The Prince's Charities


The Prince's Charities, The Prince's Charities Canada, and The Prince's Trust Australia are three groups of non-profit organisations that each have associations with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. The Prince's Charities, supported by The Prince's Charities Foundation, is based in the United Kingdom and comprises 19 organisations of which the Prince of Wales is patron or president; 18 were founded personally by Charles. The Prince's Charities Canada is a Canadian entity formed by a collection of nine preexisting charitable organisations with prior connections to the Prince of Wales. All the charities focus on Charles' core interests, including aiding disadvantaged youth, education, responsible business, improvement of the built environment, regeneration of heritage, and environmental sustainability.

The Prince's Charities

Structure

Most of the charities are independent of each other and all are each run by their own boards. The Prince of Wales is president of all the charities and founded 17 of them; however, as president, he is a figurehead and public face for the charities involved and has no legal responsibility. The aim of The Prince's Charities is "to improve the overall effectiveness of the group, building on shared strengths to ensure their long term success and sustainability." The costs of the office are paid for by The Prince's Charities Foundation.
In autumn 2010, Prince Charles published a book, , and produced a film, both articulating the principles and underlying philosophies of many of these charities.

Development

Through 2003 and 2004, a small office was established within the Office of the Prince of Wales to deal specifically with Prince Charles' charitable work. Sir Tom Shebbeare took up the new position of Director of Charities, with particular responsibility for the development and good governance of the 16 operational charities in which Charles had a particular interest. By the following year, the group had been given a new identity, The Prince's Charities, and the Charities Office had developed new policies and procedures for the group. The Charities Office, set up at Clarence House, employed by 2008 some eight full-time staff. The charities form the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the UK and collectively work in 38 countries. They together raise approximately £150 million each year.
In addition to independent charities, Charles established a number of separate charitable initiatives, which include Mosaic, a Muslim youth mentoring campaign; The Prince's Wool Project, to support the UK wool industry; START, to help promote sustainable living; The Cambrian Mountain Initiative, to support the economy in that area of Wales; and The Prince's Rainforest Project, to protect rainforests. In 2011, the Pakistan Recovery Fund was developed, which is intended to support the recovery from the floods seen in that country in 2010.

Charities in The Prince's Charities group

The charities in The Prince's Charities group are often grouped according to the areas of charitable activity that they are involved with.
; Opportunity and enterprise
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; Education
; The built environment
; Responsible business and the natural environment
; Closed charities
The Prince's Charities Foundation also has a number of wholly owned subsidiary companies: Duchy Originals Ltd, the Prince's Charities Events, and Traditional Arts Ltd. The Highgrove Shop is part of the A.G. Carrick company.

The Prince's Charities Canada

The Prince's Charities Canada was founded with the aid of Galen and Hillary Weston. Its work is focused on the Prince of Wales's core interests, which have been established in the UK for more than 30 years. These include improving the lives of disadvantaged youth, education, responsible business, improving the built environment, regeneration of heritage, environmental sustainability, and support for the armed forces. The PCC works with existing Canadian charities already connected to the Prince and facilitates new opportunities for charitable organizations in Canada and the UK to work together. The organisation does not distribute money; "it sees itself as a convener, helping to connect the Canadian charities Charles supports with new opportunities for growth." Amanda Sherrington is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the PCC.
The organisations are grouped under six initiatives:
; The Prince's Operation Entrepreneur
Ex-members of the Canadian Forces are provided with financial assistance, further education, and mentoring on business practices through the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and Students in Free Enterprise, Memorial University branch, together within The Prince's Operations Entrepreneur program.
; The Prince's Seeing is Believing
The groups Canadian Business for Social Responsibility and the Wellesley Institute work together under The Prince's Seeing is Believing program, which is modelled on that of the same name that was started by Prince Charles in the UK in the early 1990s. It aims to connect corporate leadership with programs serving disadvantaged people in order to demonstrate the benefits of responsible business. The PSiB's first organised meeting between 17 executives from various professional fields and young, homeless individuals involved with the Yonge Street Mission and UforChange took place in January 2012.
; The Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership
The National Trust for Canada administers and presents annually The Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership to municipalities that have shown commitment to preservation of historic structures and spaces. The concept of the award came following a visit by the Prince of Wales to a restored 18th century house in New Brunswick and a meeting with a member of the National Trust for Canada's board of directors.
; Learning Through the Arts
Developed by The Royal Conservatory of Music, the Learning Through the Arts program is a structured curriculum that uses the arts to teach other subjects such as math and science and includes training for teachers and artists. This program was imported by the Prince of Wales to the UK, where it is administered by The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts. In several aboriginal communities, the PCC also funds projects to strengthen the survival of traditional arts and crafts.
; The Prince of Wales Award for Sustainable Forestry
This prize is presented annually by the Canadian Institute of Forestry to recognize the achievements of an outstanding young forest professional in Canada. The purpose is to encourage engagement in and dedication to the principles of sustainable forest management policy, planning and practice, sound science-based land stewardship, and public outreach and knowledge exchange focusing on the wise use and conservation of forests and the ecosystems that they encompass.
;The Campaign for Wool Initiative
Following on the initiative in the UK, the PCC brought to Canada the Campaign for Wool Initiative, intended to demonstrate wool as "a sustainable fabric, as something that supports rural livelihoods, rural economies, and a really interesting and versatile fabric that happens to be antimicrobial, flame retardant".
;The Prince's Youth Service Awards
Created in 2015 in cooperation with We Day and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, The Prince's Youth Service Awards "honour exceptional young Canadians who are taking positive actions both here at home and in the global community" in four categories: local community development, global action, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Individuals may nominate themselves with support from family or educators. The first presentation of the awards is expected to take place. Recipients will be selected by a committee that includes Joe Mimran and Mike "Pinball" Clemons. Each winner receives a statue, an invitation to a leadership development programme, and a bursary to aid in bringing ideas to fruition.
The proceeds from sales of Prince Charles' Duchy Originals products in Canada are donated to the charities associated with The Prince's Charities Canada. More than one million dollars has been raised annually in this manner.

The Prince’s Trust Australia (formerly The Prince's Charities Australia)

The Prince's Trust Australia is a national charity registered in Melbourne, Victoria. Established in 2013, Prince's Trust Australia provided a coordinating presence for the Prince of Wales's Australian and international charitable endeavors. The Prince's Trust Australia aims to assist wherever possible in delivering improved outcomes for the communities of people and of interest served by the Prince of Wales's charities; enhanced coordination of the Prince of Wales's charitable interests in Australia; and increased collaboration and communication between the Prince of Wales's family of charities in the U.K. and similar and related charities in Australia. In July 2017, The Prince's Charities Australia changed its name to The Prince's Trust Australia. In 2017, Prince's Trust Australia officially joined The Prince's Trust Group, which includes The Prince's Trust UK, Prince's Trust New Zealand, Prince's Trust Canada, Prince's Trust America, and The Prince's Trust International.
2013 - 2017 Programs
Between 2013 - 2017, Prince's Trust Australia supported initiatives in Health and Wellbeing; The Built Environment; Environment and Sustainability; Regional and Rural; Young People; Defence Members and Their Families; and Arts and Culture. The Trust was led by inaugural Chief Executive Janine Kirk AM. Mr. Tony Beddison AC, Founder of The Beddison Group, was the inaugural Chair of the Trust, followed by Margaret Jackson AC, former Chair of Qantas.
In the Health and Wellbeing portfolio, The Trust partnered with Phoenix Australia – Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, leading an international consortium of mental health researchers to develop a ground-breaking evidence-based recovery program for survivors of natural and man-mad disasters called .
The Trust also supported and advocated for The and its Thriving Communities Program, an early-intervention lifestyle and disease prevention program for remote Indigenous communities and schools.
In The Built Environment portfolio, The Trust worked in partnership with Defence Housing Australia and South Australian Renewal to develop Australia's first six-star green star rated residential building in Bowden, South Australia.
The Prince's Terrace Adelaide merges good design with sustainable building practices, all the while proving its commercial viability and reflecting local heritage. The Prince's Terraces Adelaide received The Urban Developer Awards 2018, Excellence in Sustainability Award; 2018 HIA Australian GreenSmart Award, Townhouse/Villa Development of the Year; 2018 Architecture and Design Sustainability Awards, Green Building of the Year and Multiple Dwelling awards; 2018 UDIA South Australia Awards for Excellence, Environment Excellence and Small-Scale Development; 2018 HIA-CSR South Australian Housing Award, Townhouse/Villa Development of the Year.
The Terrace was officially opened in December 2017 by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia, Senator for South Australia and Chair of the Join Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade, Senator David Fawcett, and City of Charles Sturt Mayor Angela Evans.
In the Environment and Sustainability portfolio, The Trust worked with Greenfleet Australia and the Disney Corporation ANZ to support the development of a “Low Glow” community in Bundaberg to protect the endangered Loggerhead turtle during nesting season and help shape a better understanding and more harmonious existence with the natural environment. In November 2017, Disney sea turtle expert Dr. Blair Witherington visited Bundaberg to collaborate on international best practice. Dr. Witherington penned a Op Ed in Huffington Post to share his insights during the visit. In April 2018, His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales visited Bundaberg to discuss the Low Glow project and its contribution to Great Barrier Reef conservation efforts. This included a visit to Lady Elliot Island to convene a cross-sector "reef roundtable" in partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and attended by The Irwin Family. During this time, the Low Glow collaboration formally expanded to include the Bundaberg Regional Council, the Sea Turtle Alliance and Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism.  
Since 2019, Bundaberg Regional Council have been managing the Low Glow project after receiving support from the Low Glow collaboration for its Smart Cities Grant. The Council are implementing a digital urban glow light map, allowing residents and tourists to assess the artificial light glow from their own homes at night and change habits during nesting season. In March 2020, works are beginning along the Bagara esplanade, installing smart pathway lighting. Local residents as well as visitors to the region can find out more on the Bundaberg Regional Council's Reducing Urban Glow page.
Prince's Trust Australia is also a founding partner of the , a digital platform empowering the global community to commit to working together to save one of the world's most important natural assets.
In the Regional and Rural portfolio, The Trust partnered with the on , a pilot program seeking to establish a road-tested model of community-led disaster preparedness after discovering a gap in resilience and adaptation indicators for natural disasters and critically, limited evaluation of effective methods for communities and individuals to build their resilience.
In the Young People portfolio, The Trust piloted the Get Into program in 2017. Modelled on a similar program at Prince's Trust UK, the Get Into program worked with emploers in hospitality, retail, construction and logistics to support young people to develop sector-specific and employability skills. The Get Into program was delivered by Adelaide-based not-for-profit .
In the Defence Members and Their Families portfolio, The Trust pioneered self-employment support for transitioning Australian Defence Force members through The Prince's Lead Your Own Business program. Delivered from 2015 - 2018, the program supported transitioning Australian Defence Force members to develop and grow their own small business. Participants of the program received a Certificate IV in New Small Business from RMIT University over the 12-month program. In 2018, the Prince's Lead Your Own Business program was reimagined through codesign with DeakinCo and the veteran community. The new Enterprise for Veterans program supports veterans and their families, including transitioning defence members, veterans at any stage, and ADF partners of current or former serving members, with the confidence, skills and networks they need to safely explore entrepreneurship. The program is guided by an Advisory Council, chaired by The Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley A.C. D.S.C..
In the Arts and Culture portfolio, The Trust partnered with the National Museum Australia in 2016 to deliver the Encounters Indigenous Cultural Workers Fellowship Program. The program was created in response to the 2015 Encounters exhibition, a ground-breaking collection of rare Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander objects representing the living cultural traditions of Australia's first peoples. The inaugural 2016 Fellowship enabled six Indigenous cultural workers from regional and remote communities to take part in an intensive three-month international fellowship, providing them with the opportunity to develop cultural, creative or heritage sector skills and capabilities. In 2019, the second Encounters Fellowship Program was delivered with support from the Australia Government and National Library of Australia.
2018 - Present
In 2018, Prince's Trust Australia narrowed its focus from seven to three program portfolios. The Trust champions resilient, sustainable communities and support veterans, their families and young people to overcome systemic barriers and reach their full potential.
From June 2018 - June 2020, The Trust was Chaired by John Landerer CBE AM, Founder of . In June 2020, The Hon Julie Bishop was appointed Chair. From April 2019 - April 2020, Christopher John led The Trust as Chief Executive.
The Trust is supported by the Australia philanthropic and corporate sectors, including The Pratt Foundation, The Prior Foundation, DLA Piper and Macquarie as well as .
The employability and work readiness programs of The Trust are underpinned by ten, internationally recognised enterprise skills. They are: Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Self-Management, Emotional Judgement, Teamwork, Communication, Digital Literacy, Innovation, Professional Ethics, and Global Citizenship.
Defence Members and Their Families
In 2018, Prince's Trust Australia relaunched its self-employment program as Enterprise for Veterans.
The Enterprise program is designed to inspire veterans and ADF families with the confidence, enterprise capabilities and networks they need to explore entrepreneurship and prepare for the future of work. The program blends evidence-based business methodologies and experiential learning with an enterprise skills framework, and includes immersive programs, enrichment activities with industry, and a virtual community.
Guided by an Advisory Council, chaired by the Governor General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC, Prince’s Trust Australia is the only national not-for-profit supporting Australia's veteran community to explore entrepreneurship and self-employment.
Young People
In 2019, Prince's Trust Australia launched . Achieve is an inquiry-based framework, engages young people between 11 and 17 years old in learning through careers education and enterprise skills development. It is designed to support and amplify existing education initiatives and interventions to gain better outcomes, including engagement and retention.
The framework is designed to support young Australians with the mindsets, skills and capabilities as they need to transition into a rapidly changing world of work.
Sustainable Communities
Prince's Trust Australia aims to help people and communities to create better places to live. The Trust champions sustainable urbanism and inspires young professionals and those working in design, sustainability, construction, development and government to be leaders in place-making and community building. This is achieved through exemplar building projects, education and training programs, and thought leadership.
Following on from the award-winning Prince’s Terrace Adelaide in 2017, The Trust is working in partnerships with New South Wales Government on The Prince’s Quarter, an innovative development project in Glebe, Sydney. The project will champion sustainability and ‘density done well’, while respecting local character, increasing social and affordable housing, and fostering diverse, mixed-income communities.