John Ellerman Foundation

Main Grants

The John Ellerman Foundation's Main Grants programme gives multi-year funding, mainly for core costs, of up to £60,000 a year and up to £180,000 over as many as five years. It is for UK charities with an annual income between £100,000 and £10 million whose work has national or UK-wide impact and which tackle the triple planetary crisis (climate, pollution, nature loss), reduce polarisation or increase political equality, promote fairer economic models that reduce wealth inequalities, or advance justice for marginalised communities affected by these issues. It looks for changemaking organisations that involve people with lived experience; purely local organisations will not succeed. Applications are open all year through a two-stage process.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £100,000 – £180,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

UK charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland or OSCR, or UK organisations with exempt charity status, with an annual income between £100,000 and £10,000,000 evidenced by the most recent published accounts (newly established charities without accounts cannot apply)
Campaigning organisations with strong and clear reasons for not being a registered charity (including being unable to register) may apply as a company limited by guarantee, including a CIC, with an asset lock, charitable objects and no dividends or excessive director salaries, or as a fiscally hosted group whose own income (not the host's) is £100k-£10m; their grants are restricted to specified charitable activities
The organisation must be based in the UK and have impact at a national level (across one of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) or UK level (across two or more nations); local-only organisations will not succeed
Alternatively, environmental work on the triple planetary crisis in the UK Overseas Territories is eligible
Applicants must be well run: a track record of effectiveness and impact, strong and diverse governance, effective financial management (following a reserves policy, no excessive free reserves, a demonstrable funding need) and a collaborative, cross-sectoral approach
Hospitals, hospices, schools, colleges, most universities, single-medical-condition organisations and those rejected in the last 12 months cannot apply
Current grant-holders can reapply up to three months before their grant ends

What it funds

Multi-year funding, preferably for core costs (restricted or unrestricted), for charitable work responding to one or more of four areas:

Tackling the triple planetary crisis by mitigating and adapting to climate impacts, reducing pollution and protecting and restoring nature
Reducing polarisation in society (e.g. building trust and connection) and/or increasing participation and influence in the political process (political equality)
Promoting economic models and systems that support people and planet and reduce wealth inequalities
Advancing equity and justice for marginalised communities impacted by these issues

Organisations must be changemaking (working to change existing or new systems, e.g. through evidence-led policy, advocacy and campaigning, rooted in practical experience, engaging with unpopular or difficult causes) and committed to advancing justice through the active involvement of people with personal or direct experience of the issues.

Core costs can include staff salaries, training and expenses, day-to-day running costs, monitoring and evaluation including research, and communications and digital innovation.

Unrestricted core funding is available to UK-registered charities whose work mostly or wholly fits the criteria.

Grants are up to £60,000 a year and up to £180,000 over up to five years (e.g.

£180,000 must be spread over at least three years); requests should be proportionate to annual income, as the Foundation does not want to be an organisation's main funder.

Project grants are possible but not preferred; discuss them first.

What it will not fund

Organisations with annual income below £100,000 or above £10 million (except environmental intermediaries for UK Overseas Territories work)
Local organisations making a difference locally only, without national or UK-level influence
Organisations that applied unsuccessfully in the previous 12 months
Organisations focused on a single medical area, such as an individual disease, organ or condition
Hospitals, hospices, schools and colleges
Universities, except exceptionally a leading specialist unit or centre of excellence with an operating budget of £100k-£10m meeting further conditions
Companies limited by shares
Individuals, including student grants or bursaries
General and round-robin appeals
Capital developments, building works or refurbishment, and individual items of equipment
Promotion of religion or places of worship
Arts organisations and projects whose main focus is supporting and developing individuals, rather than new work as part of an artistic programme
Learning and participation activities where this is the primary focus of the application
Leisure, individual holiday schemes or respite breaks
Sport, where this is the core of the organisation's activities
Projects using boxing as a tool of engagement or activity
Education, such as curriculum-linked initiatives or arts or environmental education projects
Animal welfare, captive breeding and/or animal rescue centres as the main purpose of the work
Medical research or treatment, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation services
Work based in prisons that should receive statutory funding and does not pursue wider systems change
One-off campaigns that are not part of a clear long-term strategy for the organisation
One-off events, such as conferences, trips, seminars, master classes, summer schools, single commissions, productions or festivals
Onward distribution of the Foundation's funds as grants to other organisations, unless it has agreed to join a funder collaboration
Work that attempts to advance the r…

How to apply

Check eligibility using the online 'Am I eligible' quiz and read the Funding Guidelines (English, Welsh or Easy Read)
Optionally get pre-application advice: email the Grants Officer (beth@ellerman.org.uk), join a monthly online Q&A (first Monday of each month at 3pm), watch the explanatory video, or request one call or draft review per application
Create an account on the online application portal (applications by email are not accepted unless an alternative has been agreed for access reasons)
Stage one: upload a proposal of no more than two A4 pages (minimum font size 10, Word or PDF) under four headings: organisation's aims, activities and evidence of being well run; how the work relates to one or more of the four funding areas; approach to changemaking and advancing justice with people with lived experience; what you want funded and why you are well placed to do it
Upload the financial documents and complete the accompanying basic data form (contact details and DEI Data Standard information, not used in assessment); you receive an instant confirmation
Eligibility is checked monthly (usually mid-month); Trustees review eligible first-stage applications at monthly Sifting Meetings and decide which go to stage two
Stage two: if invited, submit a more detailed proposal and additional information within four weeks, then meet the Grants Team (within a further four weeks)
Trustees make final decisions at bi-monthly Board meetings

Applications are accepted all year; to target a particular monthly eligibility check, submit by the beginning of that month.

Unsuccessful applicants must wait one year from their previous submission before reapplying; feedback is given on unsuccessful applications.

Reasonable adjustments are offered for access needs, e.g. flexible format, Word versions, paid translators and modified second-stage visits.

Have ready

Two-page A4 proposal (Word or PDF) under the four set headings
Most recent published annual report and financial accounts (independently examined accounts are accepted)
Management accounts for the current financial year, including a full-year income and expenditure budget
Brief explanation if accounts show a significant surplus or deficit, or reserves outside your reserves policy
Accompanying application form with basic organisation data and DEI Data Standard information

Fiscally hosted groups must provide their own budget and financial documents rather than the host's. A more detailed proposal and additional information are requested at stage two.

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