GRANTS TO CHARITIES
Together with our national charity, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), we are tackling some of society’s most important issues through grants to charities.
Our programme in Nottinghamshire is open to local charities in the following categories:
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helping disadvantaged children and young people,
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working to reduce loneliness and isolation in later life,
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supporting healthier communities and wellbeing for all,
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improving the local environment
As our policy is to support the smaller local charities/charitable organisations and causes, preference is given to those whose annual income is normally less than £25,000
GRANT APPLICATIONS PROCESS
Before you start your grant application please read the information contained in the sections in order. It is important that you fully read each section before proceeding to the next. Further information can be found in the FAQs below.
Together, these should provide you with all the necessary information for you to make an informed decision about whether or not to make an application and the details and expectations of doing so.
The FAQs section should answer any other questions you may have, but if you need to contact us, please do so using the link below:
What is the Nottinghamshire Masonic Charity?
It is a local charity run by Nottinghamshire Masons for the benefit of local communities, and for freemasons and their families.
Its purpose is to build better lives by enabling opportunity, advancing healthcare and education, and promoting independence for all
How is the Provincial Charity funded?
Our work is funded solely through the generous donations of freemasons, their families and friends.
What is Freemasonry?
One of the oldest social and charitable organisations in the world, the roots of modern Freemasonry lie with the medieval stonemasons that built our castles and cathedrals, yet it is as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago.
Freemasons use four important guiding principles to help define their path through life: Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Charity.
How much does the Nottinghamshire Provincial Charity and its members’ lodges donate to charities each year?
We donate over £100,000 each year to local charities
Who can Apply for a Grant?
The Nottinghamshire Provincial Charity supports local charities and similar not-for-profit organisations supporting Nottinghamshire communities.
For full eligibility, please visit the Eligibility Criteria page
Do you fund individuals?
Generally, No. Consideration to assess may be given only in the most exceptional circumstances
Do you fund projects and charities outside the UK?
No
Are there any other geographical restrictions?
Yes – our main charity grants programmes are only for charities and projects in Nottinghamshire.
Can we apply if we are a new organisation?
You must be able to provide us with audited or independently inspected charity accounts. We also expect organisations to be able to demonstrate a track record of service delivery.
We don’t have our own charity number, can we apply using the charity number of a head office?
Yes – but only if you have written permission to do so from your head office.
If you are part of a larger or a national charity, with the same charity number, and legally governed by the same board of trustees, we require your larger/national charity to provide written permission which you must tell us on the application and be prepared to send us a copy if we ask.
Please be aware that we are only able to accept one application per charity number at at time and re-application rules will apply to that number, regardless of whether a different branch of the charity or head office has applied under that same registration number.
Our charity is exempt from registering with the Charity Commission. Can we apply?
Yes. You will need, however to be able to produce at least one year’s audited or independently inspected charity accounts
Does our charity need to have its own bank account to be eligible to apply?
Yes. The charity is required to have its own bank account. In addition, financial best practice and prudence requires two signatories on a cheque.
We are under the threshold for being required to have independently examined or audited accounts – can we apply?
No, unfortunately we cannot accept any application unless the organisation has a full set of independently examined or audited accounts.
You are funding our organisation already, can we apply for another grant?
No. Organisations can only have one active grant from us at a time.
Our application was turned down. How soon can we apply again?
If your grant application was declined, you must wait for one year from the date of the rejection before reapplying.
We have received a grant from Nottinghamshire in the past. When can we apply again?
The grant ends 12 months from the date of the last payment/instalment or project completion. For example, a one year grant awarded in 2021 ends in 2022; the charity would be eligible to reapply in 2024.
We have been in operation for several years but have recently merged with another charity and therefore have a new charity number. Can we still apply for funding?
You must have one year’s published accounts as the merged organisation.
Do you have Application deadlines?
Please visit our Applications Deadlines Page
How much can I apply for?
Grants awarded are typically between £250 to £5000 but may vary and are subject to funding availability
What length of funding do you offer?
Grants are available that will be used within 12 months of an offer letter.
Do you give unrestricted funding?
No
Do you allow overhead costs to be included in large grants?
No
Do you fund new/pilot projects?
Yes, if within an existing charity and forms part of their Objectives
Do you fund salaries?
No
Can I attach more information to my application?
You must attach your current Safeguarding Policy if you have one but no other documents.
You cannot attach any other document. You can, however, indicate on the application form that you would like to provide up to two supporting documents. We welcome impact reports, pilot evaluations or anything else you feel would be relevant to your application. If considered necessary we will contact you about it.
If we include a prepared project proposal do we still have to complete the form in full?
Please see the item above.
If I send in a full set of accounts, do I still have to complete the finance section of the form?
The entire form must be completed in full. If we require further financials you will be contacted. You cannot attach any documents other than your Safeguarding policy if you have one.
I don’t know how to fill in the finance section of the form. What should I do?
Your finance worker, accountant/auditor, council for voluntary service or other support agency should be able to assist you as we use this information to help us assess the financial strength of your organisation.
If you have a question about the wording of a question then you would be welcome to contact us for clarification.
Can I post or email my application form?
No, we cannot accept postal or emailed applications, all forms are ‘online’ only.
There will be a ‘Submit’ button for you to click once the application has been completed.
Our application form is compatible with assistive technology
How will I know if you have received my application?
You will receive an acknowledgement and copy of your application shortly after submission.
This will be sent to the email address you gave us in your application. You may need to check your spam filter to find the emails.
If you haven’t heard from us within seven working days of submitting your application please contact us to check whether we received it.
If changes occur to our organisation after we have submitted our application, do we need to inform you?
Yes – please make sure that you keep us up dated of any important changes that may affect the outcome of your application.
This is especially important if your contact details change, or if the person who submitted the application leaves your organisation.
Do applications require the support or a reference from a Freemason?
No – your charity does not require a connection to a Freemason.
If you are a Freemason who is interested in referring a charity for a grant, please do not hesitate to share our website with the organisation or give them our contact details so we can advise them on how to apply.
My application fits more than one category. Which one should I apply for?
You should apply for only one target area. The majority of your project's/charity’s beneficiaries must fit within one of our target areas. See our Eligibility Criteria page for more details.
How are successful grantees selected?
Charities go through a rigorous assessment process before being selected for support. We assess applicants on several criteria: the need being addressed, whether the activities effectively tackle this need, the charity’s financial situation, the capacity and sustainability of the organisation and its project, reach and potential impact, how results are monitored, etc. Because we are funded by Nottinghamshire Freemasons we aim to reflect that in the grants we make and try to have a good geographic spread within the county.
Do you prefer projects/organisations that work with a large number of people?
Not necessarily – when considering the impact of the project we take into account both the numbers of people that are reached and the depth of the project’s intervention to those involved.
How long will I have to wait for a decision?
Please refer to the Deadlines page.
If we are successful, what will be expected of us?
At the time of making the application you agreed to a number of Terms and Conditions and requirements as listed in the Terms and Conditions page, which is required before you access the application form. These would come into force once you have been offered and accept a Grant..
Over the duration of the project you will be required to provide periodic and/or completion reports. A member of the Case and Finance Committee may conduct a visit. On occasion we may also ask your organisation to speak at one of our events to raise further awareness of the topic and the work we are doing together.
We will arrange for you to meet with local Freemasons for a presentation and to secure any publicity opportunities.
Do you provide feedback on unsuccessful applications?
Yes. We will provide feedback at whichever stage your application is rejected.
The main reason for not funding projects is that we receive many more applications than we can support, which unfortunately causes us to turn down many of the charities that apply to us.
My query is not answered here, where can I get further help and advice?
FAQ
Charity Grants
