How to apply

We want our application process to be as transparent as possible. There are five steps to applying from funding from us.

If you still have questions about how to apply after reading the below, take a look at our information webinar. You'll hear our directors of grants Alex Sutton and Klara Skrivankova outline our funding strategy, including criteria and how to apply.

Step one: read our guidelines

It's important to read our funding guidelines in full. Your work will need to fit under one of our priority areas, and work towards at least one of our impact goals in that area. We often receive applications for work that has no relation to our priorities - and they are never successful.

Note: We're only able to accept one application per organisation each year. If you submit an application that is unsuccessful, please wait at least 12 months before applying to us again.

Step two: speak to a grants manager

If you’re thinking about applying, we encourage you to book a short conversation with one of our grant managers. Organisations that speak to us first are more likely to be successful when they apply because they better understand the aims of our work. And if it doesn’t fit, our team will tell you – saving you valuable time in filling out an application from.

To book a call with the relevant team member, visit the funding priority page that best fits your idea or proposal. You'll be asked to take a short eligibility quiz first. If your query is simple (e.g. less than 50 words) and can be answered over email, drop us a line.

Step three: complete our eligibility quiz and submit an application

If you decide to apply for funding, we’ll need you to complete an application form via our website. You can find the form here.

Before completing an application form, you'll need to complete a short quiz to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria. This should only take a few minutes.

You can download a preview of our application form here - but you must use our online portal to apply.

Step four: initial decision making and the second stage application

We make decisions on a rolling basis. Our grant managers will read your application to see if it fits our priorities. We’ll then discuss it alongside other applications and decide if it should be shortlisted. You can read more about how we make decisions in this blog from our directors of grants.

If you're shortlisted, you will be invited to complete a second stage application form which includes more information about your governance, finances and partnerships for the work.

Step five: meet us to discuss your application

After you've sent us your second stage application, we’ll meet with you to discuss your work. This will help us decide if a funding award is the right next step.

We know there's a lot at stake for organisations in this meeting, so we approach this as an opportunity to support and help you to put together the best application possible. For us, it’s the first stage in building a supportive relationship that we hope leads to positive change.

Deadlines

We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year for most of our priority areas, which means you apply at any time. The only areas that work a little differently are our racial and disability justice funds. Visit the racial justice fund page or disability justice fund page to find out more.

You can download a Microsoft Word version of our application forms below. You can use this to see what questions you will be asked and to draft your answers.

Please note: To apply for funding, you'll need to fill out our online application form. We don't accept applications by email or post.

If you need more support with your application, find out about our accessibility support here.

Stage one application form (expression of interest)

Download a preview of our main application form below. You can use this to draft your answers, but you must use our online application form to submit your application.

If you are successful in this stage, you will be invited to complete our second stage application form.

Stage two application form

Download a sample of our stage two application form below, which you will be invited to complete if you are successful at stage one.

You can use this to draft your answers, but you must use our online application form, which will be emailed to you, to submit your application.

Once we’ve decided whether to approve funding, your grants manager will get in touch with you. We try to do this on the same day as the decision.

We’ll meet with you again to get the ball rolling and explain the different ways we can support you as a funded partner. We’ll talk you through any events and meetings that may be helpful to you, including connecting you to other funded partners.

Your grant manager will also cover how we approach learning and evaluation – find out more about our approach here.

Our grant managers are there to build a supportive relationship with you and learn from your work alongside our own. Your manager will meet with you regularly to listen, to refine your plans together and work through challenges.