Grants, generally for between £5,000 and £7,000 per year for up to 2 years, are available to smaller UK charitable organisations working to support asylum seekers, refugees and penal affairs in the UK and/or overseas.
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
The charity states that “Asylum Seekers and Refugees continue to face hostility, challenge and isolation which prevents them being able to fully integrate into society; while some face considerable levels of poverty due to being unable to work or use their skills. We want to support organisations and projects which provide essential services; which help meet their needs; and which support their integration within the wider community”.
Penal Affairs
Under this category the charity’s website comments that “Whilst custodial sentences are often very damaging for all of those affected, research by the Prison Reform Trust shows that women are often more greatly impacted, especially where they have children or other caring responsibilities. During the Pandemic, for example, family visits to prisons were curtailed and many children did not see their parent for over a year. We want to support 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. Equally we welcome applications for post-release projects which support positive resettlement and a reduction in the likelihood of reoffending”.
Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to apply for grant support:
- Be able to demonstrate that they have a UK charitable purpose.
- Have adequate insurance and safeguarding policies and procedures for their service users, volunteers and employees, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) screening if necessary.
- Have an income (from all sources) of less than £200,000 (this was previously £250,000) in each of the last 3 financial years.
- Have a project that meets the Foundation's priority areas, and
- Hold less than 12 months spending in cash reserves.
Grants, which can cover project and core costs, can be for up to - and sometime more than - £10,000 per year for a period of 2 years, although most awards are for between £5,000 and £7,000. While there is no specific requirement for matched funding, applicants are encouraged to show what other funding has been sought and secured.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on Hilden’s website.
The fund is expected to re-open in mid 2026.