Family grant-making Trust, the Woodward Charitable Trust, provides small grants for registered UK charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) and exempt charities working in the following areas:
o Children and young people who are isolated, at risk of exclusion or involved in anti-social behaviour and projects to help those who have been in the care system. This also covers gang violence and knife crime, education and mentoring as well as projects that work to raise self-esteem and employment opportunities and encourage an active involvement in and contribution towards the local community.
o Disadvantaged families, this covers parenting support and guidance, mental health, food poverty, refuges and domestic violence projects, and
o Prisoners and ex-offenders, specifically projects that maintain and develop contact with prisoners’ families and help with the rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners and/or ex-offenders after their release.
The Trust particularly seeks to fund projects that help families and young people and that are aiming to improve the life chances of the beneficiaries. It prefers projects that promote community cohesion and the development of skills that will change the outlook and outcomes for the users. Applications from charitable organisations that promote volunteering and involve both past and present users in their operations or management are encouraged.
The Trust awards grants for core costs rather than specific projects as it recognises that smaller charities can find it difficult to secure core funding.
Small grants up to £3,000 (but usually £1,000 or less) are available over a period of 3 successive years (alternatively, 3 grants over a period of 5 years can also be awarded). The Trust sometimes awards a few grants of over £3,000, but these are normally to charities known by the trustees. Unsolicited applications for over £3,000 tend to be automatically rejected.
During the year ended 5 April 2021, the Trust awarded 140 grants totalling £213,980.The vast majority of grants were for one year. Smaller charities working in a local area tend to be favoured.
Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and an online application form can be found on the Trust’s website.
The next deadline for applications is Friday 29th July 2022.
