Funding/Can you apply?

Westhill consider support for a wide range of projects and have particular interests in activities involving formal and informal religious education, projects utilising the creative and performing arts, and projects facilitating interfaith activity.

Westhill also consider grants that develop the capacity of organisations to better serve the needs of their beneficiaries, or service users, in the fields of religious education and faith-motivated community transformation.

Westhill value projects built on solid foundations, knowledge of your community or audience, clear objectives, and a viable and carefully budgeted action plan.

Westhill generally consider applications for grants requiring investment of between £500 and £20,000.  The larger sums are usually for projects running over two years.

Most of our grants support projects in the UK. We welcome applications from all communities and want our grants to reflect rich diversity. On occasion we are able to consider applications for international activities with accountable UK-based partner organisations. Please contact us to discuss international applications.

Applying for funding

If you are interested in applying for funding please read through all of the information on our website, our history, FAQs and Projects that Spark and also download our information leaflet. This will help you understand if your project might be eligible. If you have any difficulty with reading or understanding any of the information please contact us.

After reading the information, if you would like to apply for funding, please email us with a 100-word summary about your project. We will make an initial assessment as to whether an application might be successful. This step in the process avoids you spending a long time completing an application if it’s unlikely to be successful.

If you decide you would like to make an application the process is as follows:

Grant Procedures

1. After you have read through all the information available please send us an email with a 100-word summary about your project.
2. We will reply, either with an application form (and a unique application reference number), with further questions, or with an explanation as to why we think an application may not be successful.
3. We will advise you of the dates of the next the submission deadlines and the dates that the Board of Trustees will meet to consider your application.
4. Final submissions must be received by email by the deadline.
5. Your application will be carefully assessed by the Board of Trustees, on a termly basis.
6. You will normally be advised of the outcome within 48 hours of the meeting.

For successful applicants:

1. Successful applicants are issued with a formal Letter of Arrangement, which will set out the terms of our support and the expectations and commitments of all concerned. Applicants usually draw-down funds in agreed stages, subject to satisfactory interim updates.
2. Our grants include the opportunity to promote your project on our website, see Projects That Spark. The website can help to promote your projects, give an overview of our investments, and to inspire other organisations. It can also help you to secure funding in the future by showcasing what you have achieved.
3. At the end of each project which Westhill has supported, we require that applicants complete and return a standard Grant Impact Form.
4. All grants made are listed in Westhill’s Annual Report and Statement of Accounts. We also appreciate reciprocal linking from the websites of successful applicants, as well as use of our logo on relevant promotional material.

Other Funders

Alternative charitable funders for faith-motivated religious education and community transformation projects, pdf download:

Charitable Funders of Faith Motivated Projects