Can we apply for a £1,000 and a £5,000 grant?

No – you can only apply once per year.

Can we apply for a capital grant?

No. Capital projects are not funded. This includes churches, schools, hospitals, hospices, museums, galleries and theatres.

Do you have any Terms and Conditions?

Yes – we have introduced Grant Terms and Conditions in 2018. These apply to all grants awarded. You will need to read these before applying for a grant as you will need to accept the Terms and Conditions before completing an application form.

Does it matter what our income is?

Yes – we have changed our grant structure.

If your income is £1,000,000 and above, you can apply for a £5,000 grant.

If your income is between £100,000 and £1,000,000, you can apply for a £1,000 grant.

If your income is below £100,000, unfortunately you cannot apply.

I am an individual who will be working for a charity – can I apply for a grant?

No. Grants are not awarded to individuals in any circumstances.

Our income is £2m. Can we apply for a grant?

Yes. If your income is over £1,000,000, you an apply for a grant of £5,000.

You are not eligible to apply for a grant of £1,000 as the maximum income for this size grant is £1,000,000.

Our income is £300,000. Can we apply for a grant?

Yes – you can apply for a grant of £1,000.

However, you cannot apply for a grant of £5,000 as the minimum income for this size grant is £1,000,000.

We applied to the Trust before but were unsuccessful – can we apply again?

You cannot apply again in the same year, so if you have been unsuccessful in June, you cannot re-apply in November. However, you can re-apply another year, as long as your work fits into the appropriate category.

We are a church that needs to improve our facilities so that community groups can continue to use our building – can we apply for a grant?

No. Grants are not awarded to churches, even when they are used by community groups.

We are a Community Interest Company. Can we apply for a grant?

No. Only registered charities are eligible for a grant. The only exceptions are those granted exemption by the Charity Commission of England and Wales (or equivalent for Scotland and Northern Ireland).

We are a local branch of a national charity – can we apply for a grant?

We prefer to give grants to a charity’s headquarters. However, if you have a separate charity number, we will consider an application. Please note, however, that when we receive applications from different branches of the same charity, it is often very difficult to chose one rather than another.

We are a local charity – can we apply for a grant?

You can apply for a grant. However, grants are very rarely awarded to local charities that are not known by any of the Trustees.

We are a national charity that works in various parts of the country – can we apply for a grant for a particular project with a local remit?

Yes, you can apply for a grant for a local project.

We are a non-for-profit organisation but not a registered charity – can we apply?

No.  The Trust gives grants ONLY to charities registered with the relevant national body (Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or OSCR), and does not give grants to not-for-profit organisations.

We are only a small charity – can we apply for a grant?

If your operating income is between £100,000 and £1,000,000, you can apply for a £1,000 grant.

If your operating income is less than £100,000, unfortunately you are not eligible to apply for any grant.

We have had a grant from the Trust before – can we apply again?

Yes, but you are unlikely to receive grants in consecutive years. Please apply only in the appropriate year – see What We Fund.

We help children and young people of all ages. Under which grant round should we apply?

If your project focusses on children of 11 and under, you can apply under either Round 1 or Round 2 in 2019, depending on your income and expenditure. If your project focusses on young people aged 11 and 25, you can apply under either Round 3 or Round 4 in 2019, depending on your income and expenditure.

If you support children and young people of all ages, choose the grant round that reflects the age ground the are the main focus of your project.

Can we apply for a grant under “Health” and under “Community”?

No – you can apply ONLY ONCE per year. Please choose the category that best reflects your work.

We are a charity working with both the Community and Health – which grant round shall we apply?

We cannot advise you which grant round to apply – please choose the grant category that you feel will best reflect your work. Please note that you can only apply for one grant per year.

We are a community group working with children – which year should be apply?

You can apply either under Community or Children.  Sometimes you may receive a letter suggesting you re-apply in another year – this happens if we have had a particularly large number of applications in one category.  

We are a medical charity working with children – which category should be apply under?

The categories of Medical and Children are deliberately broad. As long as your work falls into one or the other, you can submit an application in the appropriate year.

We are a theatre group working with disabled children – which year should we apply?

You can apply any year, but we encourage any art or theatre based charities to apply under the category of Music and the Arts, even if they work with Children or the Elderly, for example.

Can I email questions before I submit my application?

Yes. We try to answer all emailed questions, but this can sometimes take 2-3 weeks. Please note that emails asking questions that are clearly answered on the website will not receive a reply.

Can I send an application by post?

No.  We no longer accept applications by post.

Can I speak to someone about our application?

No. The Trust employs only one part-time administrator. All her time is taken up replying to applications.

Can we download an evaluation form?

The Evaluation Form can now be submitted online – you can find the link on Successful Applicants. If you cannot submit the Evaluation Form online, please email.

Can you confirm that you have received my application?

Yes – you will receive an email confirming that your application has been received.

Do you have an application form?

Yes. This is submitted online. Please see How to Apply.

Do you have any Terms and Conditions?

Yes – we have introduced Grant Terms and Conditions in 2018. These apply to all grants awarded. You will need to read these before applying for a grant as you will need to accept the Terms and Conditions before completing an application form.

Do you prefer to receive applications around the deadline dates?

No – wherever possible please submit applications several weeks before the deadline. We then have plenty of time to request any additional information we might need. So many applications arrive on the deadline date that it is very hard to give every one the consideration it deserves before the Trustees’ meeting.

I can only fill in part of the form now – can I save it and complete the other sections later?

Yes.  We now have the facility to save partly completed forms.  You will be given a link, which will enable you to access the form again. It is your responsibility to keep details of how to access your saved form because we will not have access to these.

I can’t submit the application form online – can I email it to you?

Yes.  If you are unable to complete the form online, you must be able to return the form by email.  Please follow the instructions on the How to Apply page.

What do I need to include on my application?

The Sample Forms on How to Apply explain all the information you need to include for every section. Please read this carefully before starting the online form.

When will I know if we have been awarded a grant?

We decide on grant awards the month following the deadline of the grant round.

If you apply for a £1,000 grant in February, we will notify you by late March.

If you apply for a £1,000 grant in July, we will notify you by late August.

If you apply for a £5,000 grant in April/May, we will notify you by late June.

If you apply for a £5,000 grant in September/October, we will notify you by late November.

We post a list of successful charities on the website – see Recent Awards – as soon as possible after the Trustees’ meeting.  An official letter, with a cheque, will be sent out within the next few weeks.  All unsuccessful applicants will also be contacted, but this can take several weeks.  Patience from charities is appreciated with this.

Can we apply for a two- or three-year grant?

No.

Can we apply for core funding?

Yes, but we are much more likely to fund specific projects. If you do want to apply for core funding, please also include details of projects that your organisation undertakes so that we can have a complete picture of your work.

How big a grant can we apply for?

If your operating income is over £1,000,000, you can apply for a grant of £5,000.

If your operating income is between £100,000 and £1,000,000, you can apply for a grant of £1,000.

There are different deadlines for £1,000 and £5,000 grants – please check What We Do and Don’t Fund for further information.

Our project will cost more than £5,000 – can we apply for partial funding, or do you prefer to fund a complete project?

We are happy to fund part of a project.

Would you like to receive our charity’s newsletter or annual report?

No thank you. We have to focus our time and resources on applications.

Would you like to visit our charity or our project?

We would be happy to visit your charity or project, although we have limited time and resources so can only attend occasionally.  Please email invitations or details, and we will do our best to support your charity.