skip to main content

Rowan Charitable Trust

Archived Active citizenship Advice services Age Aged 26 - 59 years Children (0-12) Community and neighbourhood development Community development Cross community Education and learning environment good relations Health, wellbeing and sport Housing and homelessness Human rights and equality Information Technology International issues Natural environment and climate Overseas aid and development Peace and reconciliation People with disabilities Poverty and deprivation social enterprise Social inclusion Social welfare and poverty Sustainable development Trading Un/Employed World issues Antrim & Newtownabbey Ards & North Down Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Belfast City Causeway Coast and Glens Derry City and Strabane Fermanagh and Omagh Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid and East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne and Down Medium (up to £60,000) Micro (up to £1,000) Small (up to £10,000)

Overview

The Trust has regularly given grants to a limited number of large national organisations and development agencies, but also gives smaller grants to much smaller organisations and locally based projects.

The trust will support advocacy and challenges to powerful economic forces , on behalf of the poor, the powerless or the left out, especially if they themselves are enabled to participate in articulating a vision of economic justice.

Criteria for UK applications Beneficial area: National with a preference for Greater Merseyside. The trustees meet twice a year to assess applications and due to the high volume of applications are unable to acknowledge unsuccessful applicants.

Grants range from around £500 to £50,000 although the vast majority are around the £500 to £3,000 level.

The Trust focuses on projects which will benefit disadvantaged groups and neighbourhoods in such spheres as:

  • housing and homelessness
  • social and community care
  • community development and education
  • employment/unemployment
  • after-care
  • welfare rights
  • human rights
  • Relief of poverty

Criteria for overseas applications Beneficial area: Africa, Middle and Far East, Pacific Islands, South and Central America

The Trust focuses on projects which will benefit disadvantaged groups and communities in such spheres as:

  • agriculture - especially crop and livestock production and settlement schemes
  • community development - especially appropriate technology and village industries
  • health - especially preventative medicine, water supplies, blindness
  • environmental - protecting and sustaining ecological systems at risk and their associated human communities
  • human rights - especially of women, children and disabled
  • conflict resolution and reconciliation
  • fair trade - especially relating to primary producers and workers.

For both UK based and overseas applications, the Trustees are interested in projects which are concerned with self-help or advocacy as well as service provision. They also look for:

  • stress user and community involvement in the planning and delivery of the project
  • invest in people through training, enabling and community empowerment
  • have a holistic approach, a concern for all aspects of life - social, economic, cultural and spiritual

How to Apply

The Trust has resolved to close in 2012 and is only open to charities that have received a donation form them since 1 Jan 2000.

Apply in writing to the correspondent. No application forms are issued. Applications should include:

  • a brief description (2 sides A4) of, and a budget for, the work for which the grant is sought
  • the organisation's Annual Report and accounts.

The applications need to provide the Trustees with information about:

  • the aims and objectives of the organisation
  • its structure and organisational capacity
  • what the funds are requested for and how much is being requested
  • how progress of the work will be monitored and evaluatedThe trustees meet twice a year. The closing dates for applications are 31 June and 31 December of each year.

Also please indicate how you heard about the Rowan Charitable Trust. Unfortunately, the volume of applications precludes acknowledgement on receipt or notifying unsuccessful applicants.

Contact details