Applying for a Grant

The Girdlers' Company Charitable Trust will accept applications for one-off grants from organisations that deliver clearly defined outcomes and that meet at least one of the following criteria:

• The improvement in people's employability, in order to improve their sense of self-worth and economic independence;
• The improvement in carers' health and wellbeing, in order that they are able to continue supporting those for whom they care;
• The reduction in mental health disorders, to improve people's overall health and happiness;
• The improvement in people's literacy (irrespective of age), in order to help their integration into society and improve economic wellbeing;
• The reduction in prisoner reoffending, in order to support their integration as active and positive members of society and help make society a safer place.

Subject to available funds, the maximum grant is £10,000. The average grant awarded is £4,250.

Grant recipients are expected to submit a written evaluation report around nine months after the grant has been awarded on the outcomes achieved by the grant. Our support should make a recognisable difference, therefore preference will be given to applications from smaller organisations.

Because the level of grantmaking is dependent on available funds, unfortunately only a few applications will be successful. The allocation process is as follows:

• The Benefactions Committee currently meets in mid-January and late June to review the applications, with a view to submitting them to the Court for its approval.
• At the next Court meeting (currently early February and early July), the Benefactions Committee's recommendations are considered and may be approved.

In a worst-case scenario, therefore, a charity may have to wait 6 months before hearing whether its application for funding has been successful. However, all applicants will be advised of the outcome, whether or not they have been successful.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications received, the current application window is closed. It will reopen in January 2024, when the new deadline for applications will also be published.