Allen Lane Foundation

Grants available for: Local voluntary groups or registered charities with an annual income below £100,000.
Size of grants given: £500 to £15,000 per year
Deadlines: No deadlines; trustees meet 3 times a year to consider applications

Aims of Fund

The Allen Lane Foundation aims to fund work which:

  1. Will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems;
  2. Is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination; and
  3. Encourages or enables unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community.

Who can apply

Small registered charities, voluntary groups, and small charitable organisations. Must have an annual income of less than £100,000 (for local groups) or £250,000 (for county wide, regional or national groups).

How much and what can you apply for

£500 to £15,000 per year (average grant size is between £5000 and £6000).

You can apply for start-up, core, or project running costs. Funding can be given for continuation of work, but they are also particularly interested in unusual, imaginative or pioneering projects which have perhaps not yet caught the public imagination.

They are looking to fund charitable causes that they believe are unpopular in society and with other funders. They fund projects that benefit adults from within the following groups:

  • Asylum-seekers and refugees (but not groups working with a single nationality)
  • Gypsies and Travellers
  • Offenders and ex-offenders
  • Older people
  • People experiencing mental health problems
  • People experiencing violence or abuse

They also have a new programme to support young people. Particularly, young people aged 12-21 who are socially excluded or marginalised; whose experiences can be hidden or less well known; and whose voices are often erased or ignored.

Check their website for a specific list of activities that they will NOT fund.

How to apply

You will first need to take the online eligibility quiz to check your group is eligible to apply for a grant, and you will be directed to an online application form if you meet the eligibility criteria. Your online application can be saved and returned to as many times as you like. You can download a copy of the questions in the application form for reference and to help you prepare.

Deadlines for application

There are no deadlines. Trustees meet three times a year to discuss applications, usually in February, June and October. Applications take up to 6 months to process.

Other details

Organisations cannot apply more than once a year.

Contact details

Gill Alconley
The Allen Lane Foundation
90, The Mount
York YO24 1AR
01904 613223
For enquiries relating to offenders and ex-offenders, older people, or the young people programme – please email tim@allenlane.org.uk
For enquiries relating to asylum seekers and refugees, Gypsies and Travellers, people with mental health problems, or people experiencing violence or abuse – please email gill@allenlane.org.uk
For any other general queries, please email info@allenlane.org.uk

www.allenlane.org.uk

Date & initials

5/4/23 RL

Would you like to make a donation?

We hope you find this page useful. Would you like to make a donation?

All Resource Centre information is available for free because we know small community groups have small budgets. However, we are a small charity, so if you are in a position to make a donation, it will help us to keep running this service into the future.