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Important notice – closing for applications

The Trust will temporarily be closed to applications with effect from 15 November 2024. We are sorry but no applications received after that date and before we reopen will be considered. This closure will enable the Trustees to review their strategy, and it is likely that changes will be made to the grants programme. We expect to be able to accept applications for our revised programme from around midsummer 2025. The date will be announced on this website in due course. Applications made before 15 November as part of capital appeals which will still be running in autumn 2025 are unlikely to succeed.

If your charity has received a grant, it will still be expected to comply with reporting requirements. The Grants Office will be staffed from time to time and if you have any queries, please email us.
 

www.
willcharitabletrust.
org.uk

020 8941 0450

Registered charity number 801682

  
'Are you eligible' heading over a sunset  

Are you eligible?

Categories eligible for grant

The Trust provides financial assistance to UK registered or exempt charities whose activities fall within the following three categories:

  • care of and services for blind people, and the prevention and/or cure of blindness;
  • long-term care of people with learning disabilities either: in a residential care or supported living environment in a way that provides a family environment and wide choice of activities and lifestyle; or: by providing long-term day/employment activities;
  • care of and services for people suffering from cancer and their families.

Unrestricted grants

Charities which are eligible may apply for core funding/ongoing costs but must demonstrate a clear need for unrestricted rather than project funding. This need might be related to the pandemic because we understand that income streams will be affected for some time and reserves will have been substantially depleted, and/or to substantial rises in costs because of current economic conditions.

Grants under this programme are unlikely to exceed £10,000 so we will prioritise smaller charities whose annual turnover is such that they are most likely to benefit from an award.

Charities with healthy unrestricted funds are unlikely to be successful under this programme.

Charities are unlikely to receive more than three successive grants under this programme.

Project grants

We are prepared to support a wide variety of projects; examples of past grants are included in What we need for each field.

Grants vary in amount, but generally fall within the range of £3,000 to £30,000. The total amount awarded varies from year to year according to available funds. 

In the current financial climate, commitments to make future payments are rarely given, with grants normally being one-off annual grants. Charities which have received a grant are encouraged to apply in the next and subsequent years, but should note that only rarely will grants be given to the same charity for four successive years. This does not however mean that a charity that has received three successive grants will not be eligible in future years, just that we would not generally award a grant in year four.

Exceptional grants

The Trustees may occasionally consider larger exceptional grants, but this is unusual and generally confined to charities that we know well and have supported for some time. There is no separate application process for this, and contenders will be identified from the normal grant round.

Applications unlikely to succeed

The Trustees do not support:

  • Organisations that are not registered charities (or properly exempt)
  • General appeals or letters/mail-shots requesting donations (you must follow our guidelines)
  • Individuals, or charities applying on their behalf
  • Grant-making organisations seeking funding for the purpose of awarding grants to others
  • Applications for less than £3,000
  • Charities with a turnover of less than £50,000
  • Charities with liquid (free) reserves covering more than 18 months’ expenditure unless they can clearly demonstrate that they are in financial need
  • Charities that do not yet have a track record of service delivery (or other convincing evidence of ability)
  • Ongoing running (including salaries) and core costs, ongoing projects or services (although they will support an extension to existing provision if additional cost is incurred), unless the application is made to our unrestricted grants programme
  • Projects which benefit people outside the UK, except in the blind field
  • Projects which are complete (i.e. retrospective funding)
  • Academic research projects
  • Campaigning or lobbying projects
  • Work usually considered a statutory responsibility
  • Items of equipment or buildings intended for use by the NHS.

What to do next

If you are satisfied that your charity and the work you are asking us to support are eligible for a grant, see first ‘How to apply’ and then read What we need for your field. You must follow these guidelines and give us all the information we need, or your application cannot be considered.