Grants will be made to projects and partnerships involving Church of England churches in the Diocese of Guildford and applications to the Fund are welcome throughout the year.
Your project will be much more likely to receive funding if:
- It seeks to tackle social issues that adversely affect our local communities including (but not limited to) mental health, older people’s support, family support, debt counselling, youth work, homelessness and poverty.
- It helps to regenerate local communities and build community capacity to meet local needs.
The outcomes of such projects may include:
- Strengthened resilience of people in difficult circumstances.
- Improved confidence and increased aspirations through training and development of new skills.
- Increased community capacity and resilience to support others locally.
How much is each grant?
It varies depending on the project, but typically main grants range from between £500 to £5,000. Our average grant award is £3,000, But there is a separate, simpler application scheme for small grants (see below).
While the Fund typically provides one-off awards, in some circumstances, multi-year funding or larger awards may be considered, especially where these relate to strategic, capacity-building projects.
New Small Grants scheme 2024-2025
Parishes may apply for a small grant of up to £500 for either a new or an established project. This can include capital items which enable the parish to servce their community more effectively, Applications can be made to the trustees using the simple form below at any time. A trustee will follow up the application and a decision will be made as soon as possible, usually within 4-6 weeks.. Only one application per parish can be made for a small or a main grant in any one year, with priority given to new applicants. In exceptional circumstances emergency funding grants will be considered under this scheme, please contact grants@bgcf.org.uk.
How do I apply?
In the first instance, it is advisable to contact our Grant Manager by emailing grants@bgcf.org.uk with a short paragraph about your project.
Please submit completed application forms and any supporting documents including a PDF copy of the latest annual report and financial accounts of your project to grants@bgcf.org.uk. Please note the next closing dates for applications are:
- 25 January 2025
- 12 May 2025
- 23 September 2025
BGCF Grant Application Form BGCF Small Grant Application Form
BGCF Assessment Criteria
Measuring impact
In order to evaluate the impact of The Bishop of Guildford’s Communities Fund, grant holders will be asked to complete a review on the anniversary of the grant award. The Grant Manager will work with recipients on how best to measure the impact of the award.