The Woodward Charitable Trust is currently accepting applications for its grant programme.
The Woodward Charitable Trust only makes grants for core costs rather than specific projects as they recognise that smaller charities can find these hard to fund. They hope that this will have a more direct impact on the organisations that they choose to fund.
Trustees like projects that promote community cohesion and the development of skills that will change the outlook and outcomes for the users. Organisations that promote volunteering and involve both past and present users in their operations or management are encouraged.
Funding Priorities
Trustees only consider applications for core costs and are looking for organisations which aim to achieve a positive impact in at least one of the following areas:
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;
Disadvantaged families, this covers parenting support and guidance, mental health, food poverty, refuges and domestic violence projects. They understand that many organisations dealing with disadvantaged families may also work with other disadvantaged people, but please note that at least 50% of your service users must fall into the three priority groups in order to be considered for a grant. It is important to give them details as to how the work of your organisation fits within the guidelines;
Prisoners and ex-offenders and 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.
Types of Grants
The Trustees make two types of grants:
Small grants – up to £3,000, but usually £1,000 or less;
Large grants – Only a few large grants are awarded over £3,000 each year, and these are usually to charities known to the Trustees.
The Trustees favour small-scale, locally based initiatives and most grants are only for one year. Trustees review grant applications twice a year, usually in March and October.
Eligibility Criteria
The Trust only funds registered UK charities, CICs, CIOs and exempt charities (an exempt charity has charitable status and is required to comply with charity law).
The Trust no longer fund organisations based outside of the UK nor those primarily working overseas.
Ineligible
If your organisation works with many different groups of people within your community, please note that at least 50% of your users need to fall within the three categories and if you don’t provide them with that information then your application is likely to be rejected.
It will also be rejected:
if your charity’s income/expenditure exceeded £200,000 in the previous financial year (unless this was for an exceptional one off in which case please give details);
if you are requesting an unsolicited grant in excess of £3,000;
or if your reserves exceed 50% of your expenditure from the previous year.
They will also not fund unsolicited applications from:
Charities registered or only working overseas
Individuals in any capacity
Exclusively education based charities or
Charities applying for capital and construction projects such as playgrounds, village halls, and disabled accesses
