Organisations

Can I apply for capital funding to help with refurbishment costs?

We do not fund major capital appeals, or improvements to a building that is mainly used as a place of worship or for religious activities. In exceptional circumstances, we can fund minor refurbishments to a community venue if this is aligned with our grant priorities.

Can I apply for a grant to subsidise our normal membership costs?

We fund a large number of local charities who provide free or subsidised support for local people. However, we do not provide floats for organisations to offer free or subsidised memberships alongside paid-for places.

Our latest audited/filed accounts show reserves higher than the maximum amount recommended in our reserves policy. Can I still apply for funding?

We do not normally fund organisations with high levels of reserves. As part of our due diligence processes and assessment, we’ll review your situation and consider the reasons for your reserves. Please reach out to the Grants team for more information.

Do you fund faith groups?

We do not fund activities that promote the practice of religion or belief systems (or the lack of belief), as this could exclude people on religious grounds. We can fund projects that are open to everyone, such as community events or budgeting courses, as long as they do not involve religious activity.

We’re a school in your benefit area. Can we apply for funding?

We’re unable to fund what statutory bodies are primarily responsible for. Typically, we can’t cover individual school staffing or ongoing projects which address universal school issues. Sometimes exceptions are made for schools that have the highest Pupil Premium numbers and lowest levels of attainment. For urgent, one-time projects, there might be room in our budget. Reach out to our grants team before investing time in an application. We do support voluntary sector partners running projects in schools.

Can we apply for cross-school collaborative projects?

We’re keen to hear about the development of these kinds of projects. We may be able to help if your project targets disadvantaged children and shares best practice across the borough.

Can we apply for school staff training?

Yes, our Individual Education Grants can support staff training in schools and the voluntary sector in our benefit area. The training should benefit both the staff and the school, ideally focusing on the education of disadvantaged children. We don’t normally fund training beyond degree Level Six. We also accept applications from schools or Headteacher locality groups for training that can be shared with others in the borough, with a focus on the education and development of disadvantaged children.

What are your grant application success rates?

In 2023/24, 75% of applications from organisations were successful. The success rate differed between grant streams with 56% of Gateway applications awarded, 92% of Core applications awarded and 92% of Project applications awarded.

I am in the final year of multi-year funding, when can I apply again?

If you are coming to the end of multi-year funding, you can apply to the grants committee up to six months before your usual application date. For instance, if you typically submit Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in August for the September grants committee, you can apply for a new multi-year grant at the March committee for a delivery start date in September 2025. The deadline for the March committee is 29 January 2025.

I’m considering applying for core funding, but my charity is undergoing a strategic review. I’m concerned that our organisational goals might evolve during the three year grant period. Can we adjust them?

Absolutely. You should discuss changes to your goals with our Grants Team and incorporate them where appropriate into your annual Monitoring and Evaluation report. Sometimes goals are met early or superseded by unexpected events or strategic changes.

Who do you include in the definition of “disadvantaged children and young people”?

This term refers to children and young people (CYP) who meet the criteria for their school’s pupil premium funding, including those who have received free school meals at any point in the last six years. It also encompasses CYP with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those identified as children in need of help and protection, CYP receiving support from a social worker, and looked after children (children in local authority care), including those who have left care through adoption or another formal process. Additionally, the definition extends to other CYP facing educational inequality including young carers, those from certain ethnic groups, and those from low-income households.

Can I access a Word version of the Application Form?

Our Application Guidance is available in Word format and includes all Application Form questions. If you would like to request any information from us in a more accessible format please get in touch by email grants@richmondfoundation.org.uk or by phone 020 8948 5701.

My application form won’t save, what can I do?

Make sure that you have responded to any error message, for example, check that you have not exceeded the word count. The form will also not save if you have entered any text where it should only include digits, such as in your response to how many people you will support, how much you are applying for, how many volunteers, and how many Full Time Equivalent staff.

Some questions on the application form don’t apply to us as we’re a school, e.g. public liability insurance, filed accounts. Will this affect the likelihood of our application being successful?

Your application will be considered in the context of being a school rather than a Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisation. Should you encounter any issues or have questions regarding the online application form, please reach out to the Grants team for assistance.