Schroder Charity Trust
Objectives of Fund
Following a strategic review of the Trust’s grant-making programme, applications will be considered for work under the following two objectives:
- Enabling children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to thrive and achieve their potential in education and employment. Priorities:
- Enhancing early years school readiness for children in vulnerable families
- Developing reading and literacy skills
- Enhancing financial literacy
- Helping young people pursue vocational careers and apprenticeships
- Enhancing employment outcomes for young offenders (aged 18-25)
- Providing tutoring to develop attainment at primary and secondary school
- Strengthening communities through services and opportunities which enhance the wellbeing and life outcomes of vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
- Strengthening communities through services and opportunities which enhance the wellbeing and life outcomes of vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Priorities:
- Providing services and advice to help people out of financial hardship and material poverty
- Enhancing life outcomes for children in the care system
- Reducing social isolation and maximising independence for older people
- Building confidence, resilience, life skills and wellbeing through youthwork
- Supporting the homeless and those at risk of homelessness into sustainable housing.
Value Notes
The Trust generally makes grants of up to £5,000. Grants are for a one-year period rather than over multiple years.
Who Can Apply
Registered charities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with an income of between £150,000 and £1 million may apply.
Location
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Charities registered outside of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Organisations with a status other than registered charity (e.g. CICs and social enterprises)
- Individuals – including applications made by an organisation on behalf of an individual, or where the grant will only have one beneficiary
- Political organisations
- Statutory organisations
- Animal welfare organisations
- Newly established charities that cannot provide a full year of audited accounts
- Charities with an annual income below £150,000
- Charities with an annual income over £1 million.
- Charities who have applied to unsuccessfully in the past 12 months.
- Charities who have received a grant from the Schroder Charity Trust in the past 24 months.
- Work that falls outside the stated objectives and priorities
- General and round-robin appeals
- Festivals, one-off events or time limited fundraising appeals
- Capital / buildings
- Personal sponsorships
- Work that takes place outside of the UK
- Requests over £5,000
- Endowments
- Multi-year funding
- Retrospective expenditure for work that has already taken place or nearly finished i.e. grants cannot be made retroactively
Eligible Expenditure
The grants can support both core costs and project (restricted) costs.
How To Apply
There will be two application windows each year.
The application windows for 2026 are:
- 1 March – 30 April 2026
- 1 August – 30 September 2026
Applications should be submitted via the online form on the Schroder Charity Trust website.
Decisions on grant applications are usually made within four months of the deadline and will be communicated by email to the applicant.
Frequently asked questions, eligibility checker (available only during the application windows) and the online application form are available on the Trust's website.
Contact the Schroder Charity Trust for further information.
