While applications may be made at any time, for the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation’s Major Grants Programme  in order to be considered for the Foundation’s January 2023 meeting, applications should be submitted by Saturday 31st December 2022. 

Applications to the Foundation’s Small Grants Programme, which provides revenue grants of between £2,000 and £10,000, may still be made at any time.

The Major Grants Programme is a revenue grant programme that can provide a grant of £10,000 to £100,000 over 1, 2 or 3 years. No more than £100,000 will be awarded over the funding term. Grants are for revenue costs, which can include core costs, salaries, running and projects costs.

There is a matched funding expectation for the Major Grants Programme. Applicants will be required to have sought and secured a minimum of 50% of the total project cost from other sources prior to applying.

Applications to the Major Grants Programme should focus on Family Support. Projects should take place in geographical areas that meet the following criteria:

1. Rural Areas - should have a population of under 10,000 residents in a village/town) in England, Scotland and Wales. the applicant organisations' postcodes must be ranked within the most deprived 50% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
2. Urban Areas – should have a population of more than 10,000 people) in England, Scotland and Wales. The applicant organisations' postcodes must be ranked within the most deprived 15% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Grants are specifically for Family Support projects that meet the Foundation’s 3 priority areas:

1. Early Intervention - identifying and providing effective early support to children and families at risk of experiencing poor life outcomes. The Trust is interested in supporting charities that provide:
o Early years nutrition and cognitive development.
o Engaging parents in their child's early education
o Family support services/family hubs.
o Parenting workshops and training, reducing parental conflict.
o Supporting attachment between child and caregiver.
o Supporting family relationships and lone parents.
o Supporting mothers' peri and postnatal mental health, and/or
o Visiting support and/or respite for families in crisis or coping with Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND).

2. Families Coping with Addiction - the Foundation is interested in supporting charities that provide:
o Befriending and listening services for families where addiction is evident.
o Counselling and support groups for families where addiction is evident.
o Information and advice services for families where addiction is evident, and/or
o Resources on addiction for families including helplines and online forums.

3. Prisoner's Families - the Foundation is interested in supporting charities that provide:
o Befriending and peer support groups for prisoners' families.
o Counselling and coaching for family members.
o Family visitor support and children's visits with offenders, including technology tools.
o Information and advice services for families of offenders, and/or
o Parenting education and relationship support for offenders.

Funding is not available for:

o Animal welfare projects.
o Capital projects or equipment.
o Environment and conservation.
o Feasibility studies.
o For small grants: urban projects not delivered in the same city/town (or borough for London) in which the applying organisation is based.
o Fundraising salaries, campaigns, events or initiatives.
o Grant-making organisations or umbrella organisations.
o Hospices.
o Individuals, whether direct or through a third party.
o International organisations outside the UK.
o Medical research.
o Newly established organisations with no previous annual accounts.
o Non-secular activities.
o One-off events (except under the small grants programme).
o Organisations outside the specific IMD levels set out above.
o Organisations that have applied to the Trust unsuccessfully within the previous 12 months.
o Organisations which have made their annual returns to the Charity Commission or Companies House late within the past three years.
o Organisations which have not reviewed their safeguarding policy and/or held formal safeguarding training/refresher sessions within the past 12 months.
o Organisations whose postcode is not within the IMD deprivation limits set out in the Trust's funding guidelines.
o Organisations with an annual income over £1 million.
o PR and awareness raising.
o Projects outside the UK.
o Projects primarily concerned with the production of websites, films, podcasts or other media.
o Statutory services including state schools, local or national authorities, prisons, NHS hospitals or services.
o Universities, further education colleges and independent schools, or
o Urban projects not delivered in the same city/town (or borough for London) in which the applying organisation is based.

Further information, guidance and an Eligibility Checklist is available on the Foundation’s website.

Please note that there is a 2-stage application process for a Major Grant.

Applications for a Major Grant are reviewed at the Foundation’s Grant Committee meetings in January, April, June and October. In order to be considered for the Foundation’s January 2023 meeting, applications should be submitted by Saturday 31st December 2022.

The Foundation usually takes 2-3 months to assess applications.