Grants to Charities

The Trust’s total budget in 2020 for Grants to Charities is around £8,000.

The William Dudley Trust may only consider applications from charities that are based within the boundaries of the City of Birmingham, benefiting residents of Birmingham and established to alleviate need, hardship and distress.

A. Current priorities

• Trustees only accept applications from registered charities. Trustees welcome applications from smaller charities [turnover £5,000 or under] that are not registered with the Charity Commission as long as they are registered with HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) as a charity for tax purposes.

• Trustees’ current priority is to support Birmingham based local charities that have an annual turnover of £100,000 or less. These charities should be working to alleviate need, hardship and distress for residents of Birmingham. Trustees particularly welcome applications from local charities that work with older people – those who are frail, housebound, experiencing ill health, poverty, disability or disadvantage.

• Trustees will not consider applications from charities with a turnover in excess of £250,000.

• Favourable consideration is given to charities in which a large proportion of the work is undertaken by volunteers rather than paid staff.

• Grants are usually made for specific purposes rather than a general contribution to funds. You may apply for up to £1,000.

• The Trustees pay particular attention to applications that demonstrate long-term benefits for their clients (e.g. towards meeting the costs of training volunteers; or the costs of equipment such as lifting gear for disabled or elderly people) rather than the costs of a one-off event.

B. Ineligible applications

To reduce time and resources wasted on inappropriate applications, you are advised to note the following:

Trustees do not donate to general appeals from national charities

Trustees do not make small contributions to large appeals for vehicles or buildings

Larger charities with a turnover in excess of £250,000 will not be funded

Charities not based in Birmingham are unlikely to be funded

Trustees do not fund holidays and outings

Trustees do not fund animal charities

Trustees do not fund medical research

Trustees do not give grants to individuals

C. Applying to the Trust

Grants may only be applied for via the Trust's application form, available here. Forms and accompanying accounts can either be submitted electronically to the Trust's email address (info@williamdudlytrust.org), or completed manually and posted to the Trust's PO Box address at the bottom of this page.

The form will allow you to include the following information:

• What your group does - tell trustees about the services you are currently providing

• Who will benefit if a grant is awarded and how many

Older people, for example, or their ethnicity, gender etc.

• How the people who will benefit are disadvantaged

What hardship, need or distress do they experience?

• How this grant will help them

How will it make a difference?

• What area(s) of Birmingham will benefit

E.g. 'Winson Green', or city-wide, for example

• The amount you need

Written quotes or a detailed breakdown of costs are helpful 

• How much you have raised towards the total costs and how you expect to raise the balance

Essential if your appeal is for more than £1,000

• Tell trustees about your service providers

Are they paid or do they volunteer? Tell us how many

D. In support of your application you must also enclose :

• A copy of your most recent examined or audited accounts or an internal financial statement that shows income and expenditure. If you do not send accounts your application will be rejected

     It may help your application if you also enclose:

• An explanation if your unrestricted reserves are larger than your annual income

• An annual report, for example, or other information about your work. This should include the names of your management committee, trustees or directors

• A copy of a bank statement for all accounts. Please do not send originals

• A confirmation that your charity has appropriate policies on child protection or protection of vulnerable adults if your application relates to either of these groups

• A confirmation that your charity has an appropriate volunteer policy if you are applying for volunteers expenses. Birmingham Voluntary Service Council [0121 643 4343] can help your group to develop best practice policies and procedures for volunteers. Visit http://www.bvsc.org/want-volunteer

E. Re-application

Re-applications are welcomed but please do not re-apply in the same 12 month period, especially if your group has been funded.

F. Trustee Meetings

Applications are considered twice a year at a meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Closing dates for the year 2020 are as follows:

June meeting - Closing date: 15 May 2020

November meeting - Closing date: 31 October 2020

Any applications received after the closing date will be considered at the next grant-awarding meeting, i.e. late applications received for the Trustees' June meeting will be considered in November. Late applications received for the Trustees' November meeting will be considered the following June.

G. Acknowledging applications

To keep its running costs low the Trust does not acknowledge receipt of applications. If you would like to confirm that your application has been received by the Trust’s administrator please email the Trust at the address below 28 days after sending the grant application. Successful applicants will receive a letter stating the Trustees' decision and the grant amount payable. Unsuccessful applicants will not receive a response unless a stamped self-addressed envelope for this purpose was supplied with the application.

If you require any further information, please contact the Trust's Administrator.

info@williamdudleytrust.org