Purley OverSeas Trust
/OVERVIEW: The London-based Purley OverSeas Trust makes small grants in the areas of global development, global health and sustainable agriculture. A significant portion of its grantmaking goes to developing nations in Africa.
IP TAKE: The Purley OverSeas Trust is a small community-led funder that raises money through donations and local fundraising events. Its grantmaking supports NGOs and grassroots organizations working in the areas of development, health and agriculture, and many of its grants support organizations operating in Africa.
The trust’s average grant size is about $500, but grants generally go to organizations for which small sums can make a difference. Purley accepts applications for funding through its website at any time.
PROFILE: A U.K.-based funder, the Purley OverSeas Trust was established in 1984 and is funded through donations and fundraising events including concerts, dinners and game nights held in the Purley area of London. The trust aims to increase awareness of social and economic problems in developing nations and to “help the poorest people of the world to help themselves to a better standard of living by funding small-scale self-generating projects.” It names agricultural projects, medical projects, educational projects and social projects as its areas of grantmaking interest. Most of the trust’s grants support projects in African nations.
Grants for Global Development
The Purley OverSeas Trust does not outline specific goals for its global development grants. One recent grant supported Star Awake, an organization based in Kenya which used funding for improvements to a water storage and pipeline system. Another grant went to Ghana’s Stewards of Hope, which used its grant to repair the roof of a local school.
Grants for Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture appears to be a growing area of interest for Purley. One recent grant supported Malawi’s Kapens Farmers’ Coop Trust, providing funding for its sustainable soybean production program. In Liberia, the foundation gave to FOWACE, which purchased materials for a community garden.
Grants for Global Health
Global health is another growing area of giving for this funder, which has demonstrated a strong interest in improving health infrastructure in rural areas of Africa. In Uganda, the Kiwani Health Centre received funding to purchase and maintain a motorbike ambulance. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the trust supported Foyer d’Enfant et Femme, which used funding to install a solar lighting system at a healthcare center.
Important Grant Details:
In a recent year, the Purley Overseas Trust made about ₤6,451 in grants. Its average grant size is about ₤500, and it tends to support small, grassroots organizations for which these small grants can have significant impact. More than half of its grants support organizations and projects in Africa, but the trust does not place geographical limits on its funding. For additional information about the trust’s past grantmaking see its projects page.
The trust accepts applications for funding at any time via its online application form. General inquiries may be directed to the trust via email.
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