Applications not Considered

As a general rule we expect that applicants will have considered the Foundation’s Guidelines for Applicants on this web site. As our guidelines changed in 2008 and are updated regularly , reliance should not be placed on entries in guides to trusts and foundations published by organisations such as the Directory of Social Change and similar works of reference.

Our preferred format for initial approaches for funding is laid down in the section How to Apply. Applications that make no effort to meet this simple requirement will be rejected automatically.

We cannot fund:

  • Organisations that are not registered or recognised as charities unless in the process of registering. Applications by regulated not-for-profit social enterprises may be considered.
  • Work that is not legally charitable.
  • Political parties, political lobbying or campaigning.
  • Churches or other religious organisations where an award will be used for religious purposes.

We do not fund:

  • Individuals for any purposes.
  • Large, well-established national charities.
  • Organisations whose income in the year preceding an application exceeded £700,000 except where unusual circumstances apply in that year
  • Statutory bodies including local authorities and their agencies.
  • Grantmaking bodies except through partnerships.
  • Heritage, conservation or archival projects unless relevant to the urban or rural built environment.
  • Capital projects.
  • Conferences.
  • Appeals of any kind including for disaster relief, sporting, social or other fundraising events.
  • Animal welfare organisations.
  • Activity taking place overseas.
  • Work delivered outside of the counties of Berkshire; Bristol, Avon & Somerset; Buckinghamshire; Cambridgeshire; Dorset; Gloucestershire; Hampshire; Middlesex; Nottinghamshire; Oxfordshire; Surrey; Sussex; Warwickshire (not including Greater Birmingham) and the Greater London Metropolitan Areas as defined by the M25 motorway.

Grants will not be made to:

  • Work that is a public funding or statutory responsibility whether fulfilled or not.
  • Replace cuts in funding by statutory bodies where the Foundation becomes the largest single provider.
  • Top-up funding on under-priced contracts or other commissioned work.
  • Organisations where we become the largest single income provider.