Criteria for Grant Giving

Grants to Institutions and Organisations

Please note that the grants criteria are intended as general guidance for applicants as to whether or not their particular project/activity would be eligible for funding.   Meeting the grants criteria does not automatically lead to the award of a grant.   Applications that meet the criteria are reviewed by the Grants Committee which meets quarterly.    The next meeting for which applications can be accepted is on 1st July 2013; applications should be received at least 4 weeks in advance.

Eligible Institutions and Organisations
The Trustees will consider applications from institutions and organisations worldwide
provided that the activity for which financial support is sought is designed to promote the
advancement of educational opportunity and the institution or organisation’s constitution
allows it to carry out the work proposed.

  • Organisations applying for funding should have UK charitable status.
  • Institutions applying for funding should be educational or training institutions and should have UK charitable status.
  • The Trustees will consider proposals for collaborative projects involving international partners and agencies.
  • Organisations whose sole purpose is to raise funds and who are not themselves involved in the provision of charitable services will not normally be considered for funding.

Eligible Activities

  • Grants will be made for education or training and priority will be given to projects which widen educational access and opportunity and reduce the barriers to achievement, in keeping with the Society’s vision to maximise educational opportunity for all.
  • Applications are expected to address needs for which resources from the state-sponsored education system are not available or adequate.
  • Priority will be given to projects in areas of deprivation or educational disadvantage. This may include areas that have suffered some form of natural disaster.
  • The Trustees will want to see evidence that the activity or service proposed will give value for money, will increase the effectiveness of education or training and will achieve positive and long lasting change.
  • Grants will normally be provided for a limited period and, where relevant, the Trustees will expect to see evidence as to how the service will become sustainable once the Society’s grant comes to an end.
  • Grants are not normally made to support special events such as conferences or seminars or for expeditions and overseas travel.
  • Grants are not normally made for endowments or scholarships.
  • Grants are not normally made for projects for which the main requirement is funding for transport.
  • Research projects may be considered for funding where it is clear that they will have a direct impact on educational service development, for example through the active involvement of participating schools or other institutions ideally as partners in the research.
  • Innovation through pilot projects may also be supported, provided that effective arrangements for evaluation are put in place from the outset.

Values

  • Applicants should be able to demonstrate commitment to the Society’s values of equality of opportunity, integrity, tolerance and respect for others. In the case of applications by or on behalf of institutions, evidence will be sought that policies on student admission and teacher employment are non-discriminatory.
  • If the project involves working with children, the Trustees will wish to be assured that proper procedures are in place to protect the children concerned.
  • Where an application involves a co-funder, Trustees will wish to be satisfied that the co-funding organisation shares its values.
  • Organisations whose sole purpose is to promote a particular religion or faith will not be supported.   This is not intended to rule out applications from faith-based organisations and institutions, but evidence will be sought that there is no faith restriction in the relevant organisation’s/institution’s admission and employment policies.

Financial Contribution

  • Applications will be particularly welcome from organisations and institutions that can demonstrate matched funding (not necessarily on a £ for £ basis) or a contribution in kind. The matched funding or contribution in kind might be provided by the community itself or by a co-funder.

Risks and Liabilities

  • In giving grant, the Society will require the recipient organisation or institution to accept all risks and liabilities associated with the activity being supported. This will be a condition of grant.

Monitoring and Evaluation

  • In considering applications, Trustees will wish to see information about how any grant will be monitored and its impact evaluated, having regard also to any sustainability issues.
  • All recipients will be required to report regularly on how the Society’s grant has been spent and on the impact which the Society’s grant has made.
  • Arrangements for monitoring and evaluation will be agreed in advance. These will vary depending on the scale of the grant, the nature of the activity and the capacity of the recipient institution/organisation.
  • The Society reserves the right to terminate grant where the requirement for regular reporting is not met and/or there is evidence that grant is not being used for the purposes for which it was given or is not being used effectively. This will be a condition of grant.