GrantRadar

The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust

General Grant

General grants from the Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust to UK registered charities in Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside. The charities must work in medical care, care of older people, or helping people who have 'fallen upon evil days', such as disabled people, carers, ex-services, homeless people and those with mental health needs. Smaller charities (income under £1.25m) can get capital, project or running-cost funding, for up to 3 years. Charities primarily for children, and those controlled by government, are barred by the trust deed. You can apply online at any time, and the trustees meet quarterly.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Amount not specified
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • UK registered charities operating in the trust's 'Preferred Locations': Lancashire (especially Lancaster and District, including all LA postcodes), Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside
  • The application form requires annual income under £1.25m; larger charities are rejected automatically unless the application is for a capital project
  • The trustees prefer smaller, locally based charities where a grant will 'make a difference', and they look closely at surpluses, reserves and viability
  • The charity must not be primarily devoted to children and must not be under central or local government control
  • Only one application per charity per financial year (to 31 March)

What it funds

Capital, project-related and running-cost grants to smaller charities, with multi-year funding possible for up to 3 years (reports required each year). Trust categories:

  • Medical and health-related charities (care)
  • Charities for older people (old age, homes, carers)
  • Charities assisting people who have fallen upon evil days through no fault of their own (disabled people, hospitals and hospices, ex-services, natural or man-made disasters, mental health, homelessness, miscellaneous)

The trustees also make grants to disaster/emergency appeals case by case, occasionally give modest sums for new charities and innovative or unusual projects, and allow limited funding for international projects run by UK charities.

Grants over £10,000 require a written progress report; grants over £50,000 normally require a presentation to the trustees.

What it will not fund

  • Charities primarily devoted to children (under 18), including social welfare charities more concerned in practice with young people than older people
  • Charities wholly or substantially under the control of central or local government
  • Applications from individuals (other than Travelling Fellowships, a separate scheme)
  • Charities not based or operating in the preferred locations
  • Large well-funded charities with income over £1.25m (except for capital projects)
  • Charities with a substantial surplus and/or large reserves (unlikely to be supported)
  • Animal charities (except the PDSA)
  • Church and cathedral buildings, except projects benefiting the wider community beyond church members
  • Charities which provide holidays
  • Running costs of hospices (as opposed to capital projects)
  • Charities which only collect money to distribute to other charities (except medical research)
  • Overseas organisations not registered as UK charities
  • 'Friends' charities for NHS hospitals raising money for routine treatment, such as scanner appeals
  • More than one application from a charity in the trust's financial year (ending 31 March), except in exceptional circumstances

How to apply

  1. Read the Grant Making Strategy Policy Document in full and check eligibility
  2. Complete the online General Grant Application: confirm the eligibility statements, then give organisation details (charity number, financial year end, brief description), the amount requested, the reasons with costs itemised in broad categories, any previous grants, the geographical area of benefit, unrestricted surplus/deficit for the last two years and unrestricted reserves in months
  3. Upload your latest annual report and full audited accounts (PDF/DOC, max 10MB per file, up to 5 files), and give bank details for BACS payment
  4. Submit the form; you can use 'Save Application' to get an email link and finish later

There is no deadline; the trustees meet quarterly.

The trustees may visit shortlisted applicants or ask them to attend a meeting, and they do not give feedback or reasons for rejection.

Have ready

  • Online application form
  • Latest annual report
  • Latest full audited accounts

The form asks for bank details for BACS payment and unrestricted reserves/surplus figures.

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General Grant — The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust — GrantRadar