FAQ
What is the Campbell Edwards Trust?
The Campbell Edwards Trust is a perpetual charitable trust that was established in 1922 in Victoria, Australia, by the late Robert Campbell Edwards for religious, educational and charitable purposes.
Who is or was Campbell Edwards?
Robert Campbell Edwards was an Irish born immigrant who arrived in Victoria in the late 1880s and made his fortune out of tea and property. A Christian man dedicated to social change and helping the less fortunate, he left essentially all of his worldly possessions to charity. Read Robert’s story here.
What does the Trust do?
The Trust assists Australians through the grant of financial assistance to registered charitable organisations whose programs give effect to the Trust’s underlying philosophy, values and vision. Since being founded for religious, educational and charitable purposes, the Trust has distributed many millions of dollars in donations for charitable purposes in Australia.
Who runs the Trust?
The Trust is governed by a board of Trustees who manage the Trust assets and distribute its annual income. The Trustees determine the distribution priorities for the Trust income with regard to the wishes of the Trust’s founder, Robert Campbell Edwards, and in light of the evolving needs of the Australian community today.
What are the Trust focus areas?
In order to fulfill its commitment from finite resources, the Trustees focus on areas permitted by the trust instrument, where there is the highest assessed potential for having an impact and making a difference.
What kinds of applications will you accept?
The Trust will consider applications for donations that fall within the Trust focus areas and where the funding is to be used for the following purposes:
- Donations for specific activities, projects or programs; or
- Donations for general operations, where the value to be added by the funding can be clearly defined and demonstrated.
Do you donate to individuals?
The Trust will currently only consider donation requests from registered charitable organisations in Australia.
Who do you currently support?
Current charities we support are listed here.
What kinds of amounts do you give?
Every application is considered on its merits, but new funding is normally limited to a maximum of $20,000 per annum.
What is the deadline for applications?
The Trust accepts applications throughout the year, and disbursements to successful applicants are in normal circumstances made annually, usually around June. Please refer to the “Applying For Support” page for further info.
How will we know if we have been successful or not?
Organisations who have been short-listed for funding will receive written notification of the Trustees’ decision by email within 8 weeks of the application date. If no confirmation of short-listing is received within 8 weeks, applicants can assume that the application has been unsuccessful. You will then be notified of whether you received funding after all applications have been finally determined in June.
Can I call you about my application?
We find email works best initially.