This is an annual grant programme offering unrestricted grants, generally for between £3,000 and £5,000, are available to UK registered charities within the genetic condition community. Deadlines tend to be in early March annually.
The Jeans for Genes Campaign encourages children and adults to wear their jeans to school, work or at home in exchange for a small donation. These monies are then distributed within the genetic condition community to charitable organisations that support individuals and families affected by a genetic disorder, via the Jeans for Genes grant programme.
Genetic conditions occur when a mutation (a harmful change to a gene, also known as a pathogenic variant) affects a person's genes or when they have the wrong amount of genetic material. The most common types of genetic disorder/condition in the UK are:
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Down Syndrome
- Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy
- Huntington's Disease
- Sickle Cell Anaemia
- Tay-Sachs Disease, and
- Thalassemia.
Unrestricted grants of between £3,000 and £5,000 are available to small UK-charities that meet the Fund’s objectives of:
- Enabling organisations serving the genetic condition community to become stronger, more resilient and sustainable improving their ability to meet need and provide appropriate support in the long term, and
- Ensuring every individual in the UK living with a genetic condition and their family can access the appropriate support at the time they need it so that they feel supported, valued and included.
In addition, 3 ‘Spotlight grants’, each of £10,000, are available to all charities (the £400,000 income limit doesn’t apply) to work with Jeans for Genes with the aim of improving the awareness of genetic conditions.
Applicants must:
- Be a genetic condition specific charity or a charity whose beneficiaries are solely those with genetic conditions and/or their families.
- Be at least 18 months old and have published their first set of annual accounts.
- Be based in and delivering their work in the UK.
- Have an annual income of under £400,000 (as reported in their most recent set of accounts filed with The Charity Commission), and
- Have appropriate safeguarding policies in place.
Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions and an application form is available on the Jeans for Genes website.