The Weavers Company Charitable Grants

The Grant Priorities are:

Supporting offenders into work

Many offenders and ex-offenders suffer from a variety of difficult, complex problems and are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. Whilst they fund a variety of work that addresses the social and economic problems faced by this group, their current priority is to support those looking to build skills and capability to get into sustainable work.

Helping specific groups within the criminal justice sector

They recognise that certain sectors within the criminal justice sector are less popular with funders than others, so they are committed to supporting charities working with such groups.

Supporting young people

They are keen to support projects that work with young people from disadvantaged and socio-economically challenged groups, such as immigrants, to ensure they are given every possible chance to realise their full potential and to participate fully in society. They normally define young people as being aged up to 25 years.

Priority funding is supporting offenders into work and helping specific groups within the criminal justice sector, whilst secondary funding is supporting young people.

Work that they will fund:

• Pump-priming: They particularly welcome applications where their grant would support a project piloting new approaches and where that grant would form a major element of the funding or where it would be matched by other funders.
• Project funding: They prefer to support projects where our grant would be used for an identified purpose
• Associated costs: If you are applying for project funding, you should make sure you have included the cost of any overheads associated with the work, such as office/secretarial support, so that the project is not under-funded. It is in your best interest to ensure that you have realistically assessed the cost of the project.
  Core costs. They will consider applications for core funding for new projects, including staff salaries, training and overheads that enable an organisation to develop and maintain expertise
• Innovative or pioneering work: They like to encourage new ideas and to fund projects that could inspire similar work in other areas of the country
• Continuation funding: Once a grant has been made you are welcome to make an additional application after the first anniversary of the grant
• Emergency or deficit funding: In exceptional circumstances, they may provide emergency or deficit funding for an established organisation. Applicants most likely to be granted emergency funding are groups that they know or have previously supported

The Charitable Grants Committee meets in February, June and October of each year. Because of the various stages involved in the assessment process, it may take up to 4 months for your application to be processed and this should be considered when planning your project.

The Weavers’ Company wish to work with organisations that can demonstrate impact with ex-offenders, young offenders or young people at risk of offending, either within a local area or nationally.

• Whilst the size of organisation is not relevant when making an application, it may be easier for smaller organisations to demonstrate impact as they prefer to fund smaller charities and those instigating bespoke projects
• Organisations must be UK registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs).  In exceptional circumstances they may support Community Interest Companies (CICs)
• Their Small Grants Programme has a cap of £5,000
• Their Main Grants Programme is uncapped, but you are advised to research typical grant sizes previously made by looking through their Charity Commission Annual Reports

Work that is outside their guidelines

• Universities or colleges
• Physical, mental and developmental disabilities, and medical research or medical conditions, including drug and alcohol addiction
• Environmental projects
• Work in promotion of religious or political causes
• Sponsorship, marketing appeals and fundraising activities
• Endowment appeals
• Work that has been completed, or will be completed, while the application is being considered
• Capital projects to provide compliance with the DDA
• Grants to individuals or to causes that will benefit only one person, including student grants or bursaries
• They will not provide grants to grant-giving charities
• Organisations working outside the UK, and overseas expedition or travel
• Work that should be covered by statutory funding
• Capital costs including building work and renovations
• Immigration legal fees or visa applications

03/07/2025 to be considered in October 2025

13/11/2025 to be considered in February 2026