GrantRadar

Elizabeth L Rathbone Charitable Trust (E L Rathbone Charitable Trust)

The Elizabeth L Rathbone Charitable Trust grants

Small grants, normally up to £3,000, from a long-established Merseyside family trust for charities and community organisations that benefit disadvantaged people in Merseyside. Aims include alleviating poverty through education, advancing the interests of women, helping the less able, certain medical fields, the arts and community projects for disadvantaged people; priority groups include disadvantaged children and adults, women, young people, homeless people, disabled people and refugees. Trustees meet twice a year (usually March/April and September/October) with an application deadline before each meeting.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £3,000
Deadline
Not published
no closing date given
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Registered charities, or community organisations affiliated to an umbrella organisation that can receive funds on their behalf, that benefit people in Merseyside (Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral)
  • Preference for Merseyside-based charities
  • Previous grantees must submit a report on how the earlier grant was used with any new application, and usually wait two years before re-applying
  • The trustees may make exceptional grants outside these guidelines at their discretion

What it funds

Projects and organisations benefiting disadvantaged people living in Merseyside, with the aims of:

  • Alleviating poverty by education
  • Advancing the interests of women
  • Helping the less able
  • Supporting certain medical fields
  • Supporting the arts
  • Helping the disadvantaged through community projects

The registration form says the trust prioritises organisations supporting socially and/or economically disadvantaged children or adults, women, young people, homeless people, people with disabilities or chronic health problems, and refugees.

Project or running costs (the form asks for total running costs if the grant is towards them, and whether a percentage for core costs is included).

What it will not fund

  • Applicants from outside Merseyside
  • Individuals
  • Any form of sponsorship
  • Political organisations
  • Pressure groups
  • Feasibility studies
  • Annual (repeat yearly) applications; applicants are usually asked to wait two years before re-applying

How to apply

  1. Check eligibility; call the Secretary on 07837 656314 if unsure whether your request meets the criteria
  2. Complete the trust's online registration form (Google Form linked from the website) and submit it
  3. Download the Word application form from the website, complete it, and save it in Word format with your organisation's name as the file name
  4. Email the application form (Word, not PDF) with your most recent financial accounts and a recent bank statement to elrathbonetrust@gmail.com before the deadline for the next trustees' meeting

Nothing should be sent by post; incomplete applications are unlikely to be considered.

The last published deadline was 31 August 2026 for the autumn meeting; the deadline for the spring 2027 meeting had not been published when checked.

Have ready

  • Completed application form in Word format
  • Most recent financial accounts
  • Recent bank statement
  • Report on how any previous grant from the trust was used (previous grantees only)

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