Grants to Charities & Organisations
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has a well-established and substantial grants programme of support to charities and organisations that provide lifetime support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families. We will normally fund up to 100 charities in a given year which deliver support on behalf of the Army and ourselves.
In order to ensure that any grant given supports the Army Family, our charity has established guidelines for applicant charities and organisations. In particular, preference is given to charities and organisations which are members of the Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo) or Veterans Scotland.
Guidelines for applying
Please read the guidelines as they will help you in establishing your eligibility and in making your application the best it can be to ensure success.
View our application guidelines here
Applying
The main Grants Committee sits three times a year in February, June and November, with the Scottish Committee (dealing with requests for activities and charities/organisations based solely in Scotland) being held in April. New partners and projects are considered at the February Committee.
Grants Committee Applications
The window for applications to the Scottish Grants Committee is now closed.
The window for applications to the June Grants Committee is now open and will close on Thursday 27 April.
Please find below links to the respective application forms, noting only one application can be made to the Committee. Completed forms should be emailed to externalgrants@soldierscharity.org in word format. Having read the supporting information on this website and the applications forms should you have any questions again email these to the external grants mailbox above.
- For applications requesting a grant for £30,000 or more (normally for charities who have been awarded such grants before) please click the links below, download, complete, and return by email:
- For applications of a grant less than £30,000 please click the link below, download, complete, and return the application form:
For those charities and organisations considering making an application please note:
- Our individual grants programme will take priority over awards to other charities. These individual awards are still being processed as normal and we are working to ensure that those in crisis with immediate needs can be supported.
- It is very unlikely that we will consider applications covering any new activity/project a charity is looking to establish or applications from charities or organisations we have not previously supported in the last 24 months. If your application falls into these categories, you should contact us by email in the first instance, outlining the scheme and the amount you will be requesting and we will get back to you asap with our decision on whether a formal application should be made. If we ask for an application it will normally be considered at the end of our Financial Year at the February meeting. Where an application is made from an organisation with which we have no established relationship, any award is likely to be below £15k and it would be prudent to pitch accordingly. Every application will be considered on a case by case basis and it is always wise for those we have not engaged with to speak with us in advance of an application.
- For organisations applying for a grant application forms will be made available to download on this page when the window for submissions opens.
- Please note part of your application will require you to provide details on the financial viability of your organisation. Given the current climate and sector pressures, we are all having to make some difficult decisions. Organisations seeking support will need to demonstrate sound financial management, stability and sustainability. This request is based on COBSEO’s Funding Principles, which are available for you to download here. We ask that your finance officer or appropriate staff member sign this section.
- As normal we will not fund activities in their entirety but will consider a contribution to the overall costs, but will expect to see evidence as to how the remaining funds will be found, or covered by reserves.
- We are aware many charities are having to defer programmes of activity and hence we will delay consideration of such grants until later in the year.
- We will consider whether the activity we are being asked to fund is sustainable taking into consideration the financial position of the applicant charity, particularly given the current fundraising situation across the sector which has impacted on us all.
- We will not consider repeat applications inside our normal 12 month window.
- As normal, charities must not assume a grant will be awarded. Given the current situation and our focus on individual awards it would be prudent to anticipate either no award or reduced funding from any historical norm.
- Awards approved may be funded in a stage approach rather than the total award in one payment.
- If you have any further questions about your grant application please email: externalgrants@soldierscharity.org
