Ulverscroft Foundation

Objectives of Fund

The Foundation provides grants to eye clinics, hospitals, schools, libraries and other organisations helping visually impaired people in the UK and overseas. It also funds medical research and the provision of facilities for the treatment or alleviation of visual impairment.

Value Notes

Funding is at the discretion of the Trustees. Grants range from around £100 to £500,000.

Match Funding Restrictions

The Foundation will take into account any other sources of funding that applicants are able to access. Applicants must provide details of any other funding received or pledged for the project in question, and the names of other organisations to which they have applied.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from any organisations that help the visually impaired in the UK or overseas. Organisations need not necessarily be a charity and can be a community interest company (CIC) or social group and could include:

• National and local blind and partially sighted societies
• Schools and colleges for visually impaired people
• Sports and social organisations for visually impaired people

Applications from public libraries run by local authorities will be considered if these are additional to the local authority's core service. Volunteer-run libraries may be supported if they are supported in cash or in kind by the local authority.

Eligible organisations must have:

• An appropriate safeguarding policy in place for vulnerable children and/or adults and have procedures to implement and monitor the policy.
• An equal opportunities policy, which is regularly monitored and reviewed.

Location

United Kingdom and overseas

Restrictions

Generally, the Foundation does not fund staff salaries or ongoing running costs for an organisation. (Staffing costs for specific, time-limited projects may be considered at the Trustees' discretion. Research projects which involve salary costs may also be considered.)

It is highly unlikely to support public libraries run by private companies.

It will not support other charities that could be considered to be doing similar work - for example, funding research projects.

Eligible Expenditure

Grants are available for costs associated with projects to improve or enhance services that will benefit people with significant visual impairments. Preference will be given to projects that will lead to longer-term benefits after the initial funding has ended.

Eligible costs can include equipment or materials. Staffing costs for specific, time-limited projects may be considered at the Trustees' discretion.

Applications for funding to support academic and clinical research will also be considered. In evaluating bids the Trustees will take into account the predicted clinical benefits and the timescale for achieving them, as well as the proposals for disseminating research results to the wider sector.

How To Apply

The Trustees consider appeals in January, April, July and October each year. Application deadlines are the 15th day of the previous month - 15 December, 15 March, 15 June and 15 September.

Applications can be made in writing by post or email and should include the following:

• Details of the current service, if any, that the applicant organisation provides to the visually impaired and how this will be improved or enhanced by the proposed project.
• An estimate of how many visually impaired people currently use organisation's service, and how many will use it in the future.
• Details of any other funding obtained and the names of other organisations that have been applied to.
• A copy of the applicant's latest annual report and accounts.
• Confirmation that the organisation has a safeguarding policy for vulnerable children and/or adults, as appropriate.
• Confirmation that the organisation has an equal opportunities policy.