Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Last updated

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
Registration no.210037 [1]
Headquarters York, England [1]
Location
  • The Garden House, Water End [1]
Chair of Trustees [2]
Helen Carmichael [2]
Website www.jrct.org.uk

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) is a philanthropic grant making trust that supports work undertaken in the UK and Ireland, and previously South Africa. It is one of three original trusts set up by Joseph Rowntree in 1904. The Trust supports work in five programme areas: peace and security, rights and justice, power and accountability, sustainable future and Northern Ireland. [3]

Contents

History

In 1904, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT), along with sister organisations the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, were created by Joseph Rowntree, who gave about a half of his wealth to establish them. [4] The original trustees of the JRCT were: Rowntree, his sons John Wilhelm, Benjamin Seebohm, Joseph Stephenson and Oscar Frederick, and his nephew Arnold Stephenson Rowntree. [5] The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust’s values are rooted in Quakerism. Joseph Rowntree, who was a Quaker, believed that it is only possible to make a lasting difference by addressing the root causes of a social or economic problem. [6] Quaker values include peace, equality, simplicity, integrity and stewardship of the earth. [7]

Current day

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust describes itself as "a Quaker trust which seeks to transform the world by supporting people who address the root causes of conflict and injustice." [8]

The Trust says that in order to engage in philanthropy that effects real change, “JRCT does not shy away from supporting those working on unpopular or contentious issues”. It also believes that change can “take many years to achieve”. [9] The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust offers grants to around 100 different charitable organisations a year.  In 2018 these included Reprieve, Fawcett Society, Operation Black Vote and Fair Tax Mark. [10] It makes grants in excess of £10 million a year. [11]

Cage controversy

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust said it works to “strengthen the hands of those leading change” and recognises that such work carries a level of risk. [12]

Between 2007 and 2011, the trust gave three grants to CAGE, formerly known as Cageprisoners, described as a "controversial Islamic rights group", totalling £305,000, to support the work of Moazzam Begg. [13] [14]

Cage describes itself as "an independent organisation working to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror" and has spoken out against the UK's anti-terrorism laws. [15]

CAGE spokesman Asim Qureshi called on Muslims to support jihad at an extremist rally, and described militant Mohammed Emwazi, as a "beautiful young man". [16] Lord Carlile, formerly the British Government’s independent reviewer of anti-terrorism legislation, said: "I would never advise anybody to give money to CagePrisoners. I have concerns about the group. There are civil liberty organisations which I do give money to but CagePrisoners is most certainly not one of them." [13]

Speaking in 2015, the human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith defended the "vital" work of Cage and denied they are apologists for terrorism. He said: "They do important work and the UK authorities need to understand that alienating moderate Muslims is the worst thing that could possibly be done at this time. I myself represent those said to be 'terrorists' and since Magna Carta, in 1215, we have presumed people innocent rather than guilty…it is clear beyond dispute that when we jettison our principles we make ourselves hypocrites and hypocrisy is the yeast that ferments extremism." [15]

Ethical investment

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust invests its endowment sustainably and responsibly. [17] The Trust has divested from fossil fuel extractive companies. [18] In 2019 it was among a coalition of 20 charities which asked the attorney-general and the Charity Commission for England and Wales to seek a ruling on whether the public benefit of charities means they should be required to align their investment policies with their own objectives and commitments to wider society. [19]

In September 2019, JRCT was named a “global leader” by the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment for its commitment to ethical and responsible investment. [20] The global leader group also included the Church Commissioners for England and the Environmental Agency Pension Fund. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Roddick</span> British businesswoman and activist (1942–2007)

Dame Anita Lucia Roddick was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of The Body Shop, now The Body Shop International Limited, a cosmetics company producing and retailing natural beauty products which shaped ethical consumerism. The company was one of the first to prohibit the use of ingredients tested on animals in some of its products and one of the first to promote fair trade with developing countries.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is a charity that conducts and funds research aimed at solving poverty in the UK. JRF's stated aim is to "inspire action and change that will create a prosperous UK without poverty."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moazzam Begg</span> British Pakistani formerly held in Guantanamo Bay

Moazzam Begg is a British Pakistani who was held in extrajudicial detention by the US government in the Bagram Theater Internment Facility and the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, in Cuba, for nearly three years. Seized by Pakistani intelligence at his home in Pakistan in February 2002, he was transferred to the custody of US Army officers, who held him in the detention centre at Bagram, Afghanistan, before transferring him to Guantanamo Bay, where he was held until January 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Financial endowment</span> Legal structure for managing investments

A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are often structured so that the inflation-adjusted principal or "corpus" value is kept intact, while a portion of the fund can be spent each year, utilizing a prudent spending policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One World Trust</span> Global trust

The One World Trust is a charitable organization that promotes education and research into changes required in global governance to achieve the eradication of poverty, injustice, environmental degradation and war. It develops recommendations on practical ways to make powerful organisations more accountable to the people they affect now and in the future, and how the rule of law can be applied to all.

Khalil Said al-Deek aka Joseph Adams after 1996, was a dual US-Jordanian citizen who came to USA to study computer science. He became a naturalized US citizen living in Los Angeles, California where he worked as computer engineer and Charity Without Borders staffer, where it is now believed that Adam Yahiye Gadahn worked around that same time in 1997. The Charity was discovered to be an al-Qaeda organization used to funnel money overseas and wasn't shut down until after September 11, 2001. Hisham Diab was running this organization at the time and it was confirmed by his ex-wife Saraah Olson that Hisham and Khalil Said al-Deek recruited Adam Yahiye Gadahn and transformed him into an American-hating fanatic. This was also confirmed by the imam Haitham Bundakji of the Islamic Society of Orange County who described Hisham and members of his cell as "disruptive troublemakers" and places blame on himself for not reaching out to Gadahn.

The Global Relief Foundation (GRF), also known as Foundation Secours Mondial (FSML), was an Islamic charity based in Bridgeview, Illinois, until it was raided and shut down on December 14, 2001, and listed among the "Designated Charities and Potential Fundraising Front Organizations for Foreign Terrorist Organizations" ("DCPFFOFTO") by the United States Treasury Department in 2002. According to the US Treasury, "The Global Relief Foundation (GRF) … and its officers and directors have connections to, and have provided support for and assistance to, Osama bin Laden (OBL), al Qaeda (aQ), and other known terrorist groups (OKTG)." It was one of the few organizations registered with the Taliban.

Newham Monitoring Project (NMP) was a grassroots community-based anti-racist organisation in the London Borough of Newham, London, England. Its aim was to provide support work against racial discrimination and violence, police misconduct and around civil rights issues. It provided advice, support, advocacy and a 24-hour emergency helpline to members of the black community facing racism. It undertook community outreach and educational projects and campaign work around issues arising from its casework.

Redress, or The Redress Trust, is a human rights organisation based in London, England, that helps survivors of torture to obtain justice and reparation, in the form of compensation, rehabilitation, official acknowledgement of the wrong and formal apologies. In addition Redress seek accountability for those who have been tortured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amnesty International</span> International non-governmental organisation

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organisation says it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organisation is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments." The organisation has played a notable role on human rights issues due to its frequent citation in media and by world leaders.

Cage is a London-based advocacy organisation which aims to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror. Cage highlights and campaigns against state policies, developed as part of the War on Terror. The organisation was formed to raise awareness of the plight of detainees held at Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere and has worked closely with former detainees held by the United States and campaigns on behalf of current detainees held without trial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gita Sahgal</span> Indian writer and journalist

Gita Sahgal is a British writer, journalist, film director, and women's rights and human rights activist, whose work focusses on the issues of feminism, fundamentalism and racism.

The Institute for Philanthropy is a not-for-profit organisation which provides information and educational programmes to philanthropists and to charitable organizations. Originally established in 2000 by Hilary Browne-Wilkinson, a former solicitor at University College London, the Institute currently operates from offices in London and New York.

Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC) is a voluntary grassroots organisation that campaigns against Britain's terrorism laws, including detention without charge or trial, and other laws that have the effect of criminalising political activity. SACC works in solidarity with those communities most affected by the anti-terrorism laws and it has also campaigned on a number of other human rights issues closely related to the 'war on terror'. SACC argues that terrorism laws are unnecessary and unjust and crimes connected with terrorism are better dealt with by ordinary criminal law. Richard Haley, SACC's chair, argues that the British government's international politics adversely influences the administration of justice in Scotland.

UK Community Foundations (UKCF) is a registered charity that leads a movement of community foundations committed to positive social change in the UK through the development of “community philanthropy”. Community philanthropy involves people from all parts of a community working together locally to use the financial and other resources available to them to improve others’ lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Leadership Network</span> Pan-European think-tank

European Leadership Network (ELN) is a pan-European think-tank focusing on European foreign, defence and security issues based in London, United Kingdom. The ELN's Director is Sir Adam Thomson, former UK Permanent Representative to NATO.

Alan Henning was an English taxicab driver-turned-volunteer humanitarian aid worker. He was the fourth Western hostage killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) whose killing was publicised in a beheading video.

Abdul al-Qādir Mū‘min is a Somali Islamist and the leader of the Islamic State in Somalia. He was formerly a senior religious authority in al-Shabaab.

Edith Maud Ellis was a Quaker and was actively involved in supporting conscientious objectors during World War I.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Contact Us". Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
  2. 1 2 "People at JRCT" (PDF). Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. January 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Funding priorities".
  4. ↑ "History and Heritage". Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
  5. ↑ Freeman, Mark (2003). "Victorian Philanthropy and the Rowntrees". Quaker Studies. George Fox University. 7 (2). Art. 5, p.3.
  6. ↑ "History and heritage".
  7. ↑ "Quakers in Britain: Our values".
  8. ↑ "About Us". Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
  9. ↑ "JRCT - about us".
  10. ↑ "JRCT Annual Report 2018" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust announces plans to significantly increase grant spending" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "JRCT- about us".
  13. 1 2 "Mainstream charities have donated thousands to Islamic group fronted by terror suspect". The Telegraph . 1 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Charity defends decision to keep funding group fronted by terror suspect Moazzam Begg". Birmingham Mail . 9 March 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Cage: Important human rights group or apologists for terror?". BBC News. 27 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Jihadi John: Activist who praised Mohammed Emwazi as "beautiful" caught on video backing jihad". The Telegraph. 27 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Finance and investment".
  18. ↑ "Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust among organisations with assets amounting to $24 billion to pledge to divest from fossil fuels" (PDF).
  19. ↑ Hook, Leslie; Jack, Andrew (4 March 2019). "UK charities face scrutiny over ethics of investment policie". Financial Times.
  20. ↑ "Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust recognised as global leader in responsible investment" (PDF).
  21. ↑ "Leaders' Group 2019".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.