Exclusions: what we will not fund

This page aims to give more detail on Main Fund Exclusions.  These are types of work or organisations that the Foundation does not support.  This section expands on the advice in our printed Guidance for Applicants documents.

The Foundation does not support applications for:

• Individuals or causes that will benefit only one person, including student grants or bursaries.
  

• Support for a general appeal or circular.
  Please note:   Organisations using general appeals or circulars should read our funding guidance, and if eligible make a specific application using the outlined process.

• Work that does not have a direct benefit in the UK, including expeditions and overseas travel.
  

• The promotion of religion.
  Please note:  We will not make grants which promote a particular religious belief but will consider applications from faith-based organisations where the work is not for religious purposes and clearly fits our funding guidelines.

• Capital costs – meaning the construction or refurbishment costs or items of equipment (other than those essential to a project we are supporting).
  Please note:  This exclusion also covers capital for heritage projects.

• Work that is routine or well-proven elsewhere or with a low impact.  Examples of the kind of things we will exclude under this heading include: 
• Mainstream activities of organisations which are part of a wider network of others (e.g. Age Concern, CABx, MIND).
• Similar work which is provided across locations e.g. refuges, contact centres, playgroups, play schemes, out of school clubs, and supplementary schools, playgroups, youth clubs.
• Information and advice work including money advice.
• Outward bound courses, adventure experiences.
  Please note that we are only likely to fund exceptional work which falls into any of these categories. 

• Healthcare or related work such as medical research, complementary medicine, counselling and therapy, education and treatment for substance misuse.
  Please note:  We do not support treatment, rehabilitation or education projects related to drug and alcohol misuse, direct health services, or hospices.

• Work that is primarily the responsibility of central or local government, health trusts or health authorities, or which are substantially funded by them. This includes residential and day care, housing and homelessness services, individual schools, nurseries and colleges, supplementary schools and vocational training.  In this context please note that: 
  
• Our general preference is to fund independent voluntary organisations and not to replace or subsidise statutory funding.
• We are unlikely to make grants for vocational training (meaning training that may result in specific employment) unless there are exceptional benefits (e.g. a new approach, or a specific additional social benefit to the training).

• Projects that primarily benefit the independent education sector.

• Environmental projects related to animal welfare, zoos, captive breeding and animal rescue centres.

• Individual energy efficiency or waste reduction schemes, such as recycling, composting, scrapstores, white goods projects or renewable energy schemes.  We will only consider this work if the social benefits are exceptionally strong or there is something groundbreaking about what is proposed.
  
  
• Retrospective funding, meaning support for work that has already taken place.

For a better idea of the work we are most likely to support, visit our Grants made section.


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