Meet Helen Gray, Director of the Benefact Trust and Chair of the Christian Funders Forum. We asked Helen some important questions…
1. Marmite – love it or hate it?
Love it
2. What’s one value that guides your funding decisions?
Compassion
3. What does “impact” look like to you?
Making a real difference.
4. What kind of change are you most passionate about supporting?
It’s always exciting to support projects which tackle social issues at their root. For instance, Benefact Trust is supporting The Salvation Army to prevent homelessness, building brighter futures.
5. What’s one hope you have for the sector in the next few years?
Growth. Given the extreme pressures on churches and charities it would be wonderful if additional funding could be made available to enable churches to focus on their mission and charities to focus on their core service delivery.
6. What’s something you’re experimenting with or learning right now?
Reformer Pilates. My aim is to be able to touch my toes in 2026 (with straight legs!).
7. What do you think about the use of AI in the funding space?
On a positive note, I think AI has the potential to make funding more accessible and to make charities more efficient and productive. It’s environmental footprint is clearly a concern but AI appears to be here to stay and if used with caution, I think it can be a valuable tool.
8. What are your key funding priorities at the moment?
Supporting churches to remain fit for purpose (through repairs, extensions, accessibility modifications etc) and supporting Christian charities to address social need and grow congregations.
