Grant Programmes
We have two grant programmes which depend on the size of the grant being requested – the processes are slightly different so please see below.
Regular Grants
For applications below £100,000. These applications are reviewed by our Trustees on an ongoing basis so there are no specific deadlines to worry about. You can apply when you are ready and when your plans and priorities are sufficiently clear to be able to make a compelling case – see our guidelines for details of what to include.
Major Grants
For application of £100,000 or more. These are reviewed at one of the Foundation’s eight Board meetings a year and are carefully planned in advance to be fair to all applicants. If you are considering applying for a major grant, please start by sending a one page summary to Grace da Rocha via gdarocha@garfieldweston.org outlining what you are raising funds for, the total cost and fundraising target. We can give you bespoke guidance on whether you are eligible. Please note that if you are applying for £100,000 or more we typically expect your project and/or annual income to be in excess of £1 million. Please do not apply for a major grant through our website.
Types of Grant
The types of grant we make, whatever their size, tend to fall into one of three categories – Capital, Revenue (often called ‘core costs’) and Project work. The most important thing is that you apply for what you need as this will be your priority and therefore the most compelling for our Trustees.
Capital
By Capital we mean bricks and mortar or tangible things such as a building project, repairs or equipment. A grant is unlikely to be more than 10% of the total project cost. Do check our guidelines for the key things we look for in Capital applications. We recommend that you have around half your funding identified before applying to the Foundation.
Grants for Capital projects that benefit local communities (e.g. repairs and refurbishments of village halls, community centres, places of worship, schools etc) are typically UNDER £30,000 and are made when applicants can demonstrate that they have raised funds locally, that their project is valued by the community and they have identified approximately half the costs of the project already.
Revenue/Core Costs
These grants are made towards the costs of your activity. Revenue grants are sometimes referred to as ‘core costs’ – typically they are unrestricted which can be used for the general costs and expenses your organisation incurs in order to deliver its work. These can include elements such as rent, utilities and salaries. Please bear in mind we can only provide a proportion of your costs – this proportion varies depending on the size of your charity though it is unlikely to be greater than 10% of your total costs.
Project Costs
If you have a specific project or activity that you need funds for, then you can apply for this. Include all the costs involved in delivering the project including staff costs and a reasonable percentage of overheads if relevant. We recommend that you have around half of your funding identified before applying to the Foundation.
We encourage organisations to develop a sustainable funding base so that they are not overly reliant on one funder. Our Trustees therefore will consider a grant TOWARDS your costs, but are unlikely to fund the total costs of a project of a large proportion of your total expenditure. Our Trustees are experienced grant-makers and will use their judgement as to what they feel is appropriate and are able to give to a charity. You therefore do not have to specify an amount in your application unless you wish to do so – simply outline the cost of your work/project, what funds are secured to date and what the current shortfall is.