Please use the following frequently asked questions as guidance on the types of work and organisations we support. Be aware that each programme may also have its own criteria and exclusions. You should always check the individual programme pages carefully and speak to staff before applying.
Yes, we will fund other types of organisations and occasionally un-constituted groups and fiscally hosted groups. We will need to check that your work can be considered charitable and understand how your governance arrangements operate. We cannot fund organisations or work that is party political (e.g. supporting or opposing a political party), profit based organisations or work that makes a profit, or work that creates private benefit.
No. We are a UK based and focused funder. Occasionally we may fund work which has an international or pan European scope, such as policy or regulation influencing, but there would need to be clear expected impacts or benefits for the UK. We advise checking with the programme you apply for.
If you are a UK registered charity you can apply to us for core or unrestricted funding, which means costs that can be used by your organisation as you wish to advance your charitable objectives. If you are not registered as a charity you should apply for project costs for a defined work area.
You are only be able to hold one grant with us at any time. If you are considering applying to more than one programme we advise you to speak to the programme staff in advance and decide which one is the most relevant for you.
In general we feel our support is best targeted at organisations with less than £1million in income who are seeking to influence systemic change. We will consider other types of organisation who make a strong case for their financial need, but in general we do not prioritise larger and better-established organisations. We will not fund statutory bodies.
No we do not fund academic or medical research. We will consider funding research where this feeds directly into policy and campaigning work and where there is a strong fit with our programme priorities.
Yes, we also exclude the following; capital costs (such as building purchase or repairs) business development or job creation schemes, service provision, housing and homelessness projects and projects solely focused on the arts.
On occasion we will fund an individual to undertake a piece of work, but this is rare. Where we do support individuals we will not fund educational studies or personal support.
We primarily fund national level work, designed to benefit across the UK as a whole, or one of its member countries. To be considered, any local or regional based work would need to demonstrate how it contributes to a national level benefit.