THE HILDEN CHARITABLE FUND
Grants, generally for between £5,000 and £7,000 per year for up to 2 years, are available to smaller UK charitable organisations working to support asylum seekers, refugees and penal affairs in the UK and/or overseas.
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o Application deadline: THURSDAY 21st AUGUST 2025 at 3pm. The Fund opened to applications on Tuesday 15th July 2025.
o Funder: The Hilden Charitable Fund (founded 1963. Charity number 232591. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 5 April 2024: £902,261 (2023: £470,855; 2022: £426,344; 2021: £460,862)).
o Who can apply: UK registered and exempt charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), Community Interest Companies (CICs) and charitable companies working in the UK and/or overseas with an annual income of under £200,000 over the preceding 3 years.
o Key words: Asylum Seekers, Refugees, Penal Affairs, Overseas, United Kingdom.
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The Hilden Charitable Fund supports UK charitable organisations working in the following 2 areas:
1. Asylum Seekers and Refugees
The charity states that “Asylum Seekers and Refugees continue to face hostility, challenge and isolation which prevents them being able to fully integrate into society; while some face considerable levels of poverty due to being unable to work or use their skills. We want to support organisations and projects which provide essential services; which help meet their needs; and which support their integration within the wider community”.
2. Penal Affairs
Under this category the charity’s website comments that “Whilst custodial sentences are often very damaging for all of those affected, research by the Prison Reform Trust shows that women are often more greatly impacted, especially where they have children or other caring responsibilities. During the Pandemic, for example, family visits to prisons were curtailed and many children did not see their parent for over a year. We want to support work “through the door” where organisations go into prisons with projects and support to help prisoners (especially women) cope and/or maintain family bonds and to be better able to resettle positively when released. Equally we welcome applications for post-release projects which support positive resettlement and a reduction in the likelihood of reoffending”.
Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to apply for grant support:
o Be able to demonstrate that they have a UK charitable purpose.
o Have adequate insurance and safeguarding policies and procedures for their service users, volunteers and employees, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) screening if necessary.
o Have an income (from all sources) of less than £200,000 (this was previously £250,000) in each of the last 3 financial years.
o Have a project that meets the Foundation’s priority areas, and
o Hold less than 12 months spending in cash reserves.
Grants, which can cover project and core costs, can be for up to – and sometime more than – £10,000 per year for a period of 2 years, although most awards are for between £5,000 and £7,000. While there is no specific requirement for matched funding, applicants are encouraged to show what other funding has been sought and secured.
Please note that applicants that received a 1-year grant from the Foundation in 2024 or were unsuccessful with an application can apply in 2025. However, applicants that received a 2-year grant from the Foundation in 2024 cannot apply in 2025.
During the year ended 5th April 2024, the charity awarded 91 grants totalling £902,261 (2023: 52 grants totalling £470,855; 2022: 80 grants totalling £426,344), categorised as follows:
o Asylum Seekers and Refugees: 51 grants totalling £509,701.
o Penal Affairs: 12 grants totalling £141,800.
o Overseas: 25 grants totalling £205,26.
o Play Schemes: 1 grant totalling £40,000.
o Other: 2 grants totalling £5,500.
A list of all grants made during the year can be viewed on pages 17-19 of the charity’s annual accounts. Additional information about Hilden’s grant awards can also be found on pages 5-7 of the accounts.
Funding is not available for (please note that this is not an exhaustive list):
o Fundraising-only posts (although funding is available for posts in which fundraising is part of what they do).
o Hospitals or primary healthcare provision.
o Individuals.
o Medical research.
o Non-charitable activities.
o Party-political organisations or Party-political campaigning (charitable campaigning is okay).
o Registered Social Landlords (for example, housing associations).
o Residential care.
o Statutory services, or
o The promotion of religion.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on Hilden’s website.
The deadline for applications is 3pm on Thursday 21st August 2025 for decisions to be announced in November 2025.
Contact details for the Fund are:
Mr Ciaran Rafferty
Director
The Hilden Charitable Fund
Dawes Road Hub
20 Dawes Road
London
SW6 7EN
Email: admin@