The Allen Lane Foundation’s Trust Deed states that its grants may be make for 'general charitable purposes'. This gives the Trustees considerable latitude to decide on priorities. The Trustees currently choose to fund work which:
o Encourages or enables unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community.
o Will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems, and
o Is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination.
The Foundation has identified specific groups of people it believes are vulnerable, isolated and unpopular within the communities through which support can meet those objectives. The Foundation is interested in funding work which benefits people in the following groups, or generalist work which includes significant numbers from more than one such group:
o Asylum-seekers and refugees.
o Gypsies and travellers.
o Offenders and ex-offenders.
o Older people.
o Migrant communities.
o People experiencing mental health problems, and
o People experiencing violence or abuse.
As the Foundation's resources are modest, it generally funds smaller organisations where small grants can have most impact.
Grants are awarded to smaller registered charities and organisations with automatic charitable status. Grants are also made to constituted groups with charitable purposes and newer forms of organisations such as Community Interest Companies (CIC). Organisations supported by the organisation commonly have an annual turnover of under £250,000.
The Foundation currently makes grants in the UK, but please note that it does not make grants for work in London as it feels there are other significant grant-makers covering the capital.
Grants can be used for core running costs, as well as start-up and project costs, This can include such things as organisational capacity building and strengthening, venue hire and volunteer expenses.
While recognising (and being willing to support) on-going, tried and tested projects, the Foundation is particularly interested in unusual, imaginative or pioneering projects which have not yet caught the public imagination.
In 2020/21 the Foundation committed to 131 new grants (2019/20: 137 grants). The total value of grants committed was £726,132, which was lower than the previous year’s figure of £783,964.
Grants are normally one-off awards between £500 and £15,000, with the occasional higher award. The majority of grants made are for 1 year, although they can also be allocated over 2 or 3 years. The average grant is around £5,500.
Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), an Eligibility Checklist and an online application form is available on the Foundation’s website.
Applications may be made at any time and are reviewed every 4 months, usually in February, June and October each year.
Contact details for the Foundation are:
Gill Aconley
Grants Officer
Allen Lane Foundation
90 The Mount
York
YO24 1AR
Tel: 01904 613223
Email: gill(at)allenlane.org.uk
