The Allen Lane Foundation provides grants to small registered charities and charitable not-for-profit organisations working with marginalised groups.
The Foundation focuses on work that reduces isolation, stigma and discrimination, and is particularly interested in small, local organisations.
Grants are usually between £5,000 and £15,000 over one to three years, with most grants around £5,000 to £6,000. Funding can be used for core costs, running costs or project costs, making it a flexible option for smaller groups.
Programme they fund work with:
- Asylum seekers and refugees
- Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
- People with mental health issues
- Offenders and ex-offenders
- Older people
- People affected by violence or abuse
- Young people
The fund is best suited to organisations with an annual income under £100,000, although UK-wide organisations may apply if their income is under £250,000.
Applications can be submitted at any time and are processed throughout the year. Applicants will usually hear back within two weeks with an initial response, which may include a request for further information, confirmation that the application is progressing to the next assessment stage, or notice that the Foundation cannot help.
Trustees meet to discuss applications three times a year, generally in February, June and October. The June meeting is now closed to new applications, so applications received from now until early August are likely to be considered ahead of the October Trustee meeting.
The Foundation funds registered charities, constituted voluntary groups and some CICs. CICs must have at least three unrelated board members with equal control, and projects must be wholly charitable. Schools, colleges, universities, NHS bodies, councils and individuals are not eligible.
For more information, visit the Allen Lane Foundation website.