The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation (PWCF) provides small revenue (funding is not awarded for capital projects) grants up to £5,000 for community-based projects across the United Kingdom and overseas in the following areas:
1. Countryside - most of the projects funded support of the fabric of the countryside is administered by The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF), a subsidiary of PWCF. The Prince's Countryside Fund is committed to creating a sustainable future for the British countryside. PCF provides grants to support rural communities alongside business training, bespoke support for farmers and practical workshops on the environment. The Prince of Wales's Countryside Foundation will consider supporting projects that are not currently supported by PCF, such as Rural Support’s ‘Across the Hedgerow’ programme, which connects isolated older men in rural areas across Northern Ireland.
2. Education – the Foundation welcomes applications from organisations that seek to deliver education and training projects outside of the scope and age range of The Prince’s Trust, including support for people with special educational needs. For example, the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation has supported beekeeping apprenticeships as well as tertiary education in Zambia.
3. Environment - community environmental projects (including the circular economy), economic sustainability initiatives and conservation of the natural environment. The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation has previously supported the Friends of Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Yorkshire to collect data on local biodiversity and facilitate wildlife workshops. Larger organisations such as the Atlantic Salmon Trust have also been awarded a grant.
4. Health & Wellbeing - community projects and initiatives which support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people with disabilities or life limiting illnesses in disadvantaged communities. The Foundation will consider applications for respite care, young carers and complementary therapies. Previously, an award to BIGKID in London encouraged girls from disadvantaged communities to improve their health and fitness through football.
5. Heritage & Conservation - covers funding for heritage conservation and restoration projects at places of worship. The Foundation is interested in funding non-capital projects which improve the fabric of buildings for the benefit of local communities. Previously funded projects include the restoration of a church window and conservation of a cemetery wall.
6. Social Inclusion - grants are available for community and art projects that aim to relieve poverty, loneliness and other social issues or support the welfare of the elderly, veterans and interfaith cohesion. The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation has funded projects such as Streetwise Opera, a Nottingham-based initiative which provides weekly performing arts workshops to those who are at risk of homelessness
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of under £1 million. The average grant is around £1,500. There is no matched funding requirement.
Details of projects that have been supported by the Foundation can be found on its website, while its Annual Report provides a detailed insight into its work.
To be eligible to apply, organisations should have been active for at least 24 months and be able to submit accounts or income and expenditure statements.
Funding is not available for:
o Capital expenditure, with the exception of community-based heritage conservation and restoration projects aimed at preserving the fabric of historic buildings.
o Individuals.
o Non-profit organisations which are part of a federation.
o Organisations that are looking to support similar projects delivered by the Prince of Wales's core charities, the Prince's Foundation and The Prince's Trust.
o Organisations that mainly distribute grants to other organisations.
o Organisations with political associations or interests, or
o Statutory organisations or public bodies.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Foundation’s website.
Applications may be submitted at any time and are reviewed every 3 months in in February, May, August and October. The Foundation requests that applications are submitted at least a month before the quarterly meeting.
