Twice a year, the Wolfson Foundation accepts applications from charitable organisations and educational establishments in the UK who are seeking grants for capital initiatives, i.e. buildings (new build or refurbishment) and equipment.
The Foundation funds a broad range of organisations working across the fields of education, science and medicine, health and disability, heritage and arts and humanities.
The size of the grants varies across the different programme areas.
The usual grant ranges are:
- Charities working with disability funding – £20,000 - £75,000
- Charities working in mental health funding – £20,000 - £75,000
- Charities working with older people funding – £20,000 - £75,000
- Historic buildings and landscapes funding (includes places of worship and cathedrals) – £15,000 - £100,000
- Hospices and palliative care organisations funding – £30,00 - 125,000
- Libraries and archives – £15,000 - £100,000
- Museums and galleries funding – £50,000 - £500,000
- Performing arts organisations funding – £50,000 - £150,000
- Public engagement with science organisations funding – £100,000 - £250,000
- State funded secondary schools and sixth form colleges funding – £15,000 - £50,000 (for equipment); £15,000 - –£100,000 (for new build and refurbishment)
- Special needs schools and colleges funding – £20,000 - £75,000
- Universities and research institutions – £250,000 - £1 million
The minimum grant available is generally £15,000 (except for universities and research institutions funding which is £100,000).
Match funding is required for projects where the total project cost is above £50,000.
The project should be for a new building, refurbishment work or equipment that leads to at least one of the following aims:
- Increased access to services for new and existing users
- Improved quality and range of services
- Improved financial stability of the organisation
There is a two-stage application process.
Deadline for Stage 1 applications: 1 July 2024 with decisions in December 2024.