GrantRadar

The Swire Charitable Trust

The Swire Charitable Trust grants

The Swire Charitable Trust, funded by John Swire & Sons, gives grants to UK registered charities through three programmes: Opportunity (improving life chances), Nature and Heritage. It considers both project and unrestricted grants on a single-stage online form, with no deadlines. There is no minimum or maximum, but grants are not normally more than 10% of the charity's last reported income, and around 75% of applications are unsuccessful.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Amount not specified
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • UK registered charities working in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland whose work is closely aligned with one of the three programmes
  • Constituted community groups, exempt organisations, CICs, statutory bodies, multi-academy trusts and local branches of national networks are not eligible, nor is a charity that has applied in the last 12 months
  • The Trust tends not to give more than 10% of the charity's income in its most recent accounts
  • It prioritises charities that evidence a specific need, deliver practical work with lasting change, work in the most disadvantaged and overlooked parts of the UK, have a track record, strong safeguarding, a realistic budget, and reserves within their reserves policy

What it funds

Opportunity Programme (improving life chances): frontline charities giving practical support to people who fall through the gaps, prioritising those that:

  • Support children and young people who are care experienced; at risk of or involved with the criminal justice system; homeless or vulnerably housed; refugees or unaccompanied asylum seeking children; not in or disengaged from education, employment or training; affected by caring responsibilities; or affected by domestic violence or abuse
  • Help ex-service people out of homelessness and/or into employment
  • Enable survivors of modern slavery and trafficking to rebuild their lives
  • Nature Programme: supporting the UK's biodiversity by restoring habitats on land and in freshwater and marine environments; connecting people to nature through nature-friendly farming, urban farms and community green spaces, particularly in disadvantaged areas; and activities that inspire people to enhance the natural environment, practise citizen science, learn green skills and spend more time in nature
  • Heritage Programme: heritage restoration, regeneration or conservation projects with significant social and economic benefits, favouring grassroots organisations that engage strongly with their communities; and protecting and developing the skills underpinning the UK's heritage sector, including training and employment opportunities

Unrestricted grants are also considered for charities strongly aligned with the programmes. Multi-year grants are rarely offered to charities not funded before.

What it will not fund

  • Applications not submitted through the online form
  • Organisations that are not UK registered charities (constituted community groups, exempt organisations and CICs are not funded)
  • Activities taking place outside the UK
  • Applications that will benefit only one person, including scholarships or bursaries
  • Charities that have applied within the last 12 months
  • Work that has already taken place
  • Work targeted at people primarily disadvantaged by physical health issues, disabilities or sensory impairments, learning disabilities or special educational needs
  • Statutory bodies, or work that is primarily the responsibility of statutory authorities (e.g. residential care, respite and day care, or housing)
  • Local organisations that are part of a wider network, e.g. uniformed youth groups, YMCA, MIND, Home-Start, Relate, Citizens Advice, Age UK (this does not apply to Rivers Trusts or Wildlife Trusts)
  • Charities closely associated with, or sharing a name with, professional sports clubs
  • Religious activities, or work that promotes a particular religion
  • Work geared towards policy change, behaviour change, campaigning or political advocacy
  • Multi-academy trusts

How to apply

  1. Read the application guidelines and FAQs
  2. Pass the online eligibility test
  3. Complete the online funding request form within 30 days (it can be saved and resumed)
  4. Upload your latest independently examined or audited accounts, plus any budgets or supporting materials, and submit

There are no deadlines; each request goes to the next available grantmaking meeting. For a project with a firm start date, apply at least four months before it begins. Postal and email applications are not accepted.

Have ready

  • Latest independently examined or audited accounts (or a bank statement if the charity is too new)
  • Budgets and other supporting materials (optional)

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