Grants are available for small charitable organisations working in the areas of penal affairs and asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. The aim of the Fund is to address disadvantage, notably by supporting causes which are unlikely to raise funds from public subscriptions.
Objectives of Scheme
The funding is for projects taking place in the UK that address one of the following:
- Asylum Seekers and Refugees – For organisations working to provide essential services which help meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees and support their integration/participation in the wider community.
- Penal Affairs – for work “through the door” where organisations go into prisons with projects and support to help prisoners (especially women) cope and/or maintain family bonds and to be better able to resettle positively when released. Post-release projects which support positive settlement and reduce the risk of re-offending are also welcomed.
Around £500,000 is awarded in grants each year.
Grants will usually be in the range of £5,000 to £7,000 per year for up to two years.
The funder is keen to support small organisations with a preference to fund those already established rather than new ones.
Applications will be accepted from:
- Registered charities.
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs).
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee, not by shares.
- Charitable Companies (must be registered both as a charity and a company)
- Excepted charities (see Excepted charities – GOV.UK for more information on these)
To be eligible for UK funding, charities that are registered and operating in the UK must:
- Have a project that meets the Foundation’s priority areas.
- Have a total annual income (from all sources) of under £250,000 in the last three financial years.
- Be able to demonstrate UK charitable purposes.
- Have adequate insurance and safeguarding policies and procedures for your service users, volunteers and employees, including DRB screening if necessary.
- Hold less than 12 months spending in cash reserves.
Priority will be given to organisations:
- Which either have a significant number of people on their boards and/or staff team who have lived experience of the issues they are addressing, or have robust systems in place for people with lived experience to be able to shape the services provided.
- Which have a sufficient track record and/or expertise in delivering the services for which they are seeking support. In some cases a recognised qualification or quality mark may be required (eg for formal advice services; or delivery of ESOL).
- Organisations holding less than 50% of annual income in free unrestricted reserves.
Groups that received a one-year grant in 2024 or were unsuccessful with an application may apply in 2025.
Groups that were funded for two years in 2024 cannot apply in 2025.
Eligible Expenditure
Unrestricted grants or project funding is available.
However, to be eligible for unrestricted funding, all of an organisation’s work must meet the Fund’s criteria. For example, a general community group which only undertakes some of its work with refugees would not be eligible because its other work does not meet the criteria.
All unrestricted grants must be used for charitable purposes.
Funding is directed largely at supporting work at the community level.
How To Apply
The UK Programme is expected to open for applications on 15 July 2025 and close on 20 August 2025. However, it is recommended that potential applicants check the Fund’s website from mid-May onwards to confirm the exact arrangements.
The general guidance and priorities are available on the Hilden Charitable Fund website. Full detail for the round will be provided nearer the opening.
