023
The Family Wates Enterprise Trust are a welcoming and values led organisation. We love working with the team and they give so much time to our thinking and scheming of how to make the world a better place. We feel so supported by them and really appreciate their time and funding to help us get to the next step.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Risk taker
Insightful
Friendly
Builds relationships
Likes site visits
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?
2023
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
Listen. They listen and then offer really genuine helpful feedback.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Apr 24, 2024
Thank you for your kind words. We are glad that you value the relationship with us and that we can be helpful - other than providing funds. Our aim is to be a true 'partner' as best we can.
Oct 24, 2023
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2022
Ensure you carefully consider how your proposal can best utilise Wates assets.
WFET are very responsive and open, speak to them directly and ask them questions!
Be bold, pitch something exciting - not just business as usual.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Insightful
Builds relationships
Understands nonprofits and issues
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?
2022
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
WFET are incredibly responsive and has answered any questions we've had. Additionally, their application and reporting processes are simple and easy to use.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Very successfully, they seem to have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and support charities aligning with their goals.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
Guidance through application processes - when we applied for Thinking Differently we really felt we understood what WFET was looking for, this made our bid much easier to write.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
If possible, provide more slightly more time for presentations and reporting to the board. This would mean more questions could be asked.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
If you believe the contents of this review are inappropriate please contact us via email.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Oct 26, 2023
Thank you very much for taking the time to share a review and your experience of applying for funding to us. I will ensure your comments and suggestions are fed back to staff and the Board.
Feb 17, 2025
Other - applied in 2025
Grants team are open to giving advice and feedback on the application and are very helpful. Grants team appreciate a relational approach to fundraising. Application form is fiddly and some of the multiple choice sections may not be directly applicable to your project. The character counter on the application form questions does not match Microsoft word, so more time needs to be spent editing to ensure your answers fit.
What is your relationship with the funder for this experience?
Grant currently pending
If you were funded tell us the outcome
Other
What year was this experience?
2025
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
Grants team are easily accessible and approachable (we are a long-term partner so that might make a difference) . The application guidance was straight forward and easy to understand, but the online form is a bit fiddly and takes longer than expected to fill out.
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
The relational approach of the grants team and the advice/guidance they offer is hugely appreciated, especially because it is increasingly difficult to speak with or build relationships with foundations.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Replace the character/word counts in the application form with something that still encourages applicants to be brief, but isn't as restrictive or time consuming.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Feb 19, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to reply. You have raised some valuable points - one of which we have been grappling with for a while. We appreciate your sharing your experience and we will incorporate this into our process reviews.
Feb 14, 2025
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2024
You will need to take time to understand the funder and their aspirations, build relationships with them and understand what they are looking to fund.
Pros
Friendly
Builds relationships
Likes site visits
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
They now have a person in place who is dedicated to this and keen to engage with applicants to help shape the application.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
They can get the grantee to develop a project that meets their needs and aspirations
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
They engage and come out and visit prior to award to build relationships and talk about the types of things that they will fund
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Think about proportionality for the charity that you are working with. How much time does the charity need to put in to building the relationship and co-designing the project before getting awarded the funding? Is there a way that the charity can put in an application that meets the needs of their organisation and community with less intervention from WFET?
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?
Not a normal funder. They like to co-develop projects with the grantee. This can be very time consuming. The application process was also rigid with a fairly lengthy online form, considering the amount of funding that is available.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Feb 19, 2025
We appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts and experience which will be shared with the wider team and feed into our regular process review. You have raised some important points which we will take time to consider. thank you
Feb 14, 2025
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2024
Ask the funder for clarity on what the funder wants to fund. look at what they have previously funded. Does it look like they are funding things that others have/are funding already? If the project you want funded is totally new to them and other funders, this may not be the right funder. They are risk averse. If your project is truly innovative, you will need to address how this funder sees their risk of investing in it.
It feels like this funder wants the reassurance others are funding these projects. Having another funder already in place or previously involved seems to help this funder feel more confident about supporting a project.
Pros
Builds relationships
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?
2024
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Average
the form to fill in was great, simple and easy. getting a true idea of what the funder wanted to fund was less easy. This made it hard to tailor the application initially. understanding who they can fund as well wasn't that clear (socially responsible business, not for profit, charity etc.) Once [person] was in post the application process was easier. #It was much easier to understand what the foundation wanted. [They were] clear and having easy access to [them] was brilliant.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Average
I'm still not totally sure this funder knows what it wants to accomplish. Or has the confidence to take more risks in supporting projects that will achieve it.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
[The person] combined with a short simple application form and simple reporting. Time is spent on project delivery not on admin of reporting.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
Have more confidence to fund things that are different, risk and reward with a degree of failure accepted (and learnt from). Think of broadening the types of organisations you fund, like SMEs. Some of the stuff we need to shift the needle must be delivered by skilled people who should be paid properly for their work. these are often the things that are required for successful projects, but are rarely funding from anywhere these days (like high quality facilitation, engagement, evaluation and design).
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Is there anything else that's be useful for others to know to understand this funder?
Positive on the light touch application process, this was a breath of fresh air. The cycle of funding with applications going to board meetings isn't ideal, and you need to profile that into any project development work. Having case studies of previously funded projects would be great. projects which involve high levels of collaboration get delayed by the nature of partners differing needs/requirements. Asking if there is the possibility of flexibility around the funding to respond to these situations to prevent this being an issue, would be great. Outcome focused, less time scale focused.
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Feb 19, 2025
Thank you for your review. You appear to have had a very mixed experience through application development to award. This is something I will share with the team and is always valuable for us to hear and to feed into our process review.
Mar 13, 2024
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2023
The Family Wates Enterprise Trust are a welcoming and values led organisation. We love working with the team and they give so much time to our thinking and scheming of how to make the world a better place. We feel so supported by them and really appreciate their time and funding to help us get to the next step.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Risk taker
Insightful
Friendly
Builds relationships
Likes site visits
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?
2023
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
Listen. They listen and then offer really genuine helpful feedback.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Apr 24, 2024
Thank you for your kind words. We are glad that you value the relationship with us and that we can be helpful - other than providing funds. Our aim is to be a true 'partner' as best we can.
Oct 24, 2023
Funded for amount requested - applied in 2022
Ensure you carefully consider how your proposal can best utilise Wates assets.
WFET are very responsive and open, speak to them directly and ask them questions!
Be bold, pitch something exciting - not just business as usual.
Pros
Positive leader in the field
Gives more than money
Insightful
Builds relationships
Understands nonprofits and issues
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?
2022
How would you rate this funder's accessibility?
Excellent
WFET are incredibly responsive and has answered any questions we've had. Additionally, their application and reporting processes are simple and easy to use.
How successfully do you think this funder is accomplishing its goals as a funder?
Excellent
Very successfully, they seem to have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and support charities aligning with their goals.
Tell us one thing that this funder does really well
Guidance through application processes - when we applied for Thinking Differently we really felt we understood what WFET was looking for, this made our bid much easier to write.
If you had one piece of advice to give to this funder (about grantmaking or anything else), what would it be?
If possible, provide more slightly more time for presentations and reporting to the board. This would mean more questions could be asked.
How was your relationship overall with the funder?
Excellent
Reply from Felicity Mallam
Oct 26, 2023
Thank you very much for taking the time to share a review and your experience of applying for funding to us. I will ensure your comments and suggestions are fed back to staff and the Board.