Charity Guidelines

CHARITABLE OBJECTS: The Company Charity’s objects are as follows:

1. The relief of poverty in the Greater London Area, including the relief of poor members of the Goldsmiths’ Company and poor members of the goldsmiths’ trade;
2. The advancement of education;
3. Any other charitable purposes.

Please note that we have recently updated our guidelines and as such, charities and applications which would have been considered previously may now be outside the scope of the Company’s giving. To ensure time is not wasted, please read the guidelines very carefully and complete the eligibility test before applying. The Company reviews its policy regularly and will update guidance as and when it does so, on this website. Please check back regularly in order to keep up to date.

 We do not fund the following:

1. Individuals
2. Overseas charities and projects taking place and/or benefiting people outside the UK
3. Medical research
4. Animal welfare
5. Individual housing associations and tenant organisations
6. Endowment schemes
7. Individual churches, for maintenance of the fabric
8. Individual hospices
9. Individual schools or supporting associations
10. Play schemes, nurseries or pre-school facilities
11. Local authorities, or work usually considered a statutory responsibility
12. Major building projects, or capital funding
13. One-off events (such as festivals, conferences, exhibitions and community events)
14. Overseas projects or trips
15. Campaigning or lobbying projects, or general awareness raising work
16. Membership organisations

Categories of Small Grants (up to the maximum of £5,000):

• Culture;
• General Welfare;
• Medical Welfare/Disabled

Guidelines and Limitations for General Charitable Support:

• We only accept applications from registered charities and currently do not accept applications from social enterprises or Community Interest Companies.
• Grants are made to charities with a turnover of less than £5 million.
• Grants are made to charities operating in London, or nationally. National refers to those operating across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales and applications deemed of national focus will be considered only where there is substantial evidence of significant geographical reach throughout the UK.
• We make grants to those charities which wish to undertake particular projects going directly to the point of need. However, requests for core funding will be considered where there is suitable justification. For examples of charities and projects supported please see the ‘Case Studies’ section of our website HERE or the list of most recent grants awarded HERE.
• We do not make grants to grant-making organisations, or those seeking to raise funds to make onwards donations or bursaries.
• We do not consider mailshots or letters requesting donations. Full and complete applications along with all relevant supporting documents must be submitted or they will not be considered.
• Where charities are members, branches or affiliates of an association, appeals are normally accepted from the governing body or head office only. 
• In the case of church restorations, block grants are made to the National Churches Trust and therefore appeals from individual churches to support the upkeep of the fabric or refurbishment projects will not be considered.
• While the Goldsmiths’ Company has its roots in the Christian faith, we welcome applications from all faith and non-faith charities. Those applications which can show themselves to be open to all members of the community and which promote social integration and cohesion will be considered. Those charities which seek to promote a particular religion will not be considered.
• Applications for small grants are accepted on a rolling basis, we have no deadlines. Applications will be acknowledged on receipt and the charity informed as to when its appeal will be considered. It is our intention to consider all applications within a 3 month period, so please allow time for this.
• The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity’s normal policy is to give small one-off grants of up to £5,000. Where there is significant justification, recurring grants will be considered on their merits. Where such grants are made, subsequent payments will be made on the basis of satisfactory reporting, submission and subsequent approval each year.

Reporting Requirements

A full impact report will be required at the end of the project or within one year of a grant payment. This should outline what has been achieved against the original purposes of the appeal and particularly the impact which our grant has had. Without such a report subsequent or future applications will not be considered. 

Charities should also be aware that as part of The Company’s monitoring process, visits by members of the grants team and/or committee members may be required, by prior arrangement.

Further guidance on Culture, General Welfare and Medical Welfare/Disabled:

• Priority will be given to cultural projects which have both the intention of using culture for the transformational power it possesses in changing the imaginative and emotional scope of people's lives and also, crucially, those applications that have the objective credibility to realise that intention. Additionally, charities which contribute to the professional advancement and diversity of those with the talent but not necessarily the means to develop it will also be considered.
• There are many general welfare charities which can point to significantly disadvantaged sections of the population but applications which can articulate the positive, tangible impact and outcomes which will accrue from a grant awarded by the Charity are more likely to be successful.
• Applications from medical charities will be assessed according to how much patients or their families/carers would benefit.  Priority will be given to charities that focus on an area of need that is inadequately met by the NHS or other services, such as medical conditions that are rare or difficult to treat and for which information and/or support is valuable but often lacking. 

If having consulted all of the guideline information above regarding small grants you still have a query that cannot be answered here, then please email the team at grants@thegoldsmiths.co.uk

Categories of Large Grants (up to the maximum of £30,000):

We wish to be proactive in this grant category and to work with charities which fulfil the criteria below in order to advance both our own aims and those of the charity partner. Please see below for guidance:

1. Youth;

Whilst there are hundreds of fantastic charities working to help young people, whether it be through pre-employment training, educational projects, conflict resolution or safe spaces for young people, it was decided that charities supporting  young people who are statistically more likely to experience disadvantage should be given priority. As such, we would like to hear from charities working with the following groups of young people:

• Young people leaving care;
• Young carers;
• Young people with mental health issues
• Youth homelessness
• The Goldsmiths’ Company has a long history of supporting youth work and will continue in this vein. Affiliated members of London Youth may be considered under the small grants category.

2. Rehabilitation/ Resettlement of prisoners;

The rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners is now one our main named priorities, following many years supporting charities working in this area. As such, charities supporting prisoners get their life back on track either prior to or post release will be considered. We are particularly interested in hearing from charities working in: prisoner education and training; through-the-gate mentoring; employment opportunities for prisoners; arts and music; women in prison; and support for the families of prisoners.

3. Ageing Population;

Please note that the geographical restrictions relating to our general guidelines no longer apply for this category. Having reviewed the need in this area the committee understands that there is a lot of good work being carried out in communities all around the UK. We are therefore prepared to consider regional charities provided that their main objective is to combat feelings of isolation and loneliness in elderly people. The charity is prepared to consider well-tested solutions which have proved impactful, but it also open to discussing innovative ideas in this area of need.

Grants Process

Applications for grants should be discussed with the Grants Manager (see below for contact details). The Goldsmiths’ Charity operates a three stage application process for large grants.The first stage will require an initial enquiry (phone call or email), to be made to the Grants Manager directly. The second stage will be an outline grant proposal and ideally a face-to face meeting to discuss the proposal, and the third - if judged appropriate - will result in the submission of a full application which will be assessed by the main grants committee.

Guidelines and limitations for charitable support can be further discussed with the Grants Manager, and where there is significant justification, recurring grants will be considered.  Where such grants are made, subsequent payments will be made on the basis of satisfactory reporting, timely submission and subsequent assessment each year. Charities should also be aware that as part of The Company’s monitoring process, visits by members of the grants team and/or Company trustees may be required, by prior arrangement.

Interim updates would be helpful but at the very least a final report will be required at the end of the year following grants made by the charity outlining what has been achieved against the original purposes of the appeal. Again, the Charity trustees are interested in an assessment of the impact achieved by the grant. Without such reporting subsequent or future applications will not be considered.

Applications for larger grants are considered on the first Wednesday of February, April, July, October and December. Full applications should be received a month prior to these meetings, having already gone through stages 1 and 2.

If having read the information regarding larger grants you have any further questions, or are thinking of making an application then please email the Grants Manager, Ciorsdan Brown at ciorsdan.brown@thegoldsmiths.co.uk or telephone 02076067010 ext 2012