Our assessment process

OUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS

How we shortlist applications

We receive far more applications than we can support – typically, around five for every grant we award. This high level of demand means we can only consider applications from charities that closely match our funding priorities and eligibility criteria.

Our starting point is always to check whether your organisation matches our funding requirements. You can see these clearly outlined in the following sections of the funding programme you are interested in:

• What we fund
• Funding exclusions
• Funding priorities
• Who can apply

We seek to provide flexible funding and therefore can support only those organisations whose work is fully aligned with our stated funding priorities. All services delivered by the charity must fall entirely within one of the eligible categories listed below.

Please note that we cannot consider applications in which only part of an organisation’s work fits our priorities.

The case studies  on each funding programme page illustrate examples of charities that meet our eligibility criteria in full.

If you are unsure about your organisation’s eligibility, please contact us before submitting an Expression of Interest. Doing so will help save time and resources for both your organisation and ours.

If your organisation (or funding request) does not fit our current interests, we will let you know as soon as possible so you can seek support elsewhere.

Please note that we do not fund pilot projects / services by charities we have not previously supported.



If your application aligns with our funding priorities, we will conduct a full assessment. This process includes:

• Understanding your charity’s place in the sector: We look at other similar or complementary services (charitable or statutory) in your local area or nationally and assess how your work complements these.

• Avoiding duplication: We do not support organisations that appear to duplicate the efforts of more established charities with wider reach. If similar services are already provided by larger, national charities, we will only prioritise your charity if it is clearly adding value to existing provision, rather than replicating it locally.

• Beneficiary needs and impact: We seek to understand how you meet the needs of your beneficiaries and how you measure the effectiveness of your services.

• External validation: Where possible, we look for independent reviews or assessments of your work – such as sector relevant accreditations, CQC ratings for healthcare providers, independent evaluations, or other relevant sector awards – beyond user testimonials.

• Governance and safeguarding: We consider your governance structures, financial stewardship, and approach to safeguarding.

• Due diligence: We carry out internet-based searches as part of our assessment process. You can see further information about what we look for here.

If significant concerns are raised by any of the above, and / or we need further information about your charity or funding request, we will arrange to speak with you. After this call, we will either invite you to submit a full application or explain why we cannot progress your application further.

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