We have included on this page the questions which regularly crop up from potential applicants.

 

How can I find out if my organisation’s postcode is in the most deprived 15%/50% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation?

  • England: http://dclgapps.communities.gov.uk/imd/iod_index.html . You will see a 2019 map and a 2015 map. On the top right hand corner, switch off  the 2015 map so that you are left only with the 2019 map on screen.  On the vertical bar, choose the ‘select location’ icon and type your postcode into the box.  Your ranking will be shown in the second paragraph that starts "in 2019 this LSOA is ranked..." For rural areas, your postcode should register under 16,000 and for urban areas, under 4,950.
  • Scotland: http://simd.scot/2016/#/simd2016/BTTTFTT/9/-4.0000/55.9000/. On the Map Chooser box, on the left of the screen, select 2020, then underneath on the Area Finder, type in your postcode.  Click on the map marker.  In the box on the right hand side of the screen, your Index ranking will be shown (SIMD overall rank). 1 is the most deprived ward and 6,976 the least deprived.  For urban areas your rank should be below 1,046 and for rural areas below 3,485.  NB: as you move over the map, the ranks change, so be sure to click on your map marker.
  • Northern Ireland: https://deprivation.nisra.gov.uk/  Type your postcode into the ‘enter a postcode’ box in the middle of the page. For projects in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Portadown and Lurgan your ward should be ranked under 135, and for all other areas under 446.
  • Wales: https://wimd.gov.wales/ . Enter your postcode in the  box.  Click on your area as shown on the map and your local ranking will be shown on a scale at the bottom.  There are 1,909 wards in Wales: for urban projects, your ward rank should be below 286 and for rural projects under 955.

My organisation’s postcode is not in the most deprived 15%/50% on the IMD but the areas we work in are. Can I still apply?

If the majority of your work takes place in areas in the bottom 15%/50% then we can consider an application from you.  You will need to supply up to six full representative postcodes from the areas you are delivering your work in. These must be postcodes for public buildings such as community centres, GP surgeries, libraries, post offices etc. 

  • If applying for a Major Grant: you can put these additional postcodes in your answer to question D2 on the application form:  ‘Please tell us about the community or local areas where your organisation works.’
  • If applying for a Small Grant: you can put these additional postcodes in your answer to question C3 on the application form:  ‘Describe your local area in your own words, explaining the everyday pluses and minuses for local people living here’ .

When describing your local area,  we want a grassroots description of the neighbourhood rather than a description that is focussed in making the case for deprivation and which is loaded with statistics. We want to hear about the whole community, not just the  issues affecting your service users. 

When is the deadline for the next Grants Committee Meeting?

Major Grants: We do not have deadlines, preferring to operate a rolling scheme, so that you can apply at any time during the year. The Grants Committee Meetings take place in January, April, July and October. Please allow 12-15 weeks for the entire two-stage application process, though this may take longer. Please bear with us, we are a very small team and we endeavour to process applications as speedily as possible. Download the Major Grants Funding Guidelines for details.

We cannot guarantee that any application will go to a particular meeting: it depends on the number of applications already being considered, the time we need to make an assessment of your application and the amount of funds available for the meeting.

Small Grants: you can apply at any time during the year and receive a final decision 8 weeks after we receive your application. Decisions are made outside the Grants Committee Meetings timetable.

Can I have a conversation with you about our project before I make an application? Can I send you details about what we do so you can comment?

We are sorry, but we do not have the staffing resources and time to do this. You can download our Funding Guidelines and check your project's eligibility by completing the online eligibility quiz on our website.

What is your average grant?

We expect you to apply within the limits of the various programmes:

  • Major Grants: between £10,000 and £50,000 for a single year. Multi-year grants are between £10,000 up to £100,000 over 3-years and no more than £50k can be applied for in any given year over a 3 year period. You can only apply for 50% of the cost of a salary or total annual running costs. You do not have to secured the remaining 50% but we will want to know you have a feasible plan for raising the rest of the funds.   Ideally, you should not plan to cover all the remaining amount from your unrestricted reserves.  We want you to create a broad portfolio of funders so you are not over-reliant on Trusthouse (or any other funder) for essential costs.
  • Small Grants: between £2,000 and £10,000 for one year only. You cannot apply for more than 50% of the total cost of the work/salary/running costs you are seeking from us. We will pay your grant once you have secured the remaining 50% of the total cost.

We do not really have an ‘average’ grant,  each application is considered in accordance to its financial need. 

We were set up last year and don’t have annual accounts yet: can we apply?

We only consider applications from organisations which have at least 1 year’s annual accounts.

We are a CIC (or other not for profit organisation): can we apply?

No, we do not accept applications from CICs.

We accept applications from registered charities, social enterprises, co-operative or community benefit societies and voluntary organisations (which have a constitution and bank account). 

We are a national charity with regional/local branches. Can our local branches apply in their own right?

If the regional branches are structured as legal entities in their own right e.g. they have their own their own charity number and bank account then they can apply. If, however, the branches operate under the same charity number as the national charity then it means they are structured as one organisation, even if they have their own bank accounts. 

I have lost the 'save and resume' link to continue with my on-line application. My link no longer works.

Without the link, the information you have entered cannot be retrieved, and you will have to start filling out the form from the beginning. Please ensure you use the latest link provided every time you save your application. Please save the link. You can use this link any time within the next 30 days to resume answering questions on the form. Please note that upon visiting your resumed link, signatures and file uploads will need to be resubmitted.

I can’t upload the accounts and/or budget on the on-line application

Your document may be too large. Maximum file size  is 10 MB each (ten megabytes) with a total of 25 MB (twenty-five megabytes) across all uploads on the form. Please try uploading a smaller version (for example, if you have an Annual Report with many photos in it, just upload the accounts section). Accepted file formats are pdf, xls, xlsx, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg, gif, png.

How soon will I hear about my application?

If you correctly submit your on-line application, you will receive an automatic email confirming receipt. Please refer to the Funding Guidelines for the relevant programme for details of when you can expect to hear the outcome of your application.

How soon can we apply after an unsuccessful application?

You cannot apply until twelve months after the date of the letter informing you the application was not successful.

How soon can we apply again after receiving a grant?

Your current grant must have completed and you must have submitted your final report. Major Grants: no further applications can be made for two years after the completion of the grant. Small Grants: you can re-apply for a further two years. No further applications can be made after the completion of a third grant.