Resources: Funding focus - Church Urban Fund

What's it all about? This initiative of the Church of England was established in 1988 as a practical response to the Church's Faith in the City report into urban poverty. "It began with a vision," said then Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey. "A vision that is rooted in a Lord whose love is universal." Church members responded to the vision and raised 20m.As well as providing funding, it aims to influence local and national regeneration policy by analysing the projects it supports and publishing materials to prompt a wider debate on urban regeneration.

What does it fund? Projects tackling poverty and marginalisation in urban areas of England. The fund aims to benefit people who are socially, culturally, spiritually, environmentally and financially disadvantaged. Recent projects funded include CRISP, the Conflict Resolution in Schools Programme, set up by Quakers from Darlington to train young people in peaceful ways of settling conflict. The fund was able to support salaries for two part-time staff to extend the scheme across Teesside. Other projects have provided social events for isolated disabled people, independent living advice at a domestic violence refuge, support for a credit union and chaplaincy advice to help ex-offenders establish crime-free lives after leaving custody.

Who will it fund? Funds are allocated to projects and not individuals in England only. Grants are not restricted on the basis of religious beliefs and the fund welcomes applications from ethnic minority groups and from other faith-based organisations.

How much is available? There is an annual grant-making budget of 3m.

Grants can be up to 30,000. A small initiatives fund goes up to 2,000.

Application process: Applications must come through the Church's diocesan structure. A map with contact details for advisers in each diocese, who can supply guidance and application forms, can be found on the web site www.cuf.org.uk.