Benefact Trust: General Grants

Overview

What size of grants do they give?

From January 1, 2019, their small grants range from £1000 up to £15,000 for projects with a total cost of up to £1 million. Most of their grants fall into this category but larger grants are available for projects costing over £1 million. They take into account the amount raised towards a project, along with the project’s objectives and scope and the extent of deprivation in the community concerned.

Do you require some funding to have been raised?

In the case of larger projects, they normally require 30% of funding to be in place before making a grant. It is helpful to show local community commitment, and to demonstrate that other funders may be involved and supportive. They can discuss this with you at the time you make your application.

What they do fund

Christian charities and churches in the UK and Ireland
The repair, restoration, protection and improvement of church buildings, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship
Projects based in disadvantaged areas
Churches and Christian charities who are making a positive impact on their communities
The preservation of sustainable heritage skills

General Grants

Churches, cathedrals, denominational bodies, Christian charities, and schools and educational institutions are all eligible to apply. All applicants must be able to demonstrate a clear Christian foundation or ethos. The programme typically funds capital projects, not salaries or running costs, and in most cases they give a small percentage of the project cost as this enables us to support many worthwhile causes. However, they do take into account deprivation in determining grants, and this can result in an increased grant award in some cases. Their General Grants Programme supports the repair, restoration, protection and improvement of churches, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship where changes support wider community use and enable greater impact. The programme also supports projects that help to tackle social issues, for example homelessness, poverty, climate change and cultural cohesion, and projects that support Christian leaders, and help to share the Christian faith. Examples of smaller projects funded through the General Grants Programme:

Examples of larger projects funded through the General Grants Programme:

Brighter Lives

After a brief pause due to a high volume of applications, the Brighter Lives mental health grants programme is now open. The Brighter Lives Grants Programme was launched in March 2022 to help churches and Christian charities to respond to the long-term impact of Covid-19 on people’s mental health, through greater training, resources and support. Following an incredible response to the programme, Brighter Lives was temporarily paused in August 2022.

Now, the programme is open again and churches and Christian charities are invited to apply here. The deadline for submissions is Friday 9th December at 12 noon. The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on people’s mental health. What was a huge problem across our communities is now a crisis, and support services are stretched like never before. ‘Brighter Lives’ is their new thematic grants programme. It’s focused on helping Christian organisations to respond to the long-term impact throughout society of Covid-19 on people’s mental health – whatever their faith, or none. Running throughout 2022, this programme will help enable churches and Christian charities across the UK and Ireland to provide increased mental health support for people and communities most in need. The Brighter Lives programme covers three main project areas: Supporting existing or emerging specialist services provided by churches and Christian charities for people struggling with mental health issues. Focus is on the most vulnerable who may struggle to access support elsewhere. For example, counselling or similar therapeutic services, which could be delivered in-person, online or by phone.

Enabling Christian organisations to train, equip and resource other churches and Christian charities to provide:
- Enhanced mental health awareness and /or mental health first aid
- Appropriate mental health and wellbeing support groups and services
- Services provided should demonstrate reach/impact across a local area, regionally or nationally
Programmes to support the personal mental health and wellbeing of clergy and other church leaders/workers who may be suffering, particularly post-pandemic.

Before submitting an application, visit the Brighter Lives section of their Advice and Resources Hub for more information and resources from experts within the mental health sector.

Methodist grants

Enhancing the mission and ministry of the Methodist church

Benefact Trust’s Methodist Grants Programme seeks to enhance the mission and ministry of the Methodist Church in the UK and Ireland.

Funded primarily by donations from Methodist Insurance PLC, the programme provides grants to Methodist churches to run building development projects that focus on church growth (both numerically and spiritually), community engagement and improving accessibility. Applicants are also encouraged to demonstrate how their planned projects will give an environmental benefit.

The Methodist Grant Giving Committee particularly likes to support significant redevelopment projects on buildings which have been identified as key to the future mission objectives of a circuit or district and schemes which bring significant community benefits beyond those to the immediate congregation, supported by evidence from community consultation. Note that this programme will not support essential repairs or routine building maintenance.

Grants of up to £60,000 are available, based on a percentage of project cost, and funding uplifts are awarded in the most disadvantaged areas.

Individual Methodist churches who are part of the Methodist Connexion are able to apply, along with Methodist Circuits and Districts and some key Methodist heritage sites.

Projects supported under the Methodist Grants Programme include the building of a new multipurpose church and community hub for Blackhill and Shotley Bridge Uniting Methodist Church; the transformation of a disused building into private apartments for those ready to take the next step on from East Belfast Mission’s homelessness hostel; and the creation of a community garden in the grounds of Leiston United Church.

If you are eligible to apply, you can do so provided you have not received a previous grant through this programme or Benefact Trust’s General Grants Programme within the last two years. If you have received a previous grant through one of our thematic grant programmes (Hope Beyond, or the Roof Protection Scheme) within the last two years, you are still welcome to apply to this programme provided your previous thematic grant was given for a different project.

Before submitting an application, why not head to their advice and resources hub, where you will find useful guidance and tools for project planning, reporting and impact evaluation tools, as well as advice on applying for funding, publicising your project and much more.

To apply for a grant under the Methodist Grants Programme, you will need to complete this online application form. You can read through the questions here. If you have any questions about the programme take a look at their FAQ's.

Transformational grants

Growing the reach and impact of Christian organisations

Benefact Trust’s Transformational Grants Programme provides funding for Christian organisations to make a step change in their capacity, reach, impact and spiritual growth, enabling them to forge connections with many more people and communities who will benefit from their work.

Transformational Grants are usually for major, multi-year projects with wide impact, and only a limited number are awarded each year to the projects that trustees consider best fit the aims and criteria for the programme. Therefore, while they welcome applications from Christian charities and organisations seeking funding for transformational work of this kind, unfortunately they are not able to consider applications for this programme from local churches and Christian charities working solely in a local area.

In addition to meeting the Trust’s core criteria for the award of a grant, applicants must demonstrate how their project will achieve as many as possible, and ideally all, of the following criteria:

1. Make a vital difference in enabling the organisation to realise its overall vision and strategic aims

They are able to consider applications for both the extension and growth of existing work, and for innovative and new work, as long as they can clearly see how this will help you realise your overall vision and strategic aims, and lead to transformational impact for your organisation and your beneficiaries.

2. Significantly extend the organisation’s reach to a greater number of people and/or over a wider geographical area, and increase the scope of its work

Projects for funding should have a ‘wider than local’ i.e. at least regional impact, therefore as above, whilst Christian charities and organisations of all kinds are able to apply, local churches and Christian charities working solely in a local area will not be eligible for this type of grant.

3. Lead to a significant step-change or growth for the organisation – numerically and spiritually

In this area, they’d like to see how your project will enable real transformation for your organisation, which will then result in demonstrable and measurable transformational impact for your beneficiaries.

4. Benefit not only the immediate organisation but other similar organisations and/or the wider community as well

They're always keen to see the widest possible benefit from projects funded, and to see collaboration where similar work or projects are being undertaken. If you’re aware of other organisations with similar projects, they’d like to see how you plan to collaborate with others to achieve the greatest possible impact.

If you have any queries with regard to eligibility, please contact them so that they can provide guidance.

While the majority of Benefact Trust’s grants are for capital projects and equipment, this programme will also fund salaries, recognising that innovative projects seeking to achieve a step-change will require resource for pump-priming and capacity-building in order to maximise potential impact and reach.

The programme aims to fund the most innovative and impactful projects that will make a change in the world and inspire and give confidence to other churches and Christian organisations to do the same.

The following are examples of grants that have been awarded under the programme:

The Transformational Grants application form can be accessed here. Please do read the FAQs for the programme before applying. The application process has three stages:

An eligibility check which ensures that the project sufficiently meets the programme criteria
Stage 1: overview information about the project for which you are seeking funding
Stage 2: detailed information about the project for which you are seeking funding

The application form link above will enable you to initially complete the eligibility check and – if this is passed - Stage 1 of the application process. Once you have submitted your Stage 1 application information, this will be reviewed and you will be informed as soon as possible whether we would like you to progress to Stage 2.

Applications under the programme are considered on a rolling basis. There is no fixed deadline for submissions.

Roof alarm grants

Protecting churches from metal theft

Benefact Trust’s Roof Protection Scheme provides grants to help churches install roof alarms in response to the issue of metal theft, which continues to be a very challenging issue across the UK.

We have recently extended this scheme until the end of 2022 and increased the amount of funding available, with grants now funding up to 50% of the cost of the alarm, up to a maximum of £2,500.

Grants under Benefact Trust’s Roof Protection Scheme are made direct to individual churches.

We advise that churches apply through one of these group schemes where possible, as some local trusts and dioceses have other funds available to add to the Benefact Trust grant. Please note that you can only apply for a roof alarm grant from a group scheme OR apply directly for a roof alarm grant to Benefact Trust. You cannot apply to both. Active schemes are running in the following areas:

This list will be updated as new schemes are added. Please note that the proposed alarm system must be from a supplier that is approved by the church’s insurer, whoever that may be, and the church must commit to maintaining the alarm for a minimum of five years.

To apply to Benefact Trust directly for a roof alarm grant, you will need to complete this online application form. You can read through the questions here.

Please note that you can apply for a roof alarm grant even if you have had another grant from Benefact Trust within the last two years (for a different project).

Track grant Notes