Transformational grants
Allchurches Trust
Allchurches Trust’s Transformational grants programme provides funding for Christian organisations to make a step change in their capacity, reach, impact and spiritual growth, enabling them to forge connections with many more people and communities who will benefit from their work.
While the majority of Allchurches’ grants are for capital projects and equipment, this programme will also fund salaries, recognising that innovative projects seeking to achieve a step-change will require resource for pump-priming and capacity-building in order to maximise potential impact and reach.
The programme aims to fund the most innovative and impactful projects that will make a change in the world and inspire and give confidence to other churches and Christian organisations to do the same. Applicants should, therefore, be committed to exploring partnerships and sharing learnings that will benefit the wider Christian sector.
Applications under the programme are considered on a rolling basis. There is no fixed deadline for submissions. There is no maximum grant, but there is a limited budget and only a limited number of grants are awarded each year to the projects that trustees consider best fit the aims and criteria for the programme.
Churches, cathedrals and Christian denominational bodies, and Christian charities in the UK and the Republic of Ireland are eligible to apply.
Transformational grants are usually for major, multi-year projects and, only a limited number are awarded each year to the projects that trustees consider best fit the aims and criteria for the programme. In addition to meeting the Trust’s core criteria for the award of a grant, applicants must demonstrate how their project will achieve as many as possible, and ideally all, of the following criteria:
Make a vital difference in enabling the organisation to realise its overall vision and strategic aims: We are able to consider applications for both the extension and growth of existing work, and for innovative and new work, as long as we can clearly see how this will help you realise your overall vision and strategic aims, and lead to transformational impact for your organisation and your beneficiaries.
Significantly extend the organisation’s reach to a greater number of people and/or over a wider geographical area, and increase the scope of its work: Projects for funding should have a ‘wider than local’ i.e. at least regional impact, therefore whilst Christian charities and organisations of all kinds are able to apply, local churches and Christian charities working solely in a local area are very unlikely to be eligible for this type of grant, and should contact us to discuss the project concerned before applying. We may be able to suggest another programme which is more suitable.
Lead to a significant step-change or growth for the organisation – numerically and spiritually: In this area, we’d like to see how your project will enable real transformation for your organisation, which will then result in demonstrable and measurable transformational impact for your beneficiaries, with more people being reached by the work you do, and there being a real difference or benefit in their lives as a result.
Benefit not only the immediate organisation but other similar organisations and/or the wider community as well: We’re always keen to see the widest possible benefit from projects funded, and to see collaboration where similar work or projects are being undertaken. If you’re aware of other organisations with similar projects, we’d like to see how you plan to collaborate with others to achieve the greatest possible impact, or if you feel there’s a strong case to consider funding your project in preference to others in the same field, to hear the reasons why you believe we should do so.