What you can spend the money on

What we can fund

We can fund core costs, such as:

• one-off events

• staff costs

• training

• utilities

• volunteer expenses

• translation costs

• marketing and communication costs

• learning and evaluation costs

• professional and legal fees

• governance

• leadership development

• digital financial management and systems development

• Impact measurement, data, and evaluation

• strategic and business planning

• infrastructure

• pilots of new ideas

We can also fund some indirect project costs (sometimes called overheads). This might include:

• rent or insurance

• part of a salary for someone not working directly on the project, such as a senior manager or admin worker

For example, if the project you’re applying for makes up half of your organisation’s work, we may fund half of your overheads.

This is sometimes known as full cost recovery. Read more about full cost recovery.

What we cannot fund

The main purpose of this funding is to encourage organisational growth and change. This is not project-specific funding, but we can cover some project costs if they contribute to your overall plans for change.

We cannot fund:

• retrospective costs (for things that have already happened or you’ve paid for)

• alcohol

• contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest

• paying someone to write your application

• fundraising or activities where you make a profit

• VAT you can reclaim

• religious activities (we can fund religious organisations if the project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content)

• activities that statutory or public bodies are legally required to do

• activities that help children or young people with schoolwork during school hours

• travel outside the UK

• projects that take place outside of England

• activities that make profits for private gain

• cash given directly to individuals

• political activity and campaigning