Alfred Beit laid down the Trust’s objectives in his Will. These were re-emphasised in The Beit Trust Act 1954. The Trust’s benevolent mandate is exclusively for Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. It does not fundraise. The 1906 Beit bequest, and its prudential management for over 100 years, remains the Trust’s sole funding source.
In 1946, the Trustees changed the focus from communications infrastructure to assistance in education (including now postgraduate scholarships, teacher training, books and computers, as well as school buildings); health (including regional electives for junior doctors, medical electives from the UK, hospitals, clinics and medical equipment); welfare (including care homes for the elderly); and the environment (notably conservation of endangered species).
The Trust takes care, in changing times, to ensure its priorities and ways of working remain fully effective in achieving its objectives. It does this for Trust-funded projects through regular spot-checks by Trustees, the Secretary, the Harare-based Representative and the Trust’s resident Correspondents; and through consultations with a wide range of other well-informed interlocutors.
The Trustees occasionally provide funds for crisis relief, but seldom make grants to other UK grant-making charities.