THE YORKSHIRE BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION SMALL CHANGE BIG DIFFERENCE GRANTS

YBS

Project and equipment grants of between £250 and £2,500 are available to UK registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 that are working to help relieve poverty, improve health and save lives.
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Application deadlineMONDAY 31st MARCH 2025. The dates for all the Foundation’s 2025 application deadlines are provided at the foot of the main article below.  
o FunderThe Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation (founded 1998. Charity number 1069082. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 December 2023: £319,008 (2022: £415,355; 2021: £407,378; 2020: £422,155)).
o Who can applyUK registered charities and good causes.
o Key wordsRelief of Poverty, Improving Health and Well-being, Social Welfare, Saving of Lives, Children and Young People, Elderly/Older People, Illness and Il Health, People with a Disability, Homeless, United Kingdom.
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The Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation’s donation activities are supported through the activities of the Building Society’s colleagues and concentrate on charities proposed by the Society’s members and colleagues. Proposals in areas in which the Yorkshire Building Society has a presence are therefore likely to be favoured. The building society has branches across the UK, including, for example, Barnstaple, Bristol, Plymouth, Taunton and Tiverton in the South West region. A list of all Yorkshire Building Society branches can be found at this LINK.

The Foundation provides grants from £250 to £2,500 (this was previously £2,000) for UK registered charities working in the areas of:

o The relief of poverty.
o Health, 
and
o Social welfare and the saving of lives.

Funding is available for projects and equipment rather than a contribution towards general running costs. Examples of previously supported projects include sensory gardens, toys for children with additional needs and social activities for the elderly and infirm.

The Foundation will prioritise UK charities that are based in areas of high deprivation and supporting marginalised groups such as women and girls, minority ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ and those who are socially isolated. Charities providing services for children and young people, those who are seriously ill, the elderly, homeless and disabled people are frequently supported by the Foundation.

During the year ended 31st December 2023, the Foundation made 306 (2022: 230; 2021: 215) charitable donations to charities totalling £319,008 (2022: £415,355; 2021: £407,378; 2020: £422,155). The vast majority of grants awarded were for less than £2,000.

A list of all applicants that received a grant of £2,000 during the year ended 31 December 2022 is available on page 20 of the Foundation’s annual accounts.

Applications should meet all of the following criteria:

1. Applicants must be nominated by a Yorkshire Building Society member or colleague.
2. Beneficiaries must be resident in the UK.
3. Organisations must be registered with – and have submitted annual returns to – the Charity Commission, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland or the Scottish Charity Regulator, 
and
4. Requests for funding will either help alleviate poverty, improve health or save lives.

Funding is not available for:

o Beneficiaries not resident in the UK.
o Charities supporting animals.
o Charities supporting a specific sector of society, based on ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation or political beliefs.
o Community Interest Companies, community or voluntary organisations that are not registered charities.
o Contributions to capital fundraising appeals.
o Donations to an individual beneficiary.
o Funds towards ongoing running costs (including office equipment).
o Organisations that have received a YBS Charitable Foundation donation during the last two years.
o Requests for sponsorship, 
or
o Research.

Projects must be nominated by Yorkshire Building Society members and/or colleagues. An online Charitable Foundation Member Nomination form can be found on the Foundation’s website under the heading “How do I make a nomination?“.

Applications are considered every 3 months. The application deadlines for 2025 are:

o Monday 31st March.
o Tuesday 30th June.
o Wednesday 30th September, 
and
o Thursday 31st December.

The next application deadline is therefore on Monday 31st March 2025.

Contact details for the Foundation are:

The Charitable Foundation Team
Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation
Yorkshire House
Yorkshire Drive
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD5 8LJ
Tel: 
01274 263573
Email: charitablefoundation@ybs.co.uk