The Wolfson Foundation

Background

The Wolfson Foundation, established in 1955, is an independent charity that awards grants to support and promote excellence in the fields of science, health, education and the arts and humanities. The funding is intended to support capital infrastructure in these fields.

Since 1955, the Foundation has awarded over £1 billion in grants (£2 billion in real terms) to more than 14,000 projects all over the UK.

Objectives of Fund

The main objective of the Foundation is the funding of capital infrastructure in the following areas:

• Science and medicine.
• Arts and humanities.
• Heritage.
• Education.
• Health and disability.

Value Notes

The size of the grants varies across 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 – £15,000–£100,000.
• Hospices and palliative care organisations funding – £30,000–£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.
• 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 Restrictions

Match funding is required for projects where the total project cost is above £50,000 and should be in place at the point of submission of a Stage 2 application. Match funding may include funds committed by the organisation, funds already received, as well as confirmed pledges. In the case of National Lottery Heritage Fund, the foundation generally accepts a stage 1 pass as match funding.

Match funding may include any capital costs, including VAT, related to the project. It should not include non-capital costs such as staff costs or other core funding costs.

The following match funding criteria applies:

• Arts and humanities, science and medicine or health and disability programmes - the Foundation generally requires that at least 25% of the capital costs of the project are raised before submission (unless the project cost is under £50,000).
• Schools/education programme - where the total cost of the project is above £1 million, 25% match funding is required; if the total project cost is between £50,000 and £1 million, some match funds are required; and if the total project cost is below £50,000, no match funding is required.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from organisations and educational establishments in the UK which are registered charities or which have charitable status.

The Foundation accepts applications from the following types of organisation:

• Charities working with disability.
• Charities working in mental health.
• Charities working with older people.
• Historic buildings and landscapes.
• Hospices and palliative care organisations.
• Places of worship.
• Libraries and archives.
• Museums and galleries.
• Performing arts organisations.
• Public engagement with science organisations.
• Secondary schools and sixth form colleges.
• Special needs schools and colleges.
• Universities and research institutions.

Location

United Kingdom

Restrictions

Funding is not available for:

• Community interest companies (CICs).
• Purchase of land or existing buildings (including a building’s freehold).
• Grants direct to individuals.
• Grants through conduit organisations.
• Overheads, maintenance costs and VAT.
• Non-specific appeals (including circulars) and endowment funds.
• Costs of meetings, exhibitions, concerts, expeditions, conferences, lectures, etc.
• Salary costs.
• Running costs, including vehicle fuel and maintenance.
• Film, websites or promotional materials.
• Repayment of loans.
• Projects that have already been completed or will be by the time of award.

Specific restrictions also apply to some individual types of place. Applicants are advised check the Wolfson Foundation website to confirm eligibility.

Eligible Expenditure

The main grants programme provides support for places. These grants are for capital initiatives, ie 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.

Health and disability

Support is available for:

• Organisations working with disability. Grants are awarded towards capital projects that encourage independence. The Foundation is particularly interested in projects which focus on training, employment and supported housing, especially when the project aids the transition from children’s services to adults’ services.
• Organisations focused on mental health. Grants are awarded towards capital projects with a particular emphasis on projects that focus on training, employment and supported housing.
• Organisations which provide care and services for older people, particularly if they have a neurodegenerative condition or are isolated. Grants are awarded towards new buildings, refurbishment work and equipment.
• Hospices and palliative care organisations which provide excellent care to patients and their families. Grants are awarded towards new buildings, refurbishment work and equipment.
  

Heritage, humanities and the arts

Support is available for:

• Organisations managing sites of outstanding historic, architectural and cultural significance and that have a clear emphasis on public access and engagement. Grants are awarded towards conservation and restoration work, interpretation, and education spaces.
• Libraries and archives caring for nationally significant collections and which have a clear emphasis on public access and engagement. Grants are generally awarded towards collection storage facilities and research, education or interpretation spaces.
• Museums and galleries undertaking projects to improve the display and interpretation of nationally significant collections for the public. Grants are generally awarded towards refurbishing or creating new galleries and, occasionally, education and learning spaces.
• Performing arts organisations with an outstanding artistic programme to improve their performance and training facilities. Grants are awarded towards the building or refurbishment of these facilities, and occasionally towards the purchase of related specialist equipment.

Science and medicine

Support is available for:

• Organisations that are in possession of significant scientific or natural history collections to improve public engagement with science through projects related to the history of science. Grants are generally awarded towards refurbishing or creating new galleries and, occasionally, education and learning spaces.
• Research intensive universities and research institutions. Grants are awarded towards new buildings, refurbishment work and major equipment to enable high-quality research. It sometimes also awards grants to improve access and research libraries or to improve public engagement with science.

Education

Support is available for:

• Schools and colleges for children and young people with special educational needs. Grants are awarded for projects focused on helping pupils to develop skills which would help them to gain employment or live independently after leaving school or college.
• High-achieving state-funded secondary schools and sixth form colleges to improve the teaching at GCSE and A-Level of subjects that need specialist spaces and equipment. It awards grants towards capital projects that help schools to create and improve these facilities.

Specific criteria applies to the different types of places that are eligible for funding. Applicants are advised to consult the Wolfson Foundation website or contact the funders before applying to check eligibility.

How To Apply

There are two funding rounds per year and the Foundation operates a two-stage application process.

The deadlines for Stage 1 applications are generally 5 January and 1 July each year but these can vary between specific categories, so applicants are advised to check the Foundation's website before applying. (The Secondary schools and sixth form colleges scheme has a slightly different schedule.)

Stage 1 determines whether a project is eligible and applications should be submitted online through the Wolfson Foundation website. Applicants who are successful at stage 1 will be invited to submit a stage 2 application.