Background

The J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust was endowed by Sir John Paul Getty, KBE, who died in April 2003 in London, where he had lived since the 1970s. The Trust started distributing funds in 1986, and since then it has awarded nearly £70 million in grants to thousands of charities across the United Kingdom.

Under the terms of the Deed of trust the trustees have broad powers to apply both income and capital for general charitable purposes.  It is the current policy of the trustees to place the greatest support on well-managed projects throughout the UK in the fields of social welfare and the arts.  The trustees have a particular interest in projects that help disadvantaged people reach their potential, and aim to effect long-term change where help is not otherwise readily available from the public or private purse.  In addition, the Trust supports the arts and conservation of the natural and built environment.

The Trust currently has a capital of around £35 million, and in 2011 it awarded grants amounting to over £11.5 million to support its charitable aims

It is the intention of the trustees to wind down the Trust within the next four years. It is likely that the Trust will close to new applications at the end of 2012