Applying for a grant

All applications must be made on the appropriate application form. Forms can be obtained by:

telephoning The Earley Charity’s office on 0118 926 1068
emailing your contact details and a brief outline of your request to enquiries@earleycharity.org.uk
completing the enquiry form on this website

Information for individuals and organisations wishing to make an application can be found below. Click here to jump to details on organisation grants.

Making an Individual grant application

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from people who are experiencing difficult circumstances. This may be because of low income or poor health.

To be able to apply you must:

live within our area of benefit (see our map to check if you qualify)
have lived in the area of benefit for at least 6 months (this does not necessarily have to have been at the same address)
be living in permanent accommodation
have been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK

You will not be able to apply if you:

are planning to move out of our area of benefit
have been awarded a grant within the last two years
have received 3 grants in the past

If you live outside our area of benefit you may like to contact one of our neighbouring charities.

What can be applied for?

You can make an application for the purchase of a specific item or service. We do not make grants to:

pay for general living costs
pay off debts
buy floor coverings of any type (unless there are very exceptional circumstances)
buy non-essential items

Most applications will be for an amount under £500. However, in particular circumstances the Trustees will consider requests for more than this amount.

How to apply

Request an application form by telephoning the Charity on 0118 926 1068, emailing enquiries@earleycharity.org.uk or by completing the enquiry form on the Contact Us page of this website
Complete the application form answering all sections as fully as possible
Post your completed application form with all supporting documents to the Charity’s office

When will my application be considered?

The meetings dates and corresponding closing dates for submission of individual applications for 2020 are as follows. Applications must be received by no later than 12 noon on the closing date.

Applications for under £500

Meeting Date	Closing Date for Submission of Applications
10th March 2020	24th February 2020
28th April 2020	14th April 2020
9th June 2020	22nd May 2020
4th August 2020	20th July 2020
22nd September 2020	7th September 2020
3rd November 2020	19th October 2020

Applications for over £500

Meeting Date	Closing Date for Submission of Applications
12th February 2020	13th January 2020
13th May 2020	14th April 2020
19th August 2020	20th July 2020
25th November 2020	19th October 2020

Making an Organisation grant application

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from local charitable, voluntary and community organisations working to help and support people living within our area of benefit. To check to see if your organisation qualifies please see our map. If your organisation does not exclusively work with people from our area an application may still be considered by the Trustees. In these cases any grant awarded would be based on the proportion of people from our area who will benefit from the project being funded.

Generally we do not accept applications from public sector bodies or national organisations. Nor do we fund religious activities or general appeals.

What can be applied for?

Applications should be for one-off non-recurrent funding for specific projects or equipment. We do not accept applications for open-ended salary grants, running/core costs or general charitable appeals.

Grants to organisations are normally in the range of £500 to £5,000. The Trustees do consider requests for larger amounts from organisations which they know well.

How to apply

Request an application form by telephoning the Charity on 0118 975 5663, emailing enquiries@earleycharity.org.uk or by completing the enquiry form on the Contact Us page of this website
Prepare your application providing information covering all the points as requested on the application form
Post your application and supporting documents to the Charity’s office to arrive no later than 12 noon on the closing date.

When will my application be considered?

Applications from organisations are considered by the Trustees four times a year. For amounts up to £3,000 the meeting dates for 2020 and corresponding closing dates for submission of applications are detailed below.

Applications for up to £3,000

Meeting Date	Closing Date for Submission of Applications
30th January 2020	13th January 2020
30th April 2020	13th April 2020
6th August 2020	20th July 2020
5th November 2020	19th October 2020

For amounts over £3,000 the confirmed meeting dates and corresponding closing dates for submission of applications in 2020 are as follows.

Applications for over £3,000

Meeting Date	Closing Date for Submission of Applications
12th February 2020	27th January 2020
13th May 2020	27th April 2020
19th August 2020	3rd August 2020
25th November 2020	9th November 2020

For Further Information

If you would like to discuss making an application please contact the Clerk to the Trustees by telephone on 0118 975 5663. Alternatively you can email an enquiry to enquiries@earleycharity.org.uk or complete the enquiry form on the Contact Us page of this website.