Apply for funding

Am I eligible

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Before you apply, in order to prepare your application, please make sure you are eligible for a grant

You can do this by using the eligibility quiz shared below. Please be aware that on some devices, the answers to the questions in the eligibility quiz may only appear below each question after it has been selected. You can refer to our Am I Eligible alternate document if you would like to see a list of all questions and answers.

We receive many more applications than we can support, so we have to apply our criteria strictly.

1. Do you represent:

A UK charity registered with the Charity Commission for England, Wales or Northern Ireland or the OSCR or a UK organisation with exempt charity status.

UK registered charities and organisations with exempt charity status are eligible.

A museum or gallery

We have an annual funding round for museums and galleries. For more details on our Museums and Galleries Fund, please go to our dedicated Museums and Galleries Fund page.

A UK registered company

We only fund UK registered charities or organisations with an exempt charitable status. However, we will sometimes make an exception if the organisation presents a clear case for why they cannot deliver their charitable purpose via the charity format, and has clear systems in place to ensure public benefit For more detail, see our FAQs.

An individual

We do not make grants to individuals. We only fund UK registered charities or organisations with an exempt charitable status.

An overseas charity

We only support work overseas if it is in the UK Overseas Territories and it fits with the criteria of our Environment category. You must be a UK registered charity to apply. See our Environment category guidelines for more details.

A University

We do not usually fund universities, and not for their core work. Exceptionally, we may consider an application from a specialist unit if you are a centre of excellence and a leader in your field. Go to our FAQs for more details.

A hospital, hospice or school

We do not accept applications from such organisations.

A fiscally hosted group.

We accept applications from fiscally hosted organisations which meet all our other funding criteria. For more detail, see our FAQs.

2. What is your organisation's annual income?

Not yet known. We are a newly established charity

We will only consider applications from organisations with an annual income above £100,000.

Below £100,000

We usually only consider applications from organisation with an annual income above £100,000. For more detail, see our FAQs.

Between £100,000 and £10 million

We will consider applications from organisations with an annual income between £100,000 and £10 million.

More than £10 million

We prioritise UK-registered charities with an income below £100,000 and £10 million. If your income is greater than this, we will only consider a grant if you are uniquely placed to help meet our funding objectives. We call this the “only they can do it” test. For more detail, see our FAQs.

3. What type of funding are you requesting?

Capital

We do not fund capital developments, building refurbishment or the purchase of individual items of equipment.

Revenue costs, including core funding

Our preference is to provide core funding, but we are also able to make grants for projects or programmes.

4. What is the geographical focus of your work you are asking us to fund?

UK wide

We fund organisations from any part of the UK whose work has impact across the UK. Click here to see what national significance means in each of the three categories.

England

We accept applications from organisations that have national significance across England. Click here to see what national significance means in each of the three categories.

Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

We do not fund work that is solely based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, unless the work is of UK-wide significance, or the work covers more than one UK country. For more detail, see our FAQs.

Overseas

We only support work overseas if it is in the UK Overseas Territories and it fits with the criteria of our Environment category. You must be a UK-registered charity to apply. See our Environment category guidelines for more details.

5. Does the work you are requesting funding for fall within any of the following activities which are excluded from our funding?

General and round-robin appeals

We do not accept general or round-robin appeals.

Individuals, including student grants or bursaries

We do not support individuals, including student grants or bursaries.

Capital and equipment

We do not fund capital developments, building works or refurbishment, or individual items of equipment.

Promotion of religion or places of worship

We do not fund work that promotes religion or places of worship.

Arts organisations and projects whose main focus is supporting and developing individuals, rather than when new work is part of an artistic programme

We do not fund arts organisations and projects whose main focus is supporting and developing individuals. Please see our Arts category guidelines for more details on our arts programme.

Learning and participation in the arts, where this is the primary focus of the application

We do not fund learning and participation in the arts. Please see our Arts category guidelines for more details on our arts programme.

Leisure, individual holiday schemes or respite breaks

We do not fund leisure, individual holiday schemes or respite breaks.

Sport, where this is the core of the organisation’s activities

We do not fund organisations when sport is their core activity.

Boxing

We do not fund any projects where boxing is used as a tool of engagement or as an activity.

Education, such as initiatives linked to the curriculum, arts or environmental educational projects

We do not fund education work including initiatives linked to the curriculum, or arts and environmental education work.

Animal welfare, captive breeding and animal rescue centres

We do not fund work in the areas of animal welfare, captive breeding and/or animal rescue as the main purpose of the work.

Medical research or treatment, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation services

At present, we do not fund medical research or treatment, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.

Work based in prisons

We do not fund work in prisons that should receive statutory funding and does not pursue wider systems change.

Individual campaigns

We do not fund individual campaigns.

One-off events, such as conferences, trips, seminars, master classes, summer schools, single commissions, productions or festivals

We do not fund one-off events, such as conferences, trips, seminars, master classes, summer schools, single commissions, productions or festivals.

None of the above

The list above covers our common exclusions, but please do check the criteria for your specific category to be sure your application will be eligible.

6. Is the work that you would like us to fund within one of the following categories?

Arts – Performing arts

We focus on the creation of the highest quality, nationally significant work, by funding organisations which collaborate with, commission or otherwise support artists to create new or reimagined work. Please see our Arts category guidelines for more details.

Arts – Museums and Galleries

This fund aims to strengthen those institutions that focus on making use of curatorial skills to attract a wider public. We prioritise applicants from outside the capital, but do consider those based in London where the proposal would bring significant benefits elsewhere. Please see our Museums and Galleries Fund guidelines for more detail.

Environment

Through our environment programme we aim to achieve greater harmony between people and nature, through the protection, restoration and sustainable use of the natural world. Please see our Environment category guidelines for more details.

Social action - policy, campaigning or advocacy work grounded in lived experience

Through our social action programme we aim to help create an inclusive society where all can thrive, by supporting organisations which work to create positive changes at a systems-wide level benefitting wider society. Please see our Social Action category guidelines for more details.

Two or more of the above

We recommend that you focus your application on just one of our funding categories to give it the best chance of success.

Congratulations!

You are eligible to apply for grant support from the John Ellerman Foundation. Please read the How to apply section for further information on how to submit an application.

We are sorry

You do not seem to be eligible to apply for grant support from the John Ellerman Foundation. Please read the What We Fund section for further information on our criteria. If you remain unsure about whether your organisation is eligible and wish to seek further guidance about an application, please telephone the Foundation's office on 020 7930 8566.