The Ironmongers' Company offers grants to organisations that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to fulfil their potential, accepting applications twice yearly. The company's aim is that its support makes a recognisable difference to a project's success, and therefore would like to cover a significant element of the cost.
How much is available?
Applicants can request up to £10,000 to support their project. There is no minimum amount, but they usually start at a few hundred pounds. The average grant awarded is £5,000.
Once awarded, the grant money must be spent within 12 months from the date of the award.
Within three months of completing the project, recipients are expected to submit an evaluation report, detailing the difference the grant made.
Ironmongers want their contribution to be significant, and would prefer to contribute to smaller organisations and requests where the grant would cover most of the cost of a project.
What work does it fund?
Ironmongers want to support projects that deliver clearly defined educational benefits to a specific group of children or young people. It is particularly interested in enabling primary age children to develop a strong foundation for the future.
Previous examples of recipient organisations include the QPR Works Programme, which provides independent living skills to 16- to 25-year-olds with learning disabilities.
Schools cannot apply for funding, unless they are also a registered charity providing for disadvantaged children and young people.
Who does it fund?
Ironmongers funding is only available to registered charities based and working in the UK. In addition, projects must:
- Be for children and young people under the age of 25 who are disadvantaged
- Consist of educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills
- Have clear objectives to be met within a planned timescale
The company will consider applications for funding equipment only where a full explanation is given of how it will support this activity.
Examples of how projects can help disadvantaged young people include: supporting educational needs, addressing behavioural problems, and promoting citizenship, parenting or life skills.
Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches where the outcomes will be disseminated to a wider audience.
What does it not fund?
Ironmongers will not provide funding for large projects towards which its contribution would have limited impact.
The company also will not provide grants for the following:
- General appeals or circulars
- Replacement of statutory funding
- General running costs
- Medical treatment, healthcare, counselling and therapy
- Course fees for professionals
- Research projects
- Bursaries
- Fundraising events and sponsorship
- Building work
- Holidays
When to apply
There are two application deadlines each year. The project which requires funding must not take place before the committee have made their funding decisions.
The summer deadline is 31 July and the winter deadline is 15 December.
How to apply
Applicants must complete the grant application summary sheet. They must also provide a description of the project on no more than three single sides of A4 paper. This description must include the following:
Aims and objectives of the organisation
How the need for the work has been identified and why the project is the best way to address this
A detailed description of the project and the planned activities
The anticipated outcomes and the methods by which the success of the project will be evaluated
A full breakdown of the costs involved, explaining the calculations
Organisations are required to enclose a copy of the most recent audited accounts if they are not publicly available.
Completed applications should be sent to the Charities Assistant at: Ironmongers' Hall, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8AA.
Applications are not accepted by email.
More from: www.ironmongers.org
Funding roundup
- TalkTalk raised £420,000 at a charity gala night to support children and young people with autism. The telecommunications group raised the money at an event organised with charity Ambitious about Autism, which it has supported since 2006, at the Supernova pop-up venue in central London on 24 November.
- A £50,000 fund has been launched to support children and families in Staffordshire. The Staffordshire County Council fund, will provide groups and organisations working with vulnerable families additional backing. It was launched on 28 November, on #GivingTuesday. The council could invest up to £5,000 into a project if the local community also supports it by pledging at least 50 per cent of the fundraising target.
- Schools and education organisations across the UK have won a share of £50,000 from Leeds Beckett University. The Carey Philpott Partner Research Fund has been established to help educational organisations find out what works to improve children and young people's lives. Five awards of £10,000 have been announced for 2017/18, going to Tribe Arts, Alive and Kicking Theatre Company, Leyburn Primary School and Yorkshire Collaborative Academy Trust, ImpactEd and the Victoria Academies Trust.
- A Wiltshire-based children's charity has received £225,000 to continue its work with military and civilian young people and their families. The NSPCC Tidworth Service Centre has been awarded this grant from the Army Central Fund. The funding will also support the charity's other services, such as drop-in sessions and Pregnancy in Mind, which helps parents cope with having a baby.
