GrantRadar

The Will Charitable Trust

The Will Charitable Trust grants (blind people, learning disabilities, cancer care)

Annual grants, ordinarily around £20,000 or more, to registered charities with projects primarily in England in three fields: care of and services for blind people; long-term care of people with learning disabilities; and care of and services for people with cancer and their families. The Trust prioritises opportunities to improve connection and belonging for people isolated by blindness, learning disabilities or cancer. Project and, where need is shown, unrestricted grants are given. There is no form: apply by email following the Trust's checklist by 20 November 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
From £10,000
Deadline
33 days left
20 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • UK registered or exempt charities, with a turnover of at least £50,000 and a track record of service delivery, whose project or service is primarily based in England and falls in one of the three fields
  • National charities may apply if the vast majority of the project benefits people in England
  • Blind field: charities that exist mainly for blind and partially sighted people are most likely to succeed; others (e.g. multi-disability charities) only for work specifically aimed at blind or partially sighted people
  • Learning disabilities field: the charity must support individuals over an extremely long period, such as residential care or supported living, or day/employment services that are very long term (e.g. work until retirement)
  • Cancer field: charities mainly providing care for people with cancer and their families are most likely to succeed; at least 70% of a service's beneficiaries should be affected by cancer, and hospices must state the percentage of patients with a cancer diagnosis
  • Charities with free reserves over 18 months' expenditure need a strong case
  • Leave at least twelve months between applications

What it funds

Projects and, where a clear need is shown, unrestricted funding in three fields:

  • Care of and services for blind people (e.g. IT accessibility projects, social and sporting activities, accessibility improvements to buildings)
  • Long-term care of people with learning disabilities, either in a residential care or supported living environment in a way that provides a family environment and wide choice of activities and lifestyle, or by providing long-term day/employment activities (e.g. therapeutic support services, social and sporting activities, capital building appeals such as new residential or supported living homes, accessibility improvements or social and activity spaces)
  • Care of and services for people suffering from cancer and their families (e.g. therapeutic and wellbeing support services, social and sporting activities, capital appeals that clearly fulfil the priority such as wellbeing or cancer support centres)

the priority in every field is providing opportunities to improve connection and belonging for people who may be isolated as a result of blindness, learning disabilities or cancer. Unrestricted funding is for charities where the majority of the work fulfils that priority; smaller charities and those with less healthy reserves are more likely to succeed with core cost requests.

What it will not fund

  • Organisations that are not registered charities (or properly exempt), including community interest groups
  • Projects based primarily outside of England
  • General appeals or letters/mail-shots requesting donations
  • Individuals, or charities applying on their behalf
  • Grant-making organisations seeking funding to award grants to others
  • Applications for less than £10,000
  • Charities with a turnover of less than £50,000
  • Charities with free reserves covering more than 18 months' expenditure, unless they can clearly demonstrate financial need
  • Charities without a track record of service delivery (or other convincing evidence of ability)
  • Projects which are complete (retrospective funding)
  • Academic or medical research projects
  • Campaigning or lobbying projects
  • Work usually considered a statutory responsibility
  • Items of equipment or buildings intended for use by the NHS
  • Blind field, less likely: capital appeals where most of the project does not fulfil the priority, IT/management information systems, new staff such as fundraisers or volunteer co-ordinators
  • Learning disabilities field, less likely: annual conferences or staff networking events, equipment replacement
  • Cancer field, less likely: capital appeals that cannot be shown to fulfil the priority (such as a replacement inpatient unit), unrestricted funding for charities mainly fundraising for NHS hospitals or possibly hospice inpatient units, and services where less than 70% of beneficiaries are affected by cancer

How to apply

  1. Check eligibility on the 'Are you eligible?' page and read the 'What we need' guidance for your field
  2. Prepare an application covering every point listed for your field (there is no form; missing information means it will not be processed)
  3. Email it to grantsoffice@willcharitabletrust.org.uk, or post it to The Grants Office, The Will Charitable Trust, Bridge House, 11 Creek Road, East Molesey KT8 9BE, by 20 November 2026
  4. The application is normally acknowledged within 2 weeks with an indication of when it will be considered; decisions are made in February 2027
  5. If successful, send a short update 12 months after the grant

post large documents such as brochures or lengthy accounts and flag this in the email. Contact the Grants Office before applying for core costs or for more than one project. The Trust does not want its grants publicised.

Have ready

  • Organisation overview: name, contact details, charity number, short history, aims, beneficiary numbers and details, staff and volunteer numbers
  • Project grants: project description, total cost with breakdown and VAT position, fundraising plan and outstanding applications, contingency plan, timetable
  • Unrestricted grants: explanation of your need, how you will use the funds, future funding plans
  • Latest audited accounts and annual review (with reserves explained)
  • Unrestricted grants: draft accounts for the last complete year if available, current-year budget summary including impact on reserves, and details of free and designated reserves and your reserves policy

hospices applying in the cancer field must state the percentage of patients with a cancer diagnosis. Optional extras such as a newsletter or short leaflet may be included.

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