The Charles Plater Trust is inviting applications for its grant Program to support leadership, social action and applied research projects.
Funding Priorities
Leadership for laypeople
Projects that deepen the awareness of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought to better equip people to take on leadership roles in tackling poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns.
They funded the Saint Vincent de Paul Society’s leadership project which enabled them to develop an understanding of social justice and Catholic Social Teaching among volunteer holiday camp leaders and how this applies to their work on camp with young people. The Charles Plater Trust funded pilot became a catalyst for wider change and greater involvement from the national SVP office in the camp programme. Subsequently, a national camp co-ordinator was employed and there is much-improved communication with the camps. A handbook developed through this project is still given out to all new camp leaders.
Social Action
Projects that deliver tangible outcomes to tackle poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns for marginalised people and communities.
They funded St Wilfred’s Personal Development Skills project which allowed the organisation to employ their first Development Skills coordinator and to pilot new courses. Having this new staff member allowed other staff to focus on fundraising for their capital development project. They since have built a 20-bed apartment block for homeless people, where a condition of tenancy is that residents sign up to the skills and personal development programme overseen by the Development Skills coordinator.
Applied Research
Projects that develop and apply Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought, in partnership with those who are delivering social action work, to ultimately improve public policy and practice.
They funded the think tank Theos to produce a study about Catholic Social Thought and Catholic Charities. One of the ambitions of the project was to take ‘difficult and ecclesiastical language’ and make it more accessible. The report secured considerable media coverage and brought CST to much broader faith and even secular audiences.
Funding Information
There are two types of grants that CPT offer depending on the size of your charity:
Large Grants Programme (£5,001- £60,000): Grants awarded are typically around £30,000 – £50,000, to be spent within two years. However, for exceptional projects the Trust may, at the trustees discretion, consider higher levels of funding for up to £60,000. A full online application form with supporting documentation must be completed for this type of grant.
Small Grants Programme (£1,000-£5,000): Grants awarded are typically around £3,000 to £5,000 and are designed to support highly localised projects at parish or local levels. All projects should be completed within one year. To be eligible for a small grant an organization must have an annual turnover of less than £100,000[1] and be a legally registered charity. A condensed online application form must be completed for this type of grant and an external reference is required.
Eligibility Criteria
Their exclusions are:
Projects that are outside our three priority themes – leadership for laypeople; social action and/or applied research.
Work that is not legally charitable.
Work that does not have a direct benefit in England or Wales or where the applicant organization is not based in England or Wales.
Grants to individuals Please note that the Trust will consider applications to fund an individual’s postgraduate scholarship on a relevant topic, providing that the applying academic organisation ensures that it holds an open competition to select a candidate to undertake the grant-funded research.
Organisations without at least three non-executive trustees or directors.
The Trust will consider applications from organisations seeking to use a Plater Trust grant as match funding as part of a larger project, but only if it contributes to the effective delivery of The Charles Plater Trust mission.
Applications from a consortium of organisations will be given consideration if the project has a clearly listed chief contact from the lead organisation and fulfils all eligibility criteria.
