Apply

To be eligible for our open programme, an applicant charity will:

• Work in one of our priority areas
• Be registered as a UK charity, delivering work in the UK
• Have an annual income between £150k and £1.5m (this applies to the most recent published accounts and the two subsequent financial years - this would include draft figures and forecasts). See our FAQs for more detail
• Have operated for at least a year and be able to provide a full year’s audited or independently examined accounts.

Exclusions:

• Individuals
• The promotion of religion
• Capital appeals
• Academic research
• Charities with large national links.

For more information on the charities and work that we have funded in the past is available on this page.

The A B Charitable Trust works with charities which do any or all of the following:

• Provide specialist legal advice and representation. By 'specialist' we mean related to resolving a legal problem with specialist casework and/or advice through representation, and/or by being expert in a specific area of law
• Work to influence law, policy and practice through e.g. strategic litigation or public law challenges
• Strengthen the sector and supports organisations delivering work in this area

We usually fund organisations working solely within this priority area. For these organisations, core funding (unrestricted grants) or project funding (restricted grants) are both available. We are happy to give unrestricted funding so please don’t create a project specially for us, but feel free to apply for project funding if that would most benefit your organisation at the current time.

Very occasionally we also accept restricted grant applications from charities working more broadly, where the work fits our priorities forms a significant strand, and the organisation can show it is best placed to deliver the work.

See our FAQs for more information about how we define specialist legal advice, and about what proportion of your work we expect this to represent.

1. Application form

Basic information about your organisation, finances and your request for funding through a four-page application form (the questions can be reviewed in our guidance).

2. Other documents

a. A Word/ PDF document of 2 to 2 ½ pages to tell us about your work.

As you can see on our website, A B Charitable Trust usually provides unrestricted funding. We are happy for you to draw on material you may already have when you prepare this document, for example the narrative in your annual accounts, the text on your website, or funding proposals you may have worked on recently. You don’t have to create something new for us. We find it useful to know your background; aims and objectives; activities and achievements; the individuals/ groups who you work with; as well as your organisation’s values and approach. If you are applying for unrestricted funding, there is no need to include a budget outlining how you propose to spend the grant.

If you would like to apply for restricted/ project funding, please describe the project and provide a project budget. The budget can be in addition to your 2 page document. Please see our FAQ’s for further details on what we are likely to fund.

If you have been invited to submit a proposal for a special initiative or anchor grant, you may exceed the two-page maximum for your proposal. Your Grants Manager can provide more details.

Please note we only accept complete applications submitted through our online application form.

Following your application, we will contact you directly if we require any further information, which may include a phone call as part of the assessment.

b. Financial information including most recent audited/ examined financial accounts, current financial year figures, and projection (if your financial year is ending within the next 4 months).

c. A copy of your governing document/ constitution, and your safeguarding policy.