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Guide to applying: Main Fund

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Application process

If your work is eligible for support within one or more of our four sectors and meets our priorities then we would welcome your application. You may find it useful to first take our eligibility quiz.

Eligibility Quiz

We have a two-stage application process:

  1. Submit a first stage application that allows us to make an initial assessment and decide whether to take your application to the second stage.
    • The quickest and simplest way is to apply online.  You will be able to save and return to your application at any time, print before submitting and you will receive an email with your completed application after submission.  Once you've created your online account you will be able to log in from any page on the website and easily return to your application.
    • If this isn’t possible, you can download the form in either a Word version or as a PDF and send your application by e-mail to applications@esmeefairbairn.org.uk or post: Grant Applications, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG

      Your postal application should include:
    • a completed application form
    • an outline of your proposal (on no more than two sides of A4) using these headings:
      • a brief description of your organisation and relevant track record
      • what you would like us to fund and why it is important
      • what difference the work will make to your organisation and to life in the UK
      • how your proposal fits our priorities
    • a copy of your most recent accounts (or current income and expenditure budget if your organisation is new)
    • if your organisation is not a registered charity, please include your organisation’s constitution
  1. If it does reach second stage, we will contact you for more detailed information.  If it does not, we will let you know.

We make funding decisions throughout the year so you can apply at any time, but we only consider one application per organisation at a time.

We usually only make one Main Fund grant to an organisation at a time.

You do not need to have matched funding in place before applying but where the total cost of the work you propose for funding is high, you should indicate other sources of funding or specific plans to apply elsewhere.

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If you have already taken the quiz

Apply online

Application forms

Main Fund application form (.doc)

Main Fund application form (.pdf)

FAQs

Q:

Can I speak to someone over the phone to see whether we are eligible for funding?

A:

For a conversation to be meaningful we first need to read your first stage application.

We will call you if we need to know more.  Existing grant-holders should get in touch with their grants manager at the Foundation.

Q:

Do you have funding deadlines? When are these?

A:

There are no deadlines – we assess applications on a rolling basis so you can submit an application to us at any time.

Q:

How much can we apply for? What is the maximum amount we can apply for?

A:

You should apply for the amount you need (although we generally will be looking for organisation to be developing a sustainable funding base, so this means not over-relying on any one funder).  The Foundation does not set limits and makes grants across a fairly wide spectrum of sizes.  Looking at grants we’ve made will give a useful indication of typical grant sizes.  The Foundation rarely makes grants that are smaller than £5,000.

There is no maximum.  However, the Foundation makes only a small number of grants in excess of £500,000 and it is unusual for the Foundation to give a grant of this size or larger to an organisation with which it does not already have a relationship.

Q:

Can my organisation have more than one grant at a time?

A:

In most cases we only make one grant to an organisation at a time through the Main Fund.  In rare cases an organisation may also receive a separate grant through one of other our funds.

Q:

We want to make an application but: we do not have a set of accounts, track record or constitution.

A:

The Foundation understands that new and emerging organisations are an important part of civil society - and recognises they may not have the documentation and record of established organisations.  In these cases we will want to know more about the people involved (and their personal track records), a clear view of what the organisation's plans are, and budgets for the proposed work.  We are unable to support groups that do not have a constitution.

Q:

We already have a grant from the Foundation.  Can we discuss further funding?

A:

If your organisation already has a grant from the Foundation, and you would like to discuss further funding, you should contact your grants manager six months before the grant is due to expire.