Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions about our support. If you need further information, please contact us.
Applicants must clearly demonstrate why there is a need for their work and how they are addressing that need. We would also like to know what impact the work is likely to have.
Applicants may suggest a preference for a level of grant but if successful, the level of the award is at the discretion of the Trustees. We do take into account a number of factors including the level of unrestricted reserves held by an organisation.
The majority of awards towards core, or project costs, are between £500 and £5,000.
Our preference is to award single-year grants but we do occasionally commit to multi-year grants where appropriate. We do offer matched funding.
We accept applications for works to both owned and rented properties. If rented, you must have more than 10 years left on the lease for us to consider your application.
We receive many more applications than we can fund. Last year, applicants who met all our criteria had a 74% chance of being awarded a grant.
Firstly, please see information on eligibility. If you are eligible to apply for a grant, please complete the relevant online application form. There is a form for Charities and CIC and a separate one for Voluntary and Community Social Enterprises. Please note that we only accept online applications using the relevant application form.
The Trustees meet every month apart from January and August. Normally if an eligible application is received by the 21st of the month, it will be considered at the next Trustee meeting. Some applications may need to be considered over two Trustee meetings but we aim to make the process as quick as possible. You will receive notification of when your application is due to be considered or if it has not met our eligibility criteria.
In the case of larger requests, a member of the Team may ask to visit the organisation as part of the assessment process and will normally be accompanied by a Trustee.
Applications must be accompanied by the most recent published accounts. If these are more than fifteen months old, a statement of the current year's financial position is also required.
If your grant is not conditional on other factors, then we aim to make a payment within ten working days of receiving confirmation that the terms of the award have been agreed. New applicants will need to provide an extract from a recent bank statement showing the name and address of the organisation which has been signed and dated by two Trustees. This is the bank account to which a grant would be paid.
In the case of a larger capital project, payment timings will be agreed on an individual basis.
We are not able to provide individual feedback.
If you have been unsuccessful you can re-apply to us 12 months after the date of your original application.