Army Benevolent Fund: Grants to Charities & Organisations

Overview

WHICH ORGANISATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

All registered charities and other organisations which support the Army community, which includes veterans, serving soldiers, their families and immediate dependents, may apply.

They support a broad range of charities, with a preference to members of COBSEO/Veterans Scotland. 

If you are a charity or organisation providing mental health services to members of the Army family they would normally expect you to be a member or at least signed up to the Quality Network for Veterans Mental Health Services (QNVMHS) https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/ccqi/quality-networks-accreditation/qnvmhs run by the Royal College of Psychiatrists on behalf of the sector.

When appropriate they will consider applications on a case by case basis from:

• Not-for-profit organisations & Community Interest Companies (CICs)
• Community Projects
• Housing Associations

NEW PARTNER APPLICATIONS

Any charity they have not supported in the previous 24 months must always contact them in advance by emailing externalgrants@armybenevolentfund.org before making a formal submission.

Your email must:

• outline the scheme, the reasoning why it is needed
• detail the outcomes to be achieved
• the amount you will be requesting vs total cost
• how you will sustain funding going forward

They will get back to you as soon as possible with our decision on whether a formal application should be made. If they ask for an application, it will normally be considered at the end of their Financial Year at the February meeting. Where an application is made from an organisation with which they have no established relationship, any award is likely to be below £15,000 and it would be prudent to pitch accordingly. Every application will be considered on a case-by-case basis but failing to follow the above procedures may result in your application being rejected.

What do they look for in applications

Applications for grants to charities are considered individually by our Grants Committee and confirmed by Trustees if appropriate. In assessing applications, they follow the COBSEO Funding Principles, which are available to download here, and in particular will be taking the following issues into consideration:

The Governance of the organisation

• The Committee will look closely at any evidence provided to prove that the organisation is effectively managed and has in place satisfactory operating and risk management procedures. This includes ensuring that core services are adequately resourced and stable before expanding into new projects, locations or services.

The financial viability of the organisation including reserves

• Organisations that are relatively stable financially tend to be in a better position to run effectively and deliver the quality of services for which the charity was created. The Committee look for signs that the charity/organisation is financially stable – including, but not limited to, past history, local support, an appropriate level of reserves, statutory and local council funding/grants from other charities, trusts or corporate organisations.
• Where the Charity or Organisation is operating in the mental health space they will normally expect as a minimum that the organisation is a member of COBSEO and has agreed and signed up to the COBSEO guiding principles for the delivery of Veterans’ and Service Families’ Mental Health Care.

The degree of need for the project requiring funding

• There are many ways to evaluate this, however, indicators include the level of local commitment to the project, evidenced by such things as fundraising activity, volunteer effort, local authority support, and most importantly the number of Army veterans, family members or serving soldiers the project will reach, or has reached, and the most importantly the outcomes achieved.

The amount spent on administration and fundraising as compared to the charitable activities

• Along with a range of other considerations, the Committee review applications in light of the financial health of the organisation, including costs incurred in relation to expenditure on meeting charitable objectives. The Committee expect that administration costs are kept at a reasonable level and they consider these in light of the type and size of the organisation.

The ability to gain sufficient funding to meet the appeal target/requirement

• The Committee are keen to assist projects where they can have a high degree of confidence that the necessary funds can be secured from relevant sources. It is therefore important to demonstrate the level of funds already secured and from what sources, as well as the likely targets to address any shortfall. The Charity will wish to know whether any organisations receive funding based on contractual arrangements – payment by results. Any Government funding, including that received through the AFCTF will be taken into consideration when deciding whether to award a grant.

The recognition their Charity will receive

• Critical to any application will be how our grant will be formally recognised by the receiving organisation and their willingness to work with our communications team in providing suitable case studies and material to support our Charity in further fundraising.

Notes

• Where an application is made from an organisation with which they have no established relationship, any award is likely to be below £15,000 and it would be prudent to pitch accordingly.
• Their individual grants programme will take priority over awards to other charities.
• Charities must not assume a grant will be awarded. Given the current situation and their focus on individual awards it would be prudent to anticipate either no award or reduced funding from any historical norm.
• Awards approved may be funded in a stage approach rather than the total award in one payment.
• A set of Terms and Conditions Terms & Conditions External Grants November 2023 will need to be signed before any grant is paid. These will be issued with the award letter.