Small Grants Programme

This is a fast track application process for small one-off grants (up to maximum of £3,000).

Applications are now open (as of 2nd August 2021).

Please see the criteria and further details below before applying via the online form.
You can also download this information as a pdf to save or view offline here.

Eligibility Criteria
The Leathersellers’ Small Grants Programme 2021-22 will consider applications from charities registered and operating in the UK (including Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO) but not Community Interest Companies (CIC)) that are working

  • to provide assistance to vulnerable people in their community
  • in geographical areas of deprivation (within the UK) – we recognise all relative measures of deprivation as tracked by the Indices of Deprivation or similar tools. We ask you who your work helps and why this is needed for that group or in that area so you can explain the need that exists there.
  • with an annual income of under £200,000 (secured for the coming year)

We do not typically fund the following:

    • Medical research
    • Hospices
    • Capital restoration projects for the sole purpose of conservation/heritage
    • Services that charge participants for access, regardless of income

Making a Good Application

We want to fund excellent organisations and people, where activities improve the lives of others.

We have reduced the information requested for our small grants considerably but are looking to get a clear overview of your work.

We want to hear about:

  • What you do to make a difference
  • Why this is needed
  • Who you are helping
  • How you know you are making a difference

We are looking for organisations to:

  • be open and transparent about their work and finances
  • provide good value for money
  • be working in partnership with others

Process

The Small Grants Committee will be meeting regularly to ensure charities receive a decision within a month of submitting their application (apart from around holiday times as marked with a ** below). We will have 14 rounds for applications to be submitted. Applications will be capped to ensure your time spent applying is proportionate to your chance of funding. Submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis e.g. the first 45 applications after each round opens will be able to be submitted (though if you have started an application that you cannot submit at that point, you will be able to save a draft until next time).

Committee Meetings —————————- Applications open on

Wednesday 15th September                              Monday 2nd August 2021**
Tuesday 5th October                                           Monday 6th September 2021
Monday 18th October                                         Monday 20th September 2021
Tuesday 2nd November                                     Monday 4th October 2021
Monday 15th November                                    Monday 18th October 2021
Tuesday 30th November                                   Monday 1st November 2021

…………………………..Winter Break……………………………………..

Tuesday 11th January                                          Monday 15th November 2021**
Monday 31st January                                           Tuesday 4th January 2022
Tuesday 22nd February                                      Monday 17th January 2022
Monday 7th March                                               Monday 7th February 2022
Tuesday 29th March                                            Monday 21st February 2022

…………………………..Easter Break……………………………………..

Monday 25th April                                                Monday 14th March 2022**
Tuesday 17th May                                                 Monday 11th April 2022
Monday 6th June                                                   Tuesday 3rd May 2022 (If not filled earlier, this round will close on 31st May 2022)

Confirmation
You will receive immediate confirmation of receipt of your application via email (please check your junk/spam folders as this is an automated system and so may get caught). We would expect to then be in touch with you with a final decision via email within a month (sometimes less) of receiving your application. Please note certain rounds marked with ** (close to school holidays) take a little longer – this should be clear from the table above, but if you have any questions please get in touch – charityapp@leathersellers.co.uk

Applying Online

You must make your application via our online form (the link will be posted on the dates indicated in the process tab). You can download a sample of this in word here – but it can only be submitted via the online form here.

• You don’t need to do it all at once – you can save your progress and sign back in anytime until you submit BUT! please remember submissions are capped, so you may need to wait until the following application date to access your form and submit.
• We ask you to supply a budget and forecast income (uploaded as a separate document).
• You do not need to upload your audited accounts, we will access these from the Charity Commission. If the publicly available accounts are over a year old however, we ask that you upload a copy of your draft accounts so we have more relevant information.
• Once you have submitted the form you will receive an immediate email acknowledgement letting you know it has been received safely (please check your junk/spam folder as this is an automated email and so may get caught).
• We notify all applicants via email on the outcome of their application within a month of their application.

FAQs

• When can I reapply for funding?
If you have received a small grant from the Leathersellers’ previously, you must wait 12 months from the offer date before you may reapply at this time. This also applies to rejection dates and any subsequent applications.

• Do Leathersellers’ Charitable Fund only fund organisations in London?
No, we support registered charities working within and for the benefit of individuals and communities across the UK.

• Can I request feedback if my application is unsuccessful?
Unfortunately, as we only have a small Grants team at the Leathersellers it is not possible currently for us to provide feedback to all applicants.

 If we are successful, when will our grant start?
If you are awarded a grant, we will send you a grant offer email detailing the terms and conditions of the grant and asking you to complete an acceptance form. Once you have completed the form, we will process the payment. The date the payment is sent signals the start of your grant.

• What reporting is expected?
We do not expect any reports from recipients of small grants.

All Information Available Here