General eligibility and exclusions
An outline of our general eligibility, including what we can and can’t fund.
This outlines our general eligibility criteria, which apply to all of our programmes. However, please be aware that each of our programmes also has its own eligibility criteria, including our social investment and social enterprise initiatives.
Our programmes usually take between three and six months from application to decision. Our funding cannot be used for work that has already been completed (i.e. retrospective costs).
We can only fund charitable work
Work that is charitable as defined by the Charity Commission and falls within the following legal statuses.
- A charity that is established and registered in the UK
- A registered charitable incorporated organisation
- A charitable company – an organisation that is both a limited company (usually a private company limited by guarantee) and a registered charity
- A registered charitable industrial and provident society (IPS)
- A charitable community benefit society (BenCom) – a co-operative established by a geographical community or people with common interests
- A Community Interest Company (CIC) – limited by guarantee with at least three directors
- A constituted voluntary organisation – with a fiscal host as the named applicant
Who we can fund
- Organisations (we can’t fund individuals)
- Work that takes place in London’s 32 boroughs and/or the City of London and is for the benefit of Londoners
- Any organisation paying the London Living Wage to all London-based staff (or will commit to doing so in receipt of a grant)
- Organisations we have previously funded
- Work that doesn’t duplicate or replace statutory services
What we can’t fund
- Capital costs (except for essential small equipment, e.g., laptops)
- Non-charitable activities
- Retrospective costs
- Vehicles
- Work that does not benefit people living in Greater London
Who can’t apply
- Charities established or registered outside the UK
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by shares
- Hospitals or primary healthcare providers
- Individuals
- Political parties
- Private organisations limited by guarantee
- Profit-making organisations (except social enterprises)
- Schools or PTAs, or work taking place in schools
- Statutory bodies, such as local authorities
Funding
We fund organisations working to make London fairer – strengthening communities and challenging the systems that marginalise them. Find out what else we fund.
Funding