Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does The Henry Smith Charity fund?

Information about the range of grants we offer and guidelines outlining what we fund and how to apply can be found in the Grant Programmes section of our website.
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What should I do if I don't understand the guidelines?

If you have any queries about the guidelines or are unsure whether or not your project fits within them, please call us on 020 7264 4970 and speak to one of our Grants Officers.
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Are there deadlines for applications?

There are no deadlines, but the Trustees meet four times a year in March, June, September and December to consider grant applications. We cannot guarantee your application will be considered at a particular meeting.
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What do you mean by an “independent referee”?

An independent referee is an individual who will not stand to directly benefit from a grant if your appeal is successful and is not directly connected to your charity in other ways (for example, as a trustee, patron or current volunteer). A suitable referee might be for example be an ex-service user, a representative of a funder, or a representative of partner organisation.
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What do you mean by an “area of high deprivation”?

We mean areas that are ranked in the latest government Indices of Multiple Deprivation as being in the bottom third. We prioritise applications from projects working in these areas. Please use the links below to view statistics for your area.

England       Wales      Scotland      Northern Ireland

Where you are working with a deprived community within a relatively affluent area, you would need to make a strong case in your application that the people you are working with are living in deprived circumstances and are in need of support.
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What do you mean by outputs and outcomes?

Outputs are the activities, services and products provided by your organisation.

Outcomes are the changes, benefits, learning or other effects that happen as a result of services and activities provided by your organisation.

Please look at The Charities Evaluation Service website, which provides lots of useful information and guidance on outputs and outcomes.
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Can I email my application or submit it online?

No. We only accept applications by post.
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What has happened to General and Special grants?

The grants we make through our Main Grants Programme used to be referred to as General and Special grants, but these have been renamed.

The grants available through our Main Grants Programme are now called Revenue and Capital grants. Revenue grants are grants of up to three years for core costs, salaries and/or project costs. Capital grants are one-off grants towards the purchase of equipment, or the purchase or refurbishment of a building.

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Where can I find a copy of the Terms and Conditions of Accepting a Capital Grant?

Special terms and conditions apply to all grants offered for the purchase, construction or refurbishment of buildings, or for the purchase of land. These can be downloaded in PDF format from bottom of the Main Grants Programme - Capital page of our webiste. We strongly recommend that you read these BEFORE submitting your application to the Charity.
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How will I know how my application is progressing?

You will be sent a letter acknowledging receipt of your application, normally in around six weeks of it arriving at our offices. If you do not hear from us within this timeframe, please call to check we have received your application.
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How soon will I know if my application has been successful or not?

Our assessment processes vary for different Grant Programmes. Information about assessment processes and timescales can be found in the guidelines for each type of grant in the Grant Programmes section of our website.
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My application was turned down. How soon can I apply again?

You can apply again six months after the date of notification of the outcome of your last application.
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What don’t you fund?

Please refer to our list of exclusions on the Not Normally Funded page of this website. It is important to read this page carefully before applying to us.
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Can we apply if we are a new organisation and do not have a full set of accounts yet?

We give priority to established organisations.  The number of applications we receive always far exceeds our available budget, so we would recommend that new organisations wait until they are able to provide a full set of accounts before applying to us.
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How long will it take to assess my application?

Our assessment processes vary for different Grant Programmes. It can take up to six months from receipt of your application to process your application, please check the appropriate guidelines listed in the Grant Programmes section of our website.
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Will you come and visit us?

If you apply for a grant of £10,000 or above through our Main Grants Programme, the final part of our assessment process involves a member of staff or one of our team of volunteer visitors from across the UK coming to visit your organisation to discuss your application. The visit will include a discussion of your proposed project, your project budget, your organisation’s accounts, fundraising strategy, and the governance and management of the organisation. We will expect to meet with staff and a Trustee.
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Can you fund a project that is already running or does it have to be a new piece of work?

We are able to consider applications for existing work or new work where you can show the project is effective. If you have run the project as a pilot please make sure that you tell us what difference the project has made and why it should continue.
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Where can I get an application form?

There are application forms for applying for Small Grants and County Grant which you can download from bottom of the Small and County Grants page of this website, but not for the the Main Grants Programme (unless you are applying for a Revenue or Capital grant for work taking place in Scotland through the Main Grants Programme). Clear guidelines to applicants are provided about how to apply and what information to include in an application.  Please read the guidelines carefully before you make your application.
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You are funding our organisation already. Can I apply for another grant?

Organisations cannot have more than one active grant from us at a time. If you wish to apply for new or different work to that covered by your current grant, then you must wait at least six months from the end of your current grant before you submit an application to us. If, however, you wish to apply for continuation funding for the same work or project, then you should submit your application for this when you send us your Final Report. A full application is required and you should refer to our guidelines for more information on what form this should take.
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Can I apply for a three year grant?

You can apply for up to three years’ funding through the Revenue strand of our Main Grants Programme or through the County or Small Grants strands of our Small Grants Programme.
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Are there any geographical restrictions on the areas in which you fund?

We are able to fund projects from all four countries of the UK; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We are not able to fund projects overseas.
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Do you fund individuals?

We do not fund individuals. The only exceptions are grants made through the Kindred and Clergy grant programmes.
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We are not a registered charity; does this mean that we cannot apply for a grant?

You do not have to be a registered charity to apply for funding unless you wish to apply for a Small Grant through our Small Grants Programme.
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We are just beginning our fundraising for a large capital project, can we apply now?

We are able to consider applications for Capital Grants at any stage during the fundraising process.  However, please consider the timing of your application carefully as, once a Capital Grant offer has been made, payment must be drawn down within three years. Grants cannot be paid until sufficient funding has been raised to enable a project to go ahead and Capital Grants not drawn down within three years will be cancelled.
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