Funding/Can you apply?
Given Westhill’s history, Trustees will consider offering support for a wide range of projects. The Trustees have particular interests in activities involving formal and informal religious education, projects which facilitate interfaith activity and learning opportunities, and projects in the field of faith-motivated community transformation. Ideally these projects should be creative and inclusive.
Westhill also consider grants that develop the capacity of organisations to better serve the needs of their beneficiaries in the fields listed above.
Projects can be new, continuing, or one-off initiatives, although Westhill do particularly welcome applications for new, innovative, and ‘seed-corn’ projects.
Westhill value projects built on solid foundations, knowledge of your community or audience, clear objectives, and a viable and carefully budgeted action plan.
Westhill generally consider applications for projects requiring investment of between £500 and £20,000. The larger sums are usually for projects running over two years.
Westhill’s grant-giving geographical area is usually limited to projects taking place in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland.
Please look at ‘Projects that Spark’ to see examples of projects Westhill are involved with.
Applying for funding
If you are interested in applying for funding please read through all of the information on our website, our history, FAQs and Projects that Spark and also download our information leaflet. This will help you understand if your project might be eligible. If you have any difficulty with reading or understanding any of the information please contact us.
All of this information is now also available in one place on this handy PDF, which you can download by clicking here.
If you decide you would like to make an application the process is as follows:
1. After reading the information, if you would like to apply for funding, please make a funding enquiry.
This information allows us to make an initial assessment as to whether an application might be successful, and if so, we will send you information on how to make a full application. This step in the process avoids you spending a long time completing an application if it’s unlikely to be successful.
Make a Funding Enquiry
2. If we do not send you an application form we will reply, either with further questions, or with an explanation as to why we think an application may not be successful.
3. If you receive an application form, please read through the questions and make sure that you have all the information you need to hand before starting. You will be able to save the form part way through but once the application is submitted you will not be able to access it, please save any information you need for your own records. Please plan ahead as late applications will not be accepted.
5. Your application will be carefully assessed by our Grants and Projects Committee and verified by the Board of Trustees, on a termly basis.
6. You will normally be advised of the outcome within a few days of the meeting.
For successful applicants:
1. Successful applicants are issued with a formal Letter of Arrangement, which will set out the terms of our support and the expectations and commitments of all concerned. Applicants usually draw-down funds in agreed stages, subject to satisfactory interim updates.2. Our grants include the opportunity to promote your project on our website, see Projects That Spark. The website can help to promote your project, give an overview of our support, and inspire other organisations. It can also help you to secure funding in the future by showcasing what you have achieved.
3. We also appreciate reciprocal linking from the websites of successful applicants, as well as use of our logo on relevant promotional material.
4. At the end of each project which Westhill has supported, we require applicants to complete and return a Grant Impact Form which will be provided.
5. All grants made are listed in Westhill’s Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.
