Many of our parishes have already been helped by grants in the past but it is notoriously difficult to find the right one and then complete the application.
We have refreshed the National Giving Team resource (crediting London, Lincoln and Worcester Dioceses), which brings together significant grant opportunities available to parishes, including many church/parish-specific opportunities in the list below.
This list will save you time, effort spent on searching and applying for funding that do not meet criteria. This has replaced the Diocesan Grant newsletter and you will be notified of new opportunities through our Generosity Network newsletter.
It has been categorised into the sections shown below so you can more easily find the grants you’re looking for:
Charitable Grants for Churches
A list curated by Parish Resources including the following areas:
- Conservation, Preservation, Heritage & Restoration
- Bells, Organs, Windows & Other Specific Funding
- Community Projects / Improved Facilities
- Environmental and Sustainability Projects
- Christian / Religious Activities
- Landfill Communities Fund
- Lottery Funding Available
- Sources of Information
The Church of England Church Care Grants
Grants are given for the conservation of our historic church interiors and churchyard structures.
Other Useful Links and Funds
Heritage Funding Directory
Managed by The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Heritage Funding Directory is a free guide to financial support for anyone undertaking UK related heritage projects
Find out more at heritagefundingdirectoryuk.org
Charity Excellence Funding Finder & Healthcheck
The Funding Finder database isn’t just another trust and foundations directory, it also has links to hundreds of other free grant funding databases and online funder lists, giving you click through to more funding than any other directory. Improve your fundraising and find new opportunities online in 30 mins, using the fundraising health check, with access to a huge range of free resources and help, including 50+ downloadable trust and foundation grant funding lists. Everything is free.
Find out more at charityexcellence.co.uk
Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF)
Supports project development costs for the conservation and regeneration of historic buildings and Project Viability Grants (PVG) of up to £5,000 to fund studies to look at potential uses for a building and at its current condition.
Find out more at ahfund.org.uk
NCVO Funding Advice & Support
Practical tips and step-by-step guides on how to find the money you need for your community group, organisation or charity from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
- All about applying for grants
- How to find grants
- Local Funding Advice and support
Maintenance Booker
High level works including gutter clearance. Grants available
Find out more at maintenancebooker.org.uk
Society of Antiquities
Churches, chapels and other places of worship built before 1896 can apply for grants of between £500 and £3,000 to carry out small programmes of conservation work to decorative features and monuments.
Congregational & General Charitable Trust
The Trust now awards grants ranging from a minimum of £1,000 to a maximum of £25,000. These are directly related to the cost of the project involved. Within the above limits, the maximum percentage project cost is 25%, to the nearest £100.
Find out more at candgtrust.org.uk
Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust
Grants for fabric repairs and preservation of individual artefacts like organs or monuments have also been key reasons for grants awarded.
Sheffield Diocese Grants
General Diocesan Grants & General Grants Committee
Wednesday 28 June 2023 and Thursday 19 Oct 2023
There are a number of other diocesan ‘funds’ you may apply to, and it is not necessary to specify which the application is for, the Grants Committee will match with what is appropriate. All applications must give a clear explanation of what is proposed and provide detailed costs and budgets. The project must:
- be relevant to the work of the Church in the Diocese, in particular the Diocesan Vision and Strategy
- be linked to your Mission Action Plan
- ensure any supplementary questions have been answered in such a way as to convince the grant-making group that you have a fair chance of delivering your project competently
- establish a plausible route by which your proposal could result in the growth of the church
- answer all questions on the form in such a way as to give a clear and full picture of your intentions
- if this is your intention, indicate how will the project continue in the future
Grants Committee has limited funds at its disposal and aims to steward these responsibly. Grants are made where applications have demonstrable merit, meet an urgent need or are thought likely to deliver lasting and substantive impact. When applications are being considered, careful note is taken of the applicant’s finances: accounts are looked at, as is the budget proposed for the full period of the grant, and the deployment of any reserves. For applications from churches, the Committee seeks assurances that parishes are up to date in their Common Fund Pledge and contributions, or have agreed a clear strategy for recovery. Grants awarded are usually no more than £5,000 per year for up to three years.
Meeting dates are February, June, October
- Applications should be submitted at least one-week before the meeting.
- Applications relating to health and safety or which are time critical can be made during the year to the same email address for consideration outside the meeting.
- After a grant is made there is a request for a report to feedback to the Committee how the money has impacted on the church or project.
Other Grants
- Ongoing Ministerial Development and Learning
- Centenary Project for youth and children’s workers
- The Hollowford Trust
- St Agatha’s Community Kickstart Fund
- Godly Play
- Sheffield West Riding Charitable Society Trust
Details about these grants
Ongoing Ministerial Development (OMD) & Learning Grants
OMD Grants of up to £225 per year are available for clergy and licensed or authorised lay ministers. These are for training events, quiet days, sabbaticals and retreats.
Centenary Project
If you are seeking funding for a youth or children’s worker, you should first consider becoming part of the Centenary Project. Please visit the link below and read through the criteria to see if your parish could benefit from this new project that is seeking to see a step-change in the way we minister to young people and children in the diocese. If you don’t feel you fit that criteria, you may still approach the Grants Committee for funding towards a youth and children’s worker or for any other reason.
The Hollowford Trust
This fund aims to assist young people aged between 10 and 25 years who are resident in, or near the Diocese of Sheffield, to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capabilities, so that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society and so that their conditions of life may be improved. Individuals can receive up to £300 and groups up to £400.
St Agatha’s Community Kickstart Fund
St Agatha’s Community Kickstart Fund exists to help small groups with church connections. Grants, usually to a maximum of around £500 are awarded to enable people to meet the costs of setting up initiatives. This might include:
- Equipment for a playgroup.
Refurbishing of a kitchen for an elders’ group.
Godly Play
Grants of up to £400 for Godly Play resources are available for churches (of all denominations) in the Diocese of Sheffield who are developing, or wanting to develop, a Godly Play ministry. All are encouraged to apply, but priority will be given to churches doing some work with schools or community outreach.
Grants of £150 for individuals living in the Diocese of Sheffield to attend accredited training are also available. These grants are available on a rolling basis.
For further details and an application form please email Kathryn Lord kathrynlord22@gmail.com
Find out more about Godly Play
Sheffield West Riding Charitable Society Trust
The Trust provides modest grants towards relieving need among clergy, deaconesses and licensed lay workers who are resident in or have served in the Diocese of Sheffield, and their dependent relatives or those who have acted as housekeepers to any member of clergy who was resident in or has served in the Diocese of Sheffield. Applications can be made by email westriding@sheffield.anglican.org
Information on grants and funding specifically for learning, retreats and sabbaticals funded by the Diocese and many other third-party agencies.
Equipping local church to disciple a new generation of young people, children and families.
A Christian Trust Fund managed by members of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Sheffield