• extend access and participation by encouraging more people to become actively involved in local groups and projects, and by supporting activities that aim to be open and accessible to everyone who wishes to take part;
• increase skill and creativity by supporting activities which help to develop people and organisations, encourage talent and raise standards;
• improve the quality of life by supporting local projects that improve people's opportunities, welfare, environment or local facilities, for example through voluntary action, self-help projects, local projects or events.

• all supporting documents should be in the same name as the applicant group, such as your governing document, financial accounts and bank account;
• if you are submitting your application on floppy disk, please ensure that the relevant signed enclosures are sent to us with the disk.
• your governing document
• your latest annual accounts or a statement of income and expenditure
• three consecutive months' worth of recent and original bank statements
• photocopies of these statements
• a completed bank / building society account details form.

• what efforts the applicant group has made to ensure that under represented groups and those not normally involved in running a group are given the opportunity to do so;
• the applicant group's annual income;
• whether the applicant group has received National Lottery funding before;
• to what degree the application meets the aims of Awards for All;
• whether the total cost of the project is below £20,000;
• whether the project is a completely new activity for the applicant group;
• whether the application meets the Regional Focus (included with the application pack). The Regional Focus was produced following a consultation exercise within your region.

• improved social and community involvement
• improved life choices and chances
• helping people to be heard

• They fund running costs, including salaries to ensure that charities can maintain and develop their core work/services.
• They also provide funding for projects that build on charities' core work.

Community programme funding stream

• charities whose work falls within their overall guidelines and mission statement - i.e. your work helps people who are disadvantaged to play a fuller role in the community of your choice
• smaller local or regional charities with an income of £1million or less - the grant will be appropriate to the size of the charity
• both existing and innovative new work in order to keep abreast of emerging trends
• core and project funding
• charities working across England and Wales - the grant will be appropriate to the size of the charity
• applications for funding of one to three years.

• your work must enable disadvantaged people to play a fuller role in the community
• you must have your own charity number or have an industrial/ provident number or have exempt charity status
• you must be an under funded charity (12 months of reserves or less)
• if you work locally or in a region you must have an income of £1million or less
• if you are a national charity working across England and Wales you must have an income of £5 million or less.

• Organisations that are not registered charities.
• Second or third tier organisations (unless there is evidence of direct benefit to disadvantaged people).
• Charities that mainly work overseas.
• Charities that mainly give funds to other charities, individuals or other organisations.
• Hospitals, hospices or medical centres.
• Rescue services.
• Schools, colleges and universities.
• 
  

• a copy of your most recent annual report and full signed accounts. These should be signed as approved on behalf of your Management Committee or equivalent. You must make sure your charity annual returns are up to date and registered with the Charity Commission – we will check this when we assess your application.
• a copy of your charity’s recent bank statement so that we can verify the bank account details.
• the relevant job description if you are applying for funding towards the cost of a post.
• a copy of your equal opportunities policy or if you do not have one, information about your commitment to equal opportunities.

• addresses a significant gap in provision
• develops or strengthens good practice
• challenges convention or takes a risk in order to address a difficult issue
• tests out new ideas or practices
• takes an enterprising approach to achieving your aims
• sets out to influence policy or change behaviour more widely

• support for a general appeal or circular;
• work that does not have a direct benefit in the UK, including expeditions and overseas travel;
• the promotion of religion;
• capital costs – meaning construction or refurbishment costs or items of equipment (other than those essential to a project we are supporting);
• work that is routine or well-proven elsewhere or with a low impact;
• healthcare or related work such as medical research, complementary medicine, counselling and therapy, education and treatment for substance misuse;
• work that is primarily the responsibility of central or local government, health trusts or health authorities, or which benefits from their funding. This includes residential and day care, housing and homelessness, individual schools, nurseries and colleges, supplementary schools and vocational training;
• projects that primarily benefit the independent education sector;
• environmental projects related to animal welfare, zoos, captive breeding and animal rescue centres;
• individual energy efficiency or waste reduction schemes;
• retrospective funding, meaning support for work that has already taken place.

1. Read through the guidance notes, paying careful attention to the sort of work they support – and what we do not.
2. If you think your organisation’s activities could attract Esmée Fairbairn funding, go through the self-assessment checklist for eligibility (available from the foundation's website).
3. If you can answer ‘yes’ to each of the self-assessment checklist questions, submit a first stage application (available from the foundation's website).

• How strong are your ideas and how well equipped are your people to carry them out?
• How well do you understand the issues you are addressing and what is your track record?
• Do you have a clear plan or idea and the capacity to deliver it?
• What difference would help from us make to your work?
• Does your work have the potential to be applied more widely or can it influence the work of others?
• Would receiving our support make you more likely to attract help and engagement from others?
• How would your organisation be stronger by the end of the grant and how developed are your long-term plans for sustainability?

• State clearly who they are, what they do and whom they seek to help.
• Give the applicant's status, e.g., registered charity.
• Confirm that the organisation has a Child Protection Policy (where appropriate) and that Criminal Record Bureau checks are carried out on all staff working with children.
• Describe clearly the project for which the grant is sought answering the following questions: What is the aim of the project and why is it needed? What practical results will it produce? How many people will benefit from it? What stage has the project reached so far? How will you ensure that it is cost-effective?
• If the request is for a salary, enclose a job description.
• If the request is for medical research, please see separate guidelines.
• Explain how the project will be monitored, evaluated and, how its results will be disseminated.
• State what funds have already been raised for the project, and name any other sources of funding applied for.
• Explain where on-going funding (if required) will be obtained when the Charity's grant has been used.
• If the request is for revenue funding for a specific item, please state the amount sought.
• Give the names and addresses of two independent referees.

• Applications from the counties with which the Charity has a traditional connection i.e., Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Suffolk, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex, are under the aegis of a particular Trustee who is resident in that County.
• County List grants are available to organisations with an annual income of under £150,000 (exceptions may be made for charities whose activities are county wide).
• Applications can be made for grants between £500 to £10,000.
• Grants can be for one-off capital items such as equipment purchase; these grants must be used within six months of being awarded. Grants can also be used towards one year's running costs (including core costs).
• County Grants are one-off payments.
• The organisations must be based within the United Kingdom.
• Applications are considered by the County Trustee and recommendations for grants are subject to approval when the Trustees meet in March, June, September and December.

• Organisations not registered as charities or those that have been registered for less than two years
• Organisations with an annual income of more than £150,000
• Pre-school groups
• Out of school playschemes including pre-school and holiday schemes, except those specifically for people who are disabled.
• Applications for revenue funding for more than one year
• Applications for salary costs for new posts (salaries for existing staff can be considered).