Grant making principles

Applications from within the UK and overseas are eligible for consideration, unless specified in the advert.

Applications for project funding will be considered on their own merit, regardless of previous rejection or receipt of grants.

The board of trustees has ultimate responsibility for all grant-making decisions in line with the trusts charitable purposes and any restrictions agreed with donors and funding partners.

The board of trustees reserve the right not to approve any recommendation or nomination if, after due consideration, it determines that the resulting grant would not be charitable and falls outside its priorities, or would conflict with the trusts stated policies or damage its reputation.

The Board of Trustees will not normally approve/support applications for:

a) purposes for which the government has a statutory responsibility to provide;

b) large, well-funded national charities i.e. those with an annual income in excess of £5 million or with £50+ million assets, or charities dedicated to issues deemed by the Board of Trustees to be already well funded;

c) organisations with free or unrestricted reserves;

d) general appeals, fundraising appeals or marketing appeals;

e) one-off conferences or events, except where these events align with our funding priorities, the alignment to these priorities being clearly demonstrated;

f) partisan or evangelical groups or organisations whose mission or charitable objectives state an intention to proselytise. As a values-based organisation, we will however consider offering support to faith-based organisations which are doing demonstrably positive and impactful work in BAME community, without a proselytization agenda; or

g) activities which appear to, or actively seek to, influence public opinion in favour of a particular political party or promote political partisanship.

To avoid conflicts of interest a member of the Board of Trustees (or anyone who is financially connected to them, such as a partner, dependent child or business partner) cannot apply for grant unless it is properly authorised by the Board, and is clearly in the charity’s interests. If a trustee applies (or is named on the application) for a grant, that trustee and their co-trustees:

a) should identify, and must declare conflict of interest (or loyalty)

b) must prevent the conflict of interest (or loyalty) from affecting the decision. This means the conflicted trustee(s) should withdraw from the grant making discussion and decision making process. Furthermore, the trustees will ask the Charity Commission to authorise a decision in advance if most or all of the trustees share the conflict.

c) should record the conflict of interest (or loyalty) and how it was dealt with