Guidelines

Applicants must adhere to the following guidelines when submitting their applications:

Timelines

Applications for the March Trustees’ meeting must be submitted by 31st October of the previous year
Applications for the November Trustees’ meeting must be submitted by 31st May
Late submissions will not be considered

Time Bars

Unsuccessful applicants must wait for at least one year from the time of being notified before re-applying
Successful applicants must wait for at least two years from the time of receiving a donation before re-applying
When a multi-year donation has been awarded, the time bar applies from the date of the final instalment
Withdrawn applications do not normally face a time bar

Additional Guidance and Feedback

The following list of additional guidance and feedback is not exhaustive but can, from time to time, be useful for applicants:

Do not apply for a donation unless you are a registered charity in Scotland, England and Wales, or Northern Ireland
Always include an informative covering letter and do not submit your application by email
Some applicants fail to complete Part C2 of the application form, preferring to refer to attached documents. Please do not do this, as it places the burden on the reader and your application will probably not be considered any further. Instead, make sure a full explanation and justification of what is needed is included at Part C2
As indicated on the application form, please do not provide more than one page of information for Part C2
Provided you have argued the case in Part C2, feel free to include a small amount of additional, informative documentation
Make sure the year or years for which the support is required is made clear in Part D1
Given the lengthy lead times during the application process, applicants’ financial circumstances can change significantly and donations may no longer be required. If this is the case, it is vital that you update The Trust as funds available for donation are always tight and money no longer needed can be directed elsewhere
Do not seek to change your requirement late in the process. More often than not, this will not be allowed because applications are judged and prioritised against others, which may then need to take precedence
If requirements change early in the process it may be worth asking if the thrust of the change can be made, particularly if the change is minor
Above all, maintain a process of dialogue with us. We deal with many hundreds of worthy applications each year. If we have to chase you for information, you will understand that our interest might wane
Make sure you sign your application as unsigned applications will not be considered
Always check you have affixed the correct value of stamps to your application package. Incorrectly stamped envelopes may not be delivered to us and The Trust can incur additional postal charges. This will reflect badly on your organisation and your application may not progress further