What we fund

Written By Goldsmiths' Foundation

The Goldsmiths’ Foundation supports organisations that focus on vocational skills and training, working at the intersection of creativity and social change. 

The Open Grants Fund is open for applications from 9 March to 11 May 2026.  The deadline is Monday 11 May 2026 at 10am.   

We will be running a webinar on Wednesday 25 March, 12.30pm – 1.30pm which you can register for here. We encourage prospective applicants to attend and be part of the conversation. The webinar will be recorded and uploaded on to our website. 

Whatever you’re applying for, we wish you every success. We look forward to reading your application soon. 

This Goldsmiths’ Foundation aims to:

  • Build capacity and resources for technical and vocational skills development in the craft sector.

  • Realise the role that skills development, and creative people, makers and designers can play in addressing issues of social justice.

  • Create the infrastructure for a more equitable craft sector.

What we are funding this round

For our Open Grants Fund applications are invited from organisations whose primary work is craft. By this we mean an activity involving skill in making things by hand. This could be core craft or craft used in another creative field, such as hand engraving in jewellery making, hand embroidery in the fashion industry or puppet-making for the theatre. The Foundation embraces technology, but we start with human skills. We are seeking applications from charities where craft skills are taught or practised.

We only support organisations that are one of the following:

  • UK registered charities (and charities in UK overseas territories)  

  • Charitable Incorporated Organisations  

  • exempt and excepted under Charity Commission guidance  

To check if your organisation matches our funding, please take our simple online eligibility quiz.

We do not support organisations of the following types:

We follow the Charity Commission’s guidance on organisations that are registered, excepted and exempt. This means that we can’t fund the following:  

  • Individuals  

  • Community Interest Companies (CICs)  

  • Community Benefit Societies  

  • Social enterprises  

  • Local authorities and councils  

We support charities that have at least one year’s worth of annual accounts. This means that to be eligible to apply, you will need to submit one of the following:  

  • Your annual accounts, independently audited or examined  

  • A copy of your Charity Commission annual return. If you don’t yet have accounts, please don’t apply until you do as your finances are an important part of our decision making.

Work we don’t fund  

We are not able to fund the following activities or areas of work:  

  • Capital grants (bricks and mortar)

  • Pure research and evaluation

  • One-off or annual events such as galas or festivals, even if they are for fundraising purposes  

  • Short-term events that only run for a few weeks  

  • Sponsorship (please speak to The Goldsmiths’ Company for trade sponsorship) 

  • Feasibility studies  

  • Generic or mass mailing fundraising appeals  

  • Activity that takes place overseas, including overseas trips and emergency appeals (with the exception of the UK Overseas Territories, where projects can be supported) 

  • Rescue and emergency organisations and services e.g. mountain/sea rescue and air ambulances  

  • Public works of art or monuments  

  • Endowment appeals  

  • Campaigning and lobbying if that is your organisation’s main activity or purpose  

  • Other grant-makers or organisations that make grants to individuals  

  • Work that takes place outside of the UK (with the exception of the UK Overseas Territories, where projects can be supported)  

  • Animal rescue organisations or animal shelters  

  • Members' clubs such as amateur dramatics clubs 

  • Parent teacher associations (PTAs)

  • Activities that have already taken place or projects that have already completed  

  • Individual salaries for specific jobs*  

 

*We don’t fund the salaries of specific posts e.g. your Operations Manager. This is for the simple reason that, if we are not able to renew our support, we don’t want to put a member of your staff at risk. We do make grants for operating/core costs which can be put towards your general running costs. We understand that your staff are vital in delivering your work and so you can use part of an operating/core cost grant towards your overall salary bill.  

Our grants  

The types of grant we make, no matter what size, tend to fall into one of two areas: 

  • Operating/core costs  

  • Projects/specific activities  

We don’t mind what you apply for but recommend you ask for what your organisation needs the most. In our experience, this tends to make a stronger application. We encourage your organisation to have a good variety of income sources. This means that you are not too reliant on any one source or funder, which helps your organisation’s financial sustainability. Our Trustees are experienced grant-makers and manage the Foundation’s money carefully. They will use their judgement to decide if they are able to fund your organisation and what size a grant may be.  

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