The Finnis Scott Foundation provides small grants (nominally up to £10,000, but in practice usually a lot smaller) to UK registered charities working in the areas of horticulture and plant sciences as well as art history and fine art. Preference is given to smaller charities where the grant is likely to have a significant impact.
Applicants applying for gardens or hospices are likely to be looked at more favourably. Please note that the Foundation is unlikely to fund recently formed organisations that have not yet established a track record, or have yet to produce a set of annual accounts.
The Foundation’s funding priorities are:
1. The training of gardeners (the Foundation is keen to support horticultural training through bursaries and apprenticeships).
2. The restoration of gardens.
3. Scientific plant projects.
4. Permanent art projects, including the conservation and framing of pictures and assisting galleries in the purchase of works of art and the development of galleries.
5. The production of exhibition catalogues, and
6. The support of the disadvantaged within horticulture.
Capital and revenue grants up to £10,000 are available, together with the occasional higher award over £10,000. In practice, the vast majority of awards are for under £3,000. There is no matched funding requirement.
Further information, guidance and an application form is available on the Foundation’s website.
The Foundation meets every three months – in January, April, July and October – to review applications. Application deadlines are normally in the month prior to each meeting.
The next application deadline is Friday 25 March 2022 at 4pm for consideration at the Foundation’s meeting on Tuesday 26 April 2022.
