Funding Advice Bureau


SYFAB and TfR's guide to
Funders for faith projects

 
This sheet is about some of the main funders that have a 
specific interest in funding faith organisations. There are 
some funders (mainly charitable trusts) that are interested 
in supporting religious work/activities, such as church fabric, 
projects to do with promoting religion, religious education.
But there are a lot of funders who specifically will not fund 
religious work, but are willing to consider supporting faith 
organisations for activities that benefit the wider community. 
In each case, we’re only going to cover funders that will 
support work in the UK. 


In this sheet, we will just cover those funders that have a 
specific interest or good track record of supporting faith
organisations or religious causes. We won’t cover all those 
funders who would support faith organisations who engage in 
activities that benefit the wider community, but don’t 
specifically have an interest in faith organisations. Instead, 
you can get more specific advice or information from SYFAB’s 
funding search and funding news services – go to www.syfab.org.uk 
for more information. 


Before we go through the funder summaries, we should give you a 
disclaimer. This isn’t a comprehensive picture of the faith or 
religious funders out there. It covers some of the main funding 
sources relevant to faith organisations working in and around 
South Yorkshire. Some of them will only support specific types 
of organisation or activity, and some will onlysupport work in 
specific locations. As always, you should make use of SYFAB’s 
funding information services to supplement the information you 
find here, and you should research each funder carefully before 
making an application. With that in mind, here we go. 


Section 1: Funders for Religious Causes 

There are a number of UK funders, mainly charitable trusts, 
that specifically want to support the advancement of religion: 
many specify a particular denomination, whereas some have more 
general criteria. Those that do specify are almost all funders of
either Christian or Jewish causes. There are very few UK charitable 
funders that specifically support the advancement of other major 
religions, such as Islam and Hinduism. Those that there are tend to 
support work overseas rather than in the UK. 

Local & Regional 

The Anchor Foundation supports Christian Charities that encourage 
social inclusion through ministries of healing and the arts. 

http://www.theanchorfoundation.org.uk 


The Harry Bottom Charitable Trust gives about £100,000 per year 
in small grants of up to £5,000 under the grant headings religion, 
education and medical. This is a Sheffield-based Trust with a 
preference for funding work in Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
 
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/ RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?Registered CharityNumber=204675 


The Whitecourt Charitable Trust is a Sheffield-based charitable 
trust that gives small grants for general charitable purposes, 
but prioritising work that promotes Christianity. Most new 
donations are for £100. The Trust supports work all over the 
world with a preference for Sheffield. 

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/ RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?Registered CharityNumber=1000012 


The Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust makes grants to support general 
charitable purposes for the benefit of the people of Sheffield, and 
to support the religious and other charitable work of the Church of 
England in Sheffield. The Trust also runs the Church Burgesses Educational 
Foundation. 

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/ RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCha rityNumber=221284 


Barnabas Charitable Trust provides small grants to Christian organisations 
running a wide range of social welfare and community activities and projects 
mainly in inner-city areas. Grants are also given towards the education of 
children. 

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/ RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?Registered CharityNumber=299718 


Sheffield Evangelical Trust is a very small funding body that supports 
Christian evangelical work in the Sheffield area. The Trustees make 
grants from the General Fund in response to requests from individuals, 
churches and Christian charities generally in the Sheffield area. The trust 
supports Christian evangelical work that agrees with the trust’s doctrinal 
position. 

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/ RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?Registered CharityNumber=263028 


Audrey & Stanley Burton 1960 Charitable Trust makes small grants to 
health, arts, education and social needs, preference being given to 
charities in Yorkshire. The Trust also give several grants per year 
to Jewish causes. Most grants are below £5,000. 

Website: http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithPartB.aspx?R egisteredCharityNumber=1028430

 
National 

The Beatrice Laing Trust gives around £1 million per year to registered charities, 
mainly in small grants of up to £5,000, for the relief of poverty in its broadest 
sense, and the advancement of the evangelical Christian faith. 

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/ RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCha rityNumber=211884 


The Joseph Rank Trust supports registered charities doing work that advances 
the Christian faith, particularly the modernisation of Methodist Church 
properties, work with young people, and projects that demonstrate a Christian 
approach to people’s practical, educational and spiritual needs.
 
Website: http://www.ranktrust.org 


The Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust gives grants for capital projects in the 
fields of medicine, education and welfare, with particular regard to the needs 
of the Jewish community. 

Website: http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/
DocumentList.aspx?Regi steredCharityNumber=238043 


The Clore Duffield Foundation supports registered charities doing work in 
any of these areas:

*Museums, galleries and heritage sites

*The arts

*Education

*Health, social care and disability

*Jewish charities with interests in any of the above areas 

Website: http://www.cloreduffield.org.uk 


AW Charitable Trust makes grants mainly to Jewish education and 
religious organisations both in the UK and abroad. 

Website: http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/
CharityWithPartB.aspx?R egisteredCharityNumber=283322 


Other options 

• Funding through places of worship. Some organisations may be able 
to attract support through places of worship or the councils and 
structures of each particular faith.

• Raising money through individual donations from your membership or 
local community. This is too big a subject to cover in this sheet. 
You can read SYFAB’s information sheet on ‘Raising money from individuals’ 
to give you some starting points. 


Section 2: Funders for Faith Organisations and Activities 

Many of the funders listed above may also support faith organisations 
involved in secular community activities. There are others that do not 
support religious work or activities, but do state that they want to support 
faith organisations involved in secular community activities – we cover some 
of the main funders in that category here. And, as mentioned earlier, 
there are lots of funders that don’t specifically say they support faith 
organisations, but will do so. 



National 

The Church and Community Fund (CCF) awards over £500,000 in grants 
every year to community projects run by parish churches, deaneries, 
dioceses and other bodies connected to or working in partnership with the Church 
of England. It was formerly known as the Central Church Fund. Grants of up to 
£10,000 are available and can pay for a wide range of projects that strengthen 
the relationship between the church and the local community. 

Website: http://www.churchandcommunityfund.org.uk 


Church Urban Fund gives around £1 million per year in grants to support 
faith-based and other community organisations who are offering support 
to people living in England’s poorest communities. The Fund has a number 
of different grant giving programmes. 

Website: http://www.cuf.org.uk/act/cuf-funding 


Faiths in Action is for local projects and activities that have a clear 
focus on faith or inter faith issues. The fund is sponsored by Communities 
and Local Government and administered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF).
 
Website: http://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/faiths-in­action
 

Lottery Funders: The Big Lottery Fund is a very significant funder of a wide 
range of community activity. Faith organisations are welcome to apply to 
this and other Big Lottery Fund programmes. Other lottery funders include 
the Heriatge Lottery Fund, Arts Council and Sport England.
Faith organisations should be aware of the possible ethical objections of 
accepting grant money derived from gambling – see our note on this at the end of 
this sheet.

Website: http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk



Funders for buildings projects 

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme offers grants equivalent to the VAT incurred 
in repairing listed church buildings in use as places of worship in the UK.

http://lpwscheme.org.uk 


The joint English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund Repair Grants for Places of 
Worship scheme provides funding for urgent repairs to listed places of worship of 
all faiths and denominations. This programme is designed to help sustain and conserve 
heritage at risk, through urgent repairs to places of worship.
 
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/ funding/grants/grants-available/rgpow 


The Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust funds repairs and improvements to historic 
churches of any denomination in Yorkshire. 

Website: http://www.yhct.org.uk 


Other counties also have Historic Churches Trusts – see 
the National Churches Trust website for details 
http:// www.nationalchurchestrust.org/linkscct.html 


National Churches Trust 
Repair Grants of £10,000 and above for structural repair projects that have a total 
cost of more than £50,000. A structural repair means essential work to safeguard the 
fabric of the building. Community Grants from £2,500 to £25,000 for providing 
facilities that will benefit your place of worship and local community, 
e.g. accessible toilets, kitchens and meeting rooms. Grants will not exceed 
50% of the project cost. 

Website: http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/howgrant.html 


The Allchurches Trust offers grants for the development of church buildings to accommodate 
additional and community uses. 

Website: http://www.allchurches.co.uk 


Other Resources
 
Funds for Historic Buildings funding search tool
 
http://www.ffhb.org.uk/search.php

 
Parish Resources website and funding info sheets 

http://www.parishresources.org.uk/funding.htm 


Churchcare website (Church of England) – funding pages 
http://www.churchcare.co.uk/funding.php 



Acceptable sources of funding 

One fundraising issue that faith organisations need to be particularly 
aware of is whether the source of funding is acceptable to your members. 
For example, lots of faith organisations would not accept a grant from 
the Big Lottery Fund because the money ultimately comes from a weekly 
lottery – i.e. gambling. Similarly, charitable trusts’ money 
may come from investments in activities that are not in line 
with your organisation’s values. It’s worthwhile spending some time 
communicating with your members about this issue to avoid spending 
time on applications to funders that would not be acceptable to your 
organisation.

 
South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau 
The Workstation 
15 Paternoster Row 
Sheffield 
S1 2BX 
Tel: 0114 249 4343 
Email: enquiries@syfab.org.uk 
Website: www.syfab.org.uk

 
Together for Regeneration 
Sheffield Diocesan Church House 
95-99 Effingham Street 
Rotherham 
S65 1BL 
Tel: 01709 309 119 
Email: admin@tfr.org.uk 
Website: www.tfr.org.uk

 
We can provide this information in other formats on request. Please get in touch to discuss your needs. 

Our information is produced for local community and voluntary 
groups. No permission is needed for limited reproduction if SYFAB is acknowledged. 

Large scale reproduction or inclusion in publications for sale 
must have written permission from SYFAB and TfR. 


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You can talk to any member of staff, or contact us by 
post, phone, fax or email. 


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