What we fund

Our Grant Policy

Following a policy review in 2023, the Trustees have decided to focus on one key area of funding:

• offering grants to charities that support disabled people in Scotland.

Disabled people are those who have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities (Equality Act 2010).

Service provision will focus on providing opportunities and enabling people to lead fulfilling lives. This may include activities that offer advice, information and support, or life-skills, volunteering and employability training.

Applicant charities may assist with a wide range or specific groups of people, for example those living with mental ill health, cancer, physical and sensory impairments and long-term health conditions, as well as people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and other neurodivergent people.

In addition, the Trust is particularly keen to receive grant applications from the following:

• smaller charities meeting a demonstrable ‘need’ from their local community
• causes that do not have a strong public profile, including new Scottish charities
• charities developing innovative approaches, including pilot projects

Who Can Apply

Applicants must:

• provide a service that supports disabled people
• be a charity registered with OSCR
• deliver a service in Scotland
• have an annual income of less than £1 million

The grant request must:

• fund at least 10% of the delivery cost of your service/ project (if project-based, not core costs)

Grant requests can be for core costs or direct project costs, including staff salaries and overheads.

Applicants should hold reasonable but not excessive free reserves, unless there is a particular reason for holding a higher level. In the case of new charities with limited reserves, applicants can provide evidence of their likely sustainability over the duration of the grant.

The Case Studies page provides a few examples of the types of projects and services the Trust has supported in the past, and the Recent Grants page offers examples of the levels of grants awarded.

Please also refer to the Apply for a Grant webpage and the Restrictions webpage.