Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust

Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust grants to charities

Match-funding grants from the Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust for UK registered (or exempt) charities running future projects, in the UK or overseas, that promote education, international friendship and understanding, or world peace and development. The Trust funds up to 50% of a project budget if the charity has already raised 50%, otherwise at most 30%. Applications are online at any time; requests up to £50,000 are reviewed monthly and larger ones at twice-yearly trustee meetings. Since 1979 the Trust has distributed over £70 million (a separate strand funds UK universities).

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, or organisations holding exempt charity status
Projects can be delivered in the UK or overseas but must promote education, international friendship and understanding, or world peace and development
The applicant must have part of the budget already raised or be seeking it elsewhere, since the Trust gives only match funding (up to 50% of the budget where 50% is already raised, otherwise up to 30%)
Payment goes to the charity's bank account, never to an individual
Organisations that received a grant must wait three years from the grant date before reapplying; unsuccessful applicants may reapply after six months, but only for a different project
No income limits are stated

What it funds

Future charitable projects, in the UK or overseas, that promote:

Education
International friendship and understanding
The advancement of world peace and development

Grants are match funding only: if the applicant has already raised 50% of the total budget, the Trustees may fund up to 50% of it; if less than 50% has been raised, up to a maximum of 30% of the total budget.

Multi-year projects are considered (the budget must cover the whole duration).

Applicants who show they are actively seeking funding from other sources are viewed favourably.

What it will not fund

Retrospective funding - only applications for future projects are considered
More than 50% of the total project budget (or more than 30% if the applicant has raised less than half)
Payments to individuals, even if applying on behalf of a charity
Applicants other than UK registered or exempt charities (universities apply through a separate form)

How to apply

Read the Charitable Organisation Application Guidance and check the project fits the Trust's priorities and the match-funding rules
Prepare charity information: name and address, registration number, how long the charity has had charitable status, annual turnover, recent grants and any previous grants from the Trust
Write a narrative proposal of no more than 150 words covering fit with the Trust's priorities, goals, methods and outcomes, numbers of direct and indirect beneficiaries, and the specific purpose of the request
Prepare a budget showing income and expenditure: total cost and its five main components, other existing or anticipated funding (including pending applications) and the amount requested
Register or log in on the Trust's website and submit the online charitable organisation application form, including the charity's bank details
Requests up to £50,000 are reviewed monthly; requests over £50,000 go to the Trustees' biannual meetings, usually in March and September

Applications by post, email or fax are not accepted, and the Trust asks applicants not to contact it for guidance before applying.

Applications are not acknowledged, no progress updates are given and there is no feedback on unsuccessful applications.

Have ready

Note: No attachments are listed; the online form asks for charity details, a 150-word narrative proposal, a budget breakdown with other funding sources, and bank details.

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