Small Grants up to £5,000 and Large Grants up to £20,000 are available to UK charitable organisations with an annual income of under £10 million that are working in the UK and/or overseas.
The Merriman Charitable Foundation focuses its grant-making on three main area:
Young people & employability (UK) – the Foundation support organisations helping people, especially young people who are not engaged in employment, education or training (NEET), or at risk of becoming disengaged, to improve their employability and future prospects. The Foundation particularly supports initiatives that expand educational experience for young people.
International development (overseas) – the Foundation funds overseas projects that tackle poverty and sustainable development, with a particular interest in:
- Empowering women and young people.
- Expanding access to quality education, and
- Supporting environmentally and socially beneficial enterprises.
Environment & conservation (UK & overseas) – the Foundation supports underfunded and overlooked conservation projects, both in the UK and overseas. In the UK, it is particularly interested in community-led projects that deliver social and environmental impact, for example:
- Community energy projects with a social impact.
- Repair and reuse schemes that build local skills while extending the life of resources, and/or
- Initiatives reducing food waste while building community food skills.
Please note that the Foundation does not fund charities that focus on animals outside of a broader conservation programme.
Applying organisations must have an annual income of less than £10 million. The Foundation is committed to learning, collaboration, and innovation through the following grants and support:
- Small grants up to £5,000 per year and a limited number of larger grants (usually up to £20,000 per year). The Foundation doesn’t award a fixed number of grants, instead it considers the merits of each application and the amount of funding they have available.
- Multi-year grants.
- Matched funding, pooled funds, and other approaches that could maximise the impact of the Foundation’s support, and
- Funding core costs as well as project costs.
The Foundation seeks to fund organisations and projects that are:
- Rooted in communities, co-designed and delivered with the people they serve.
- Invested in communities for the long-term not just one-off projects, and
- Clearly articulate their social and environmental impact.
The Foundation invites applications from eligible organisations whose work aligns with its priorities and criteria.
Applications may be made at any time using the application form on the Foundation’s website.