GrantRadar

Applications closed on 30 September 2026.

Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.

Matrix Chambers (Matrix Causes Fund, a restricted fund of Prism the Gift Fund)

Matrix Causes Fund

Project grants from barristers' chambers Matrix for non-profit organisations whose work promotes access to justice, equality of opportunity or a sustainable environment. UK registered charities can ask for a one-off grant of up to £8,000 or up to £5,000 a year for up to three years; other UK non-profits (such as CICs) and international organisations can ask for a one-off grant of up to £8,000. Only organisations with income and available funds both under £500,000 can apply. Organisations based in London, and those supporting vulnerable people such as disabled children, women in refuges, refugees and prisoners, get priority. The fund has committed over £2 million so far and funds up to 30 organisations per cycle.

Check the funder’s site

Open grants like this

Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.

You could get
Up to £8,000
Deadline
Closed
the deadline has passed
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Organisations with charitable or non-profit status, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
  • UK organisations must be registered with the Charity Commission, with HMRC as an exempt charity, or with Companies House as a CIC
  • The organisation's income from all sources must be under £500,000 a year, and its available financial resources (e.g. money in the bank) must be under £500,000
  • It must not have had an MCF-funded project completed within the last three years
  • Only UK registered charities can apply for the multi-year grant
  • Other UK non-profits and international organisations can apply only for the one-off grant, and at most two international grants are made each cycle
  • Applicants from anywhere in the UK are welcome, but organisations based in London get priority
  • So do organisations supporting vulnerable people such as people (particularly children) with disabilities, women in refuges, refugees and asylum seekers, people with mental health difficulties and prisoners
  • Each organisation may submit only one application per cycle

What it funds

  • Specific projects that contribute to access to justice, equality of opportunity or a sustainable environment
  • It pays for specified items and services that fall outside an organisation's core activities, meaning a specific project that would not otherwise go ahead
  • It also pays for project costs that benefit many people and last a long time, and for IT costs tied to the project (not general IT or upgrades)
  • Printing is funded only where printed materials are justified, e.g. for distribution in prisons
  • Training is funded where many people benefit significantly and long-term, and people are being trained as trainers, or the training is a new kind, or it is tied to a specific project
  • Grants are a one-off of up to £8,000 or, for UK registered charities, multi-year funding of up to £5,000 a year for up to three years
  • Years 2 and 3 are released after a grant report
  • If the grant does not cover the whole project, the rest of the funding must be secured before the grant is released

What it will not fund

  • General or core expenditure, including overheads, CRM software, marketing materials, insurance, membership fees and day-to-day admin costs
  • Travel and accommodation, including international travel and meeting costs
  • Room hire, rent or utilities
  • Legal fees, including court fees
  • Items that only benefit the end user, e.g. food, toiletries, sanitary items, counselling, mobile phones or credit, uniforms, clothing, gifts, parties, entertainment, days out or holidays, routine training and routine IT for personal use
  • Out-of-pocket expenses or incidentals for volunteers or participants
  • Organisational set-up costs, research and development, or developing guidelines
  • Construction works, building materials or non-specialist furniture
  • Items, services or support usually provided by public bodies (schools, NHS, Legal Aid, councils, government)
  • Retrospective funding
  • Organisations with income or available financial resources of £500,000 or more
  • Organisations that finished an MCF-funded project less than three years ago
  • Organisations or countries on the UK financial sanctions list

How to apply

  1. Read the Funding Information & Eligibility Criteria document (PDF linked from the fund page)
  2. Download the current application form (July 2026 version, Word) from the fund page and complete it, including the eligibility check questions and an itemised budget
  3. Have the form signed by a trustee or director with authority to sign
  4. Email the form in Word format, the signed PDF version and the supporting documents to MatrixCausesFund@matrixlaw.co.uk within an open window: Cycle 2 closes at midday (UK time) on 30 September 2026; Cycle 1 runs from 10am on 1 January to midday on 31 March

Applications sent outside a window are not processed or held on file; resubmit when the next cycle opens.

Successful applicants get a conditional offer, then due diligence by Prism, and must reply to Prism's requests within six weeks (or one month for follow-ups) or the offer is withdrawn.

An optional equality and diversity monitoring questionnaire comes with the form and is not used in decisions.

Have ready

  • Completed application form as a Microsoft Word document
  • Signed application form in PDF format
  • Latest filed accounts or financial statements
  • Proof of charitable or non-profit status
Matrix Causes Fund (closed) — Matrix Chambers (Matrix Causes Fund, a restricted fund of Prism the Gift Fund) — GrantRadar