How to apply

Every Benefact Trust grant starts with an online application. We try to make these as straightforward as possible, but like most things in life, a little preparation goes a long way - to help with this we've provided all the resources and guides you'll need for an easier application.

The simplest way to know if you're ready to apply is by following our 3 step process.

Make an application in 3 steps

1. Check your project is eligible

Check eligibility by reading which grant is for me and the specific guidance for the programme you are applying for. You can see examples of projects we have already funded on the who we help and news pages.

Which grant is right for you?

2. Plan your project

If you are still in the project planning phase, use our advice and resources page for invaluable tips on impact reporting, getting a grant and publicising a project.

Read our resources

3. Apply for funding

After you have checked your eligibility and chosen the right grants programme for your project, browsing the application form questions ahead of time will help you plan before completing the online form.

Apply for a grant

Frequently asked questions

We accept applications from Christian charities and churches in the UK and Ireland. We may fund non-Christian charities under certain programmes (i.e. our Heritage Skills and Crisis Response programmes).

Applicant organisations should be registered as charities in the UK or Ireland unless the organisation has 'exempt' status (restricted to churches and educational establishments).

Churches, cathedrals and other Christian denominational bodies (e.g. dioceses, representative bodies in Scotland, Wales and Ireland) must belong to one of the National Ecumenical Instruments (Churches Together in England (CTE), Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS), Churches Together in Wales (Cytun) or the Irish Council of Churches), or in the case of local churches to appropriate local ecumenical/’churches together’ groups.

We have multiple grant programmes that provide funding for different types of projects – ranging from community impact and faith development, to building repair and preserving the heritage skills which are needed to look after our ecclesiastical heritage. Please refer to the ‘Which grant is for me’ page of our website for more information about these programmes. Further details can be found under the programme guidance for each of the grant programmes.

We particularly like to support organisations working in deprived areas, tackling difficult social challenges and working in partnership with other charities and churches to maximise impact. Many of the projects we fund support people of all faiths and none. We have also supported a range of inter-faith and reconciliation projects that help break down barriers and increase understanding between people and groups within communities.

Once you have received funding under one of our grant programmes, you will need to wait two years after your final grant payment before you can apply under the same programme again.

We also have the following rules regarding funding received under our previous grant programmes:

If you have received funding in the past under General Grants, you will need to wait two years from receipt of your last grant payment before you can apply to Building Improvement Grants.
If you have received funding in the past under Transformational Grants, you will need to wait two years from receipt of your last grant payment before you can apply to Community Impact Grants.

If you are not sure which programme you received funding under in the past, please contact us, and we can tell you.

Otherwise, you can receive funding under more than one of the Trust’s grant programmes (e.g. Community Impact Grants and Building Improvement Grants) for different projects during the same period, but you cannot apply to different programmes for the same project.

Our project has already finished but we still have a major funding gap – can we still apply?