We typically award one-off grants of £10,000-£100,000. We assess the size of grants relative to the applicants’ overall turnover and to our available resources.

We want to see that funded organisations are well governed and managed; have good finance and risk management systems; have the necessary skills and expertise to deliver their objectives; and are lean and focused, applying maximum resources to charitable purposes.

We fund specific initiatives and projects rather than providing unrestricted funding.

Please note that we do not consider applications:

• outside our three funding areas
• for retrospective funding
• for capital appeals for construction projects
• for emergency appeals
• for feasibility studies
• for campaigning and lobbying work
• where there is a reasonable expectation of public funding
• where beneficiaries are selected by race or ethnicity, unless there is an evidenced rationale (for example a demonstrable disposition in a particular group to a specific medical condition)
• for endowments
• from organisations with more than twelve months of unrestricted reserves, unless there is a clear reason why they are holding these
• for core running costs
• for more than 75% of the project cost
• from individuals
• from statutory bodies unless the project for which funds are sought is undertaken in partnership with a charitable body. The additionality principle must also be observed, ie the funds applied for must not replace ordinary public funding.
• to fund other organisations’ grant programmes
• from organisations based outside the UK or for projects outside the UK
• from organisations which have applied and been rejected within the last twelve months

Before applying, please also read the specific music, health and heritage guidelines. These can be found in the subject section by clicking the ‘find out more’ link in the relevant box above.

The illustrations on this website were specially commissioned by the Vinehill Trust from the artist and illustrator John Broadley to represent our three areas of special interest: music, heritage and health.