Allen Lane Foundation

Aims of Fund

To fund work that benefits groups of people who are unpopular in UK society today.

Who can apply

Registered charities or groups running a charitable project. Must have an annual income of less than £100,000 (for local groups) or £250,000 (for county wide, regional or national groups).

The trust will fund work which:

• will make a lasting difference to people's lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems
• is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination, and
• encourages or enables unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community.  

A significant proportion of those benefiting from your project must be:

• asylum-seekers and refugees (but NOT groups working with people of a single nationality)
• gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender people
• gypsies and travellers
• migrant workers
• offenders and ex-offenders
• older people
• people experiencing mental health problems
• people experiencing violence or abuse

How much and what can you apply for

Grants range from £500 to £5,000 per annum (for grants over a 3 year period) or £500 to £15,000 for one off grants. The Trust awards around £600,000 a year.

You can apply for start-up, core or project costs.

Examples of the kind of activities which might be suitable for funding:

• provision of advice or information
• advocacy
• befriending or mentoring
• social activities or drop-in centres
• practical work, such as gardening or recycling, which benefits both the provider and the recipient
• mediation or conflict resolution
• self help groups
• work aimed at combating stigma or discrimination
• work developing practical alternatives to violence
• arts activities where the primary purpose is therapeutic or social
• strengthening the rights of particular groups and enabling their views and experiences to be heard by policy-makers
• research and education aimed at changing public attitudes or policy 

There is a list of activities that they will NOT fund. These are listed in the exclusions section of their website

How to apply

You will need to fill in a short Registration Form and send it with an Application letter. The website explains clearly what you should include in your letter at http://www.allenlane.org.uk/howtoapply.html

Deadlines for application

There are no deadlines. Applications take between 2 months and 6 months to process.

Other details

Organisations can not apply more than once a year.

Contact details

Date & initials

14/6/11 JG