Our ethos
Although we recognise that we are not a major player in the grantmaking field, we believe can we still make a meaningful difference to small local charitable organisations in Brighton and Hove, in particular, which may struggle to secure the funding they need.
To this end, our ethos is about choosing charities carefully; being transparent, approachable and supportive, and not overburdening grantees with red-tape, administration and strict reporting requirements.
Our advice to applicants is this: tell us what you need funding for, and how much, and if you meet our criteria and we have the funds available, we will do our best to support you.
What we fund
To achieve our charitable objects, we provide three main types of grant: Community Grants, School Grants and Church Grants.
Community Grants
Community Grants are made to charities and other not-for-profit organisations in Brighton and Hove, and particularly to those supporting disadvantaged children, young people and women.
Our aim is to make these grants to organisations which improve lives, enhance opportunities and address disadvantage and inequality so that individuals are better placed to reach their full potential. To this end, we fund charities tackling issues such as disability, poor mental or physical health, isolation, homelessness, poverty and financial hardship, addiction / substance abuse and domestic or gender violence.
[Please see our Case Studies page to get a feel for the type of charity and project we fund].
School Grants
These are made to the city’s Church of England schools and principally to those that have a connection to Fr Wagner, and which seek funding for Religious Education activity, books or other resources.
Church Grants
These are made to Church of England parishes within Brighton and Hove, and particularly those connected with Fr Wagner, to advance their religious and other charitable or community works. In some cases, small grant sums may be donated which are passed on by clergy and church leaders to needy parishioners known to them.
What we don’t fund
We do not mind what you kind of work you are seeking funding for, but recommend that you ask for what your organisation needs the most. However, please note that we do not make grants:
To UK registered charities, CIOs and CICs with free reserves equating to more than 12 months’ running costs.
To newly-registered UK charities, CIOs and CICs without at least one year’s worth of annual accounts.
To charities based outside Brighton and Hove which do not have a significant presence in the city.
To any charity which does not fit with our criteria (see ‘What we fund’ above).
To social enterprises, companies or ‘for-profit’ businesses.
To local authorities and councils.
In response to ‘round-robin’ applications.
For retrospective funding – i.e. activities that have already taken place, projects that have been completed or expenditure that has already been made.
Directly to individuals.
Grant size
Our grants are typically in the range of £500 to £3,500, though we occasionally award more for a particularly strong project which resonates with the trustees.
Although most grants are for one year only, we are flexible. We recognise that many charities are struggling at the moment, and some projects can take time to become established, so the trustees will consider providing support over two, three or even four years.
We are happy to consider applications for grants towards ‘core’ and running costs, but the trustees prefer to support distinct activities and projects, including small capital projects, where we believe our grants will make a more measurable and tangible difference.