Funding criteria

 

The Trust has established a Small and a Large Grants Programme for charities

The principles on which funding is based appear below. The Trust expects to make most of its grants to charities which have been invited to apply. Grantees are expected to meet most or all of the Trust's criteria to receive support.

The Trust funds a number of charities at any one time. The Small Grants Programme aims to help charities meet their short- and medium-term needs. Grants of up to £50,000 a year are made for one to three years. The Large Grants Programme aims to partner the Trust with a small number of promising organisations, providing grants of up to £100,000 a year for one to three years.

Trustees meet quarterly to decide on grants and donations.

The Trust unfortunately cannot commit to responding to organisations making unsolicited applications.

 

Other funding opportunities

Unfortunately, the demand for grant funding is always greater than the supply. The Trust hopes the following may be useful places for charities to start looking for alternative funding opportunities:

  • Funding Central
  • Directory of Social Change, funding website
  • Charity Funding Online
  • Big Lottery Fund UK
  • Association of Charitable Foundations
  • FunderFinder
  • GRANTfinder
 

 

Criteria for support

The Trust prefers to concentrate its support on smaller charities where it can work in partnership and its donations can make a real difference.
 
The Trust funds charities' core costs, including salaries and overheads, and project costs.
 
The Trust prefers to focus on activities that offer assistance directly to individuals, families and communities as well as on those that increase the capacity of organisations and individuals.
 
The interest and involvement of Man’s staff is also considered. The Trust is interested in finding out about volunteering opportunities, though no preferential consideration will be given to organisations or projects providing such opportunities.
 
Grantees will need to demonstrate sound financial management. The Trust will not consider charities with high administration costs relative to the services provided.

 

Exclusions

The Trust does not as a rule support, through its grants programmes or its broader giving:

  • Large national charities
  • Charities which use external fundraising agencies
  • Charities primarily devoted to promoting religious beliefs
  • Endowment funds
  • Requests to directly replace statutory funding
  • Individual beneficiaries
  • General media campaigns or campaigning or advocacy work to influence policy debates
  • Applicants which have been successful during the last twelve months
  • Work which has already been completed
  • Capital projects and appeals
  • Sponsorship or funding towards marketing appeals or fundraising events
  • Organisations or projects whose primary purpose is political
 

Geographical focus

The Trust focuses its grants funding in London and in particular to deprived boroughs such as Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Peckham, Southwark, and Tower Hamlets.  The Trust also considers grant funding throughout the rest of the UK if the charity is primarily based in London.