Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation

The Richard Bonney Literary Fund

The Richard Bonney Literary Fund, hosted by Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation, makes small grants each year in the field of tolerance and harmony in multi-faith and multicultural societies. Its Community Harmony Awards give 1-3 grants a year of up to £1,000 to small local community organisations with a proven track record of practical interfaith or multicultural work; separate Research Awards of up to £800 go to early career individual researchers. The 2026 round has been open since 1 January 2026 with applications considered on a rolling basis through the year, by email.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £10,000 – £1,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Light; short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

Community Harmony Awards: small local community organisations doing practical work to improve interfaith or multicultural relationships
Applicants must have their own bank account and be able to demonstrate a proven track record of previous success in relevant areas of work
The host foundation's general minimum is that organisations are not-for-profit or social enterprises working in Leicester, Leicestershire and/or Rutland, with at least 3 independent unrelated trustees/committee members, a written constitution with charitable aims and a dissolution clause, an organisational bank account with two unrelated signatories, accounts or income/expenditure records, and safeguarding and equal opportunities policies
Research Awards are for individual early career researchers (or researchers who have switched into this field) with a UK bank account

What it funds

Community Harmony Awards recognise and reward significant practical work in improving interfaith or multicultural relationships, helping small local community organisations continue their work
They fund practical activities, for example creative projects, training volunteers, and hiring space for social events that meet the aims of the Fund
(Separately, Research Awards of up to £800 help individual early career researchers with costs such as publishing, research visits and attending conferences or seminars.)

How to apply

Email christinembonney@gmail.com setting out: the aims of the project; relevant work already completed, demonstrating success; an outline budget; and the names of 2 referees

Applications are accepted from 1 January 2026 and considered on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Successful applicants must send the Fund's Advisers a short report (no more than two sides of A4) on the difference the grant made, with an account of expenditure, and must acknowledge the Fund in communications during the grant.

Individual researchers apply to the same email with a CV plus up to 2 sides of A4 (project summary and rationale, budget, impact beyond universities) and 2 references, at least one academic.

Have ready

Statement of project aims
Evidence of relevant work already completed and its success
Outline budget
Names of 2 referees

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