The R S Macdonald Charitable Trust was set up by Roderick Macdonald in 1978. It has the capacity to make awards totalling approximately £1.5 M per annum.
THE CHARITABLE OBJECTS OF THE TRUST
In broad terms, the objects of the Trust are focussed on four separate areas, namely:
1. Neurological conditions
2. Sight impairment
3. Child welfare
4. Animal welfare
The Trustees have a discretionary power to make awards to any one or more of six charities named in the original Trust Deed and/or any other charitable bodies resident in, based in or operating in Scotland which provide any of the following benefits:
(a) The care and welfare of individuals suffering from neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders of genetic or other aetiology (cause) or from disorders affecting the nervous system resulting from specific incidents of trauma, poison or infection, which result in damage to motor control, behaviour, communication or personality or from a combination of these;
(b) The care and welfare of individuals who are either blind or suffering from visual impairment;
(c) Research into the causation, or prevention, or treatment and/or management, of the conditions set out in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b);
(d) The care and welfare of children and young persons under the age of eighteen years who have been or are in danger of being abused physically, sexually or mentally;
(e) The encouragement and promotion of welfare conditions for children whereby the likelihood of physical, sexual or mental abuse is reduced;
(f) The care and welfare of non human living creatures which are either in danger, facing danger, the victims of, or in danger of being the victims of, physical abuse;
(g) The encouragement of welfare conditions for non human living creatures with a view to the reduction of the likelihood of physical abuse.
GENERAL GUIDANCE
The level of award made will vary according to the nature of the project for which funding is sought, but will not normally exceed £40,000. The average award granted is likely to be less than £20,000.
The Trustees will, in exceptional cases, consider applications for funding over periods of up to three years. They will also consider applications both for revenue and capital funding.
Awards may be made subject to the condition that the applicant secures the balance of the funding required from other sources.
The following will always be ineligible:
- Applications from individuals.
- Applications from charitable organisations which are unable to demonstrate that they are operating and delivering benefit in Scotland.
YOUR APPLICATION
Applicants are invited to apply by letter; there is no application form. The Trustees request that, except in relation to medical or social research, the application letter should not exceed two pages in length. It should explain (as appropriate) what and how the need to be addressed has been identified, the costs involved and the extent to which support has been sought from other sources, the outcome hoped for and how that outcome is to be measured. It should also demonstrate how the subject of the application meets the charitable objects of the Trust. Where an application is for help with revenue costs for a particular service there should be an explanation of how this will continue following the expiry of the award.
Along with your letter you may enclose separate papers, providing background information and/or more detailed financial information. If there is a current DVD providing an insight into the work of your organisation you may wish to submit this.
In addition to the application letter you are required to complete and submit (a) a copy of the applicant's most recently audited accounts * and (b) an Organisation Information Sheet. This can be downloaded from the Trust’s website or obtained from the Trust’s secretary.
* Please see Update section for current requirements.
CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO AWARDS
All awards granted by the Trust shall be subject to the General Award Conditions, a copy of which can be downloaded from the Trust’s website or obtained from the Trust’s secretary. The Trust may also impose other conditions specific to individual awards.
THE TIME-TABLE FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
Applications will normally be considered by the Trustees at meetings in May and November.
Applications need to be received no later than 31st March and 30th September, respectively, to be considered at these meetings.
Applicants will, normally, be informed of the Trustees’ decision with regard to their application within three weeks of the Trustees’ Meeting at which their application has been considered.
CONTACT WITH THE TRUST
Applicants and potential applicants are encouraged to speak to the Trust's secretary, Richard Austin, if they remain uncertain as to how to proceed with an application to the Trust or would simply like to talk through their thoughts in relation to a possible application.
This page was last updated on 2nd February 2012