The Foundation can only consider applications for education projects from schools and organisations that will benefit:
- children or young people under the age of 30 who are
- permanent residents of London Borough of Tower Hamlets or the City of London
- in full-time education or studying for a recognised qualification, and who are
- from disadvantaged backgrounds or areas of high deprivation in the two London boroughs mentioned above.
The Foundation is particularly keen to encourage and support:
- projects initiated by schools that enhance the National Curriculum
- projects aimed at improving literacy and numeracy
- projects aimed at promoting the study of science, mathematics and the arts
- projects which attract match funding
- projects which test out new ideas
Priority will be given to projects that are not yet part of a school’s or organisation’s regular activities; to developments that are strategic, such as practical initiatives seeking to address the root causes of problems, and those that have the potential to influence policy and practice more widely. The Foundation may also from time to time initiate new projects that do not fall into the priority areas for grant making to enable Governors to explore ground-breaking or emergent fields of educational practice.
Applying for funding is a competitive process and, because of the high number of applications the Foundation receives, good projects will sometimes have to be refused, even if they fit within the Foundation’s guidelines. All applications are, however, assessed on their individual merits.
In 2015, the Foundation made grants to schools and organisations totalling circa £300,000. The size of grants ranged from £5,000 to £55,000. More information about the grants we make can be found in our Annual Reports on this website.
The Foundation will only consider funding requests for clearly defined and time-limited education projects. Projects are usually approved for no longer than a 3 year period. Many grants made are for one year. However, subject to satisfactory progress, grants may be awarded for up to three years.
In addition to its grants to schools and organisations, the Foundation also provides support to individuals. The majority of this support is by way of undergraduate bursaries for students studying at Queen Mary College, University of London.
How to Apply
Initial enquiries should be sent to the Foundation. These must include the following information:
- Information about your school or organisation; including an outline of its current activities, its legal status, aims, brief history, details of staffing levels, management structure and composition of the management committee.
- An outline description of, and timetable for, the project for which funding is being sought, including information about who will be involved in and/or benefit from the project.
- Details of the aims and outcomes for the project, including information about how you will monitor and evaluate the project.
- A detailed budget for the project.
- Information about any other sources of income and partnership funding for the project.
Enquiries from organisations should be accompanied by a copy of your organisation’s constitution, most recent annual report and audited accounts, a contact name, address, email address and telephone number.
Schools are not required to supply their constitution or annual accounts.
What We Will Not Fund
Please note that the Foundation does not normally give grants for:
- equipment or teachers’ salaries that are the responsibility of education authorities
youth groups - supplementary schools or mother tongue teaching
- the purchase, repair or furnishing of buildings
- conferences or seminars
- stage, film, publication or video production costs
- performances or exhibitions
- retrospective requests (i.e any activity that has already taken place)
- requests to substitute for the withdrawal or reduction of statutory funding
- general fund-raising campaigns or appeals
The Foundation’s staff will be happy to answer any queries you might have about the application process or the eligibility of an organisation or particular project.
The Assessment Process
Applications can be submitted throughout the year. There is no closing date, but applications must be received in good time before meeting dates to enable the Foundation to complete its assessment process.
Decisions are made by the Foundation’s Governors who meet twice a year, in April and September.
Initial enquiries are considered by the Foundation’s Chief Executive. If the project fits with the Foundation’s current policy and meets its basic criteria, a meeting will then be arranged between the project partners and a member of the Foundation’s staff. Once any queries have been answered, and any further information or documentation that is requested has been supplied, a report is prepared by Foundation staff for consideration by the Governors at their next meeting.
Assessment of applications can only be finalised when all documentation has been received, a meeting has taken place and all questions have been satisfactorily answered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to allow a reasonable length of time for this process to take place so please apply in good time before the start of your project.
Applicants who apply unsuccessfully to the Foundation can apply again after one year.
If you would like to know more about the Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation or have any queries before you submit a proposal please contact the Foundation.
Tel: 020 7488 2489
Email: aldgateandallhallows@sirjohncass.org
