Who Can Apply

Please read this information carefully before completing one of the Application Forms

Application Criteria
The following information is taken into account when considering an application for Grant:

1. Applications will only be considered on the application form. Please complete the form clearly in ink and answer all the questions as fully as possible.
2. The group or person to benefit from the grant must live or operate within the Trust’s area which is Stevenage, and the surrounding villages of Aston, Benington, Cromer, Datchworth, Graveley, Knebworth, Little Wymondley, Old Knebworth, Walkern, Watton-at-Stone, Weston, and Woolmer Green.
3. If the applicant represents a national or international charity the conditions in 2 above still apply.
4. Applications must be for charitable purposes and fall within one of the following categories:
• the prevention or relief of poverty;
• the advancement of health or the saving of lives;
• the advancement of citizenship or community development;
• the advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science;
• the advancement of amateur sport;
• the advancement of environmental protection or improvement;
• the relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage;
• and other purposes which do not fall neatly into the above categories but are recognised as charitable by the Trust, are consistent with the spirit of the Trust’s charitable objectives and are not subject to the exclusions and preferences indicated below.
5. Partners for giving fund
   The Trust administers a small grant fund on behalf of Stevenage Borough Council called the ‘Partners for Giving fund’. The eligibility criteria and exclusions
   Registered Charity 1000762 are the same as for the Trust as a whole except that Partners for Giving is focused on group activity for the benefit of the community.
6. Exclusions
• Grants cannot be made for political, religious, trade union, business purposes or individual educational advancement.
• Grants will be refused if it is considered to be the responsibility of local, national, or health authorities to meet the need.
7. Individual grants - where possible these should be supported in writing by a Social Worker, Doctor or other ‘official’ body.
8. All grant applications need to be accompanied by a copy of your previous year’s annual financial statement and accounts. If yours is a new organisation, details of your current financial status are required.
9. Application for a grant to purchase equipment must show evidence of being able to make full use of the equipment, and state how the subsequent running and maintenance costs will be met. It is advisable to retain receipts of any product or service purchased as they may be subject to future audit.
10. If your application is successful, you or a representative of your organisation will be invited to attend a Grant Presentation Ceremony to receive a cheque, details of which may be used for publicity purposes.
    

Application Success
Grant applications are considered by the Grants Committee every three months. Whether or not a particular application is successful will depend on fulfillment of the criteria overleaf and any of the following :-

• The amount of money available.
• There is a limited amount available at each Grant Meeting. The maximum grant that can be given is £2000, most grants given are for much smaller amounts.
• The other applications being considered at the same meeting
• Certain applications may have to be considered by all the Trustees, some of which may not be present at the meeting

The Grants Committee may make awards as follows:

• Direct cash grant
• Purchase of equipment
• Loan of purchased equipment – e.g. a special chair which will remain the property of the Trust.
• Facilitate services – e.g. arranging a supply of office furniture
• A combination of any of the above at the discretion of the Grants Committee
  

Monitoring
In order to evaluate the success of our grant giving, grant recipients will be requested to complete a monitoring form to show what the grant has been used for and encouraged to provide evidence such as photographs. Completion of the monitoring forms will assist future applications.

Unsuccessful Applications
The Trust reserves the rights to refuse grant applications without giving reasons to the applicant or enter into communication about the refusal. A grant refused on one occasion does not mean that the Trust will refuse another, and unsuccessful, but eligible applicants are encouraged to re-apply at a later date. The Trust, where it can, will assist and advise all applicants on the criteria for a fundable and successful application.