Funding for charities: Am I eligible for an SMF grant?

At the Steve Morgan Foundation, our overarching mission is to deliver modern day philanthropy at its best. We are passionately committed to changing lives for good by working with like-minded people and organisations that are making a positive difference to those in need. We have awarded over 2,500 grants since 2001 – and counting!

But how do you know if your charity is eligible for funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation? Below, we explain the typical eligibility criteria we look for when providing funding for charities.

Who do we fund?

The Steve Morgan Foundation has helped to improve the quality of life for more than four million people, through harnessing the power of working together.

Our trustees support registered charities, CICs and not for profit organisations working exclusively in our remit area; specifically, those which are helping to improve life chances for children and families as well as the elderly, disabled and socially isolated, or which expand opportunities and life choices for young people.

Funding for charities – our options

  1. Regional grants – Multi-year grants for core funding, salaries and ongoing running costs for projects.
  2. Enable grants – For organisations and individuals needing disability equipment or transport resources. This is the only programme that funds individuals.
  3. Social investment loans – For eligible property purchases.

Regional grants typically cover periods of up to three years. A minimum gap of one year is required between funding awards. To find out more about the different types of funding for charities that we provide, please click here.

Where do we fund?

Born in Liverpool, Steve Morgan CBE – our Founder and Chairman of Trustees – is passionate about bringing positive change to the communities closest to his heart through the Foundation. Our regional grants and Enable grants are therefore provided to projects, organisations and individuals based across Merseyside, North Wales, Cheshire west of the M6 and North Shropshire.

Through these grants, we deliver practical support and multi-year funding to bring positive change across the region. You can read some of our recent regional case studies here to see this work in action.

Please note that local branches of national charities which are based within the remit area, or programmes delivered locally by organisations working on a national basis, are not generally supported. However, our Strategic Partnership Funding programme, available by invitation only, may include organisations with a national profile. Examples of this are our work with Maggie’s and Diabetes UK.

How much do we fund?

For Regional grants, we consider no more than the equivalent of 25% of annual turnover for each year of an award.

Enable applications are means tested and applicants may be asked to make a contribution to the overall cost of the equipment. Please get in touch with our friendly team if you have any concerns or queries about your application or our funding criteria.

When providing funding for charities, the Foundation always welcomes proposals to match fund with other grant-givers.

How can you apply?

Firstly, please use our eligibility checker to ensure you meet all the relevant criteria. If you are eligible to apply for a grant, you will then be directed to the relevant online application form, where you can fill in your details and be put through to our team.

If for some reason you are unable to access the eligibility checker online, please contact the team directly for help on 01928 706 555 or email us at hello@stevemorganfoundation.org.uk.

How long will your application take to process?

Applications must be accompanied by up-to-date published accounts and details of the organisation’s reserves policy. Having these prepared and ready can help speed up the process. Some applications may need to be considered over two trustee meetings,
which are held bi-monthly, but we always aim to make the process as quick as possible.

As part of the assessment process, a member of the Grants Team and a Trustee will come and visit you at your organisation to see the work you are doing in action.

“The Foundation might be able to help in ways you have not thought about…”

If you’d like to learn more about others’ experiences of applying for funding through the Steve Morgan Foundation, please check out our webpage on GrantAdvisor UK, a website that allows grant-seekers to share their first-hand experiences working with funders.

 

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