Purposes
The Trust Deed for the charity, in summary, permits grants to be made for any of the following purposes at the Trustees’ discretion:
- Parks, open spaces and recreation grounds for public use
- Art galleries and libraries for public use
- The promotion of education and community projects
- Supporting sick poor or infirm persons
- Medical, recreational and sporting facilities
- Such other charitable purposes as the Trustees think fit
Principles
The following principles are applied by the Trustees in considering applications for grants:
- Grant making will be restricted to activities in the City of Sheffield as the area of which the Trustees have adequate knowledge.
- The majority of funds will be donated to local charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs).
- Grants will not generally be made for the benefit of individuals.
- There is a preference for supporting capital projects, although “seed corn” funding and running costs will also be supported.
- There is a preference for special projects as opposed to supplementing normal income.
What we don’t fund
- Applications from charities and groups whose work does not benefit Sheffield and its inhabitants
- Applications from national organisations are only considered when they are submitted by a local representative and the application relates specifically to Sheffield
- Applications by, or on behalf of, individuals are unlikely to be successful
- Applications for projects which do not have a charitable or community based focus are unlikely to be successful
- Applications from animal charities
- Applications for political organisations
- Applications from religious groups
- Applications from Churches. However, the Trustees will consider support for church buildings as long as those buildings are to be used by the local community.
Sectors
In relation to applications from specific sectors, the following guidelines indicate types of applications which will be considered:
- Disadvantaged groups, community based projects and facilities, activities to improve the quality of life and the heritage of Sheffield (with particular emphasis on that related to the “Graves Inheritance”).
- The promotion of sport and health outside statutory provision.
- Community projects connected to churches but not church fabric or activities themselves.
- Hospital or medical facilities benefiting the community in terms of earlier availability. (Items which are regarded as the responsibility of the NHS will not be supported).
- Special needs schools for non-mainstream educational expenditure and community based projects but not schools' activities which are a statutory responsiblity.
- Local and community amenities, particularly recreational and sporting facilities, affected by restrictions on Local Authority funding.
The Trust currently makes approximately 50 grants each year.
How do I make an application?