Frequently Asked Questions

What funding is available for my project?

Berkshire Community Foundation offers a variety of grants ranging from £50 up to £10,000.  Please click here to see the list of grants available.

Who can apply?

Grants are open to voluntary organisations or groups established for charitable purposes; you do not need to be a registered charity to apply, but you should have a structure which will allow for monitoring of activity and feedback to the Foundation.  Application criteria differs between the grants however statutory organisations cannot apply for any Berkshire Community Foundation grants.

At the Foundation we understand that the community needs of Berkshire vary greatly and as such we welcome applications from groups benefiting older people, disaffected young people, people with mental or physical disabilities or a long term illness and their carers, homeless people, people living in areas of multiple deprivation or rural exclusion, ethnic minorities, low income families, and lone parents.

What cannot be funded?

We do not fund medical research or equipment, sponsored events, animal welfare, overseas travel/expeditions, promotion of religious or political causes, statutory work (in educational institutions or replacing statutory obligation/public funding) or groups with more than one year’s unrestricted reserves.  Dependent on the grant applied for we may be able to fund running costs, or sports and arts projects that tackle wider social need.  Grants are not intended to support major capital appeals and cannot be made retrospectively.   

Please see the specific criteria for each grant on our Grants Available page.

How do I apply?

Application forms can be found on the Grants Available page; however we would encourage anyone interested in submitting an application to contact one of the Grants team on 0118 930 3021 in the first instance to discuss the application. 

We also offer an outreach service for groups interested in making a Grassroots Grant application. 

For guidance on completing a successful application please click here.

How do we assess your application?

Application assessment varies dependent on which grant you apply for, however in all cases applications are assessed by a member of the Foundation grants team before they are presented at a panel meeting.  Decisions will be advised within 6 weeks of the grant closing date.    

How do we monitor your grant?

All successful applications will be provided with a monitoring form which, as well as looking at grant expenditure, asks for feedback on the difference the grant has made to your group.

What happens if the application is unsuccessful?

Should your application be unsuccessful, a member of the grants team will contact you to explain the reasons why and will provide guidance as to whether you should apply again.