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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How much can I apply for?

This is a difficult question to answer because what is appropriate depends on the size of an organisation as well as the purpose and time period for which a grant is being requested.

The majority of our Revenue grants are for two or three years. In 2011 the average grant size through our Main Grants Programme (i.e. Revenue and Capital) was £79,000 over the total grant term (spread over up to three years).  

We recommend that you use the Recent Grants Search on our website to find out more information about the type and size of grants we have made. The majority of our Revenue grants make a contribution towards an organisation’s core costs, a project or service, and/or fund a part or the full salary of a post. We never give grants for an organisation’s full running costs, and even as high as 50% is extremely rare.   If you are a small organisation or charity then it may be more appropriate for you to apply to us through our Small Grants or County Grants programmes (but please note that only registered charities are eligible to apply for Small Grants).

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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 application 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, an ex-service user, a representative of a funder, or a representative of a 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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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 the bottom of the Main Grants Programme - Capital page of our website. 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 within around six weeks of it arriving at our offices. If you have not heard from us after six weeks, 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 12 months (i.e. one year) 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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Our Charity’s objects include the promotion of religion, but we also do other work.   Can you fund us?

We are aware that many charities which have references to religion in their Objects also deliver valuable work to vulnerable people where the primary purpose is to meet their practical needs rather than to bring them to faith.  When assessing applications we look at each case individually, and will usually focus on the primary activity being delivered.

Please note, however, that with regard to requests for salaried posts, we may not be able to help if your charity has an occupational requirement for its staff to be of a particular faith which suggests the primary aim of the work is religious.  This is because a religious occupational requirement may only be applied to jobs with a significant religious element and where it is determined to be necessary for the role.   We are aware of instances where employment tribunals have ruled in favour of individuals who had been prevented from holding positions because they were not practicing members of a particular faith.

If posts you are asking us to fund or that are involved in the delivery of a project you wish us to fund have a religious requirement, you will need to fully explain the reason for this in your application, and confirm in writing that all legal, financial and reputational risks associated with the occupational requirement have been fully assessed.   You may wish to discuss this with us before submitting your application.

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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 your 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 new work?

We are able to consider applications for existing work or new work where you can show that there is a need for it. If you have already 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. 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 continuation funding, then you should submit your application with or after your Final Progress Report (applications can be received up to six months before the end of your current grant). A full application is required and you should refer to our guidelines for more information on what form this should take. Please contact your Grants Officer to check that you are eligible to reapply before submitting an application.
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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 throughout the UK.  By UK we mean England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.   We do not fund overseas projects..
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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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I have received an email saying you have noticed my project/sponsored event and wish to make donation. Is this for real?

The short answer is no.   The email you have received is a scam.   Emails using our name (and that of a number of other charities) circulate from time to time, and probably originate from outside the UK.  If you receive one of these emails please contact us to let us know, but under no circumstances should you provide your banking details or other confidential information to the sender of the email.  If you have responded to one of these emails and, as a result, have been the victim of fraud, we recommend that you contact the Police.  For the avoidance of doubt, The Henry Smith Charity never makes unsolicited donations to projects or sponsors individuals or events.  We only make grants in response to applications that are formally submitted to us.  The process for applying to us for funding is set out in the guidelines for our various grant programmes.
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