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.
 

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.

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

Grant Procedures

1. After reading the information, if you would like to apply for funding, please make a funding enquiry.
   
   This information allows us to make an initial assessment as to whether an application might be successful, and if so, we will send you information on how to make a full application. This step in the process avoids you spending a long time completing an application if it’s unlikely to be successful.
   
   Make a Funding Enquiry
2. If we do not send you an application form we will reply, either with further questions, or with an explanation as to why we think an application may not be successful.
3. If you receive an application form, please read through the questions and make sure that you have all the information you need to hand before starting. You will not be able to save the form part way through. Please plan ahead as late applications will not be accepted.
4. We will advise you of the date of the next submission deadline and the date that the Board of Trustees will meet to consider your application. If you miss the deadline given your application will be automatically declined and you will need to start the process again in preparation for the following deadline which will be around 4 months later.
5. Your application will be carefully assessed by our Grants and Projects Committee and verified by the Board of Trustees, on a termly basis.
6. You will normally be advised of the outcome within a few days 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 project, give an overview of our support, and inspire other organisations. It can also help you to secure funding in the future by showcasing what you have achieved.
3. We also appreciate reciprocal linking from the websites of successful applicants, as well as use of our logo on relevant promotional material.
4. At the end of each project which Westhill has supported, we require applicants to complete and return a Grant Impact Form which will be provided.
5. All grants made are listed in Westhill’s Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.