Community Grants Programme

Community Grants
The objective of the Community Grants Fund is to maximise the impact of giving through the provision of financial assistance in the form of grants to charitable organisations in Bath that work with people who are less fortunate and who find it difficult to participate in society without support.

St. John’s Hospital will also ensure that transparent systems are in place to ensure fairness in line with best practice.

When can you apply?There are two rounds of grant-making every year. Applications will be accepted between 1st January and February 28th (29th February if it is a Leap Year)  and between 1st August and 30th September.

Applications are welcome from charities, which focus on supporting and developing people to achieve their aspirations and potential. Clearly defined, realistic outcomes must be set to show how your project will have the maximum effect in meeting your objectives.

To apply on line please see link below.

What geographical area does St. John’s Hospital cover?
Funding is only available for projects within the boundaries of the City of Bath, with the exception of Magdalen Educational Foundation, which extends to a 30-mile radius.  The Community Grants Fund does not support projects outside the stated geographical area.

The objects of St. John’s Hospital
To be eligible for consideration, applications should fall within one of the following categories:
•  Relief of poverty and hardship. The Trustees will consider applications from organisations that are able to show that they have a direct impact on the relief of poverty, most particularly in those areas described as 'deprived’.
•  Relief of sickness including mental health problems, the provision of equipment and the furtherance of medical knowledge and research and including counselling.
•  Special Needs Education. The Trustees will consider applications from organisations that directly support boys and girls with special educational needs either through funding or part funding special projects or activities.

Priorities for Support
The Community Grants Fund supports organisations across the City of Bath that:
•  Have imaginative ideas for engaging people in community life
•  Share St John’s values and commitment to change
The number of major projects that can be supported is, of necessity, limited to the amount of money allocated by Trustees for grant making in any one year.

Who can apply?
To apply for a grant, your organisation must:
•  Work in the areas identified in our full guidelines.
•  Be a registered charity (if a consortium, the lead agency must be a registered charity).
•  Have unrestricted reserves of less than 6 months running costs.
•  Be committed to working in genuine partnerships.
•  Have an annual turnover of less than £500,000.

What type of grant does St. John’s Hospital give?
It is able to consider requests for:
•  One-off grants.
•  Pilot projects.
•  Project costs, salaries, running costs or management costs.
•  Equipment.
•  Dissemination (costs of sharing your learning or influencing others).

St. John’s Hospital does not fund
•  Organisations that hold substantial funds in reserves.
•  Organisations that have a turnover of over £500,000 a year.
•  Work where there is not genuine potential to influence practice and policy. You must describe how you would do this in your application.
•  Work that is the responsibility of a local authority or health authority (Statutory work).
•  Overseas travel.
•  General appeals.
•  Organisations that do not have the appropriate “Young Person” and “Safeguarding Adults” policies and framework in place.
•  Projects that do not include monitoring and evaluation.

What St. John’s Hospital looks for
St. John’s would like to fund innovative proposals and provide creative community focused opportunities. We are looking for initiatives that seek to try out experimental ways of working.
Often applicants are not short-listed because, although they are experimenting within their own organisation, they have not considered wider practice within their field of work.  

Stage 1
Applicants are encouraged to make a telephone call to the Community Grants Officer on 01225 486419 before completing the application.
Organisations should complete the application form, outlining the project for which they are seeking funding and send it, together with the other required documentation, to the Community Grants Officer at St. John’s Hospital 4/5 Chapel Court, Bath, BA1 1SQ.

Please ensure that you read the guidelines carefully before you begin completing your application. If your application is incomplete, or your organisation does not meet our eligibility criteria or fit well within our current theme, we will be unable to consider your funding request on this occasion.

Stage 2
If your application is short-listed, you may need to provide further information; this includes a work plan, job descriptions, and a risk matrix.  We will also advise you if there are any particular issues of concern. We will need to arrange a time to visit your organisation to discuss the application, or to conduct a telephone interview. Progressing through to Stage Two is not a guarantee that you will be funded. The Care Committee makes the final decision.

You will receive prior notification of all assessment visits and telephone interviews that are likely to take place in March and September. As you will appreciate, once a date has been agreed we will not be able to offer any alternative dates.  If you are unavailable for interview on the date allocated we will not be able to process your application further on this occasion.

The Community Grants Officer will complete an assessment report based on your written application and discussions with you. This report will go to the next meeting of the Care Committee. You will be informed of the date of the meeting and will receive a response within 10 working days of that meeting.

You will be notified if you have been unsuccessful and feedback on the decision will be available on request. If you are successful a Funding Agreement will be issued, setting out the terms and conditions of the grant. This will include information about payment of the grant, and monitoring the progress of your project.

For further details please call 01225 486419 or write to
Community Grants Officer, St. John’s Hospital, 4/5 Chapel Court, Bath BA1 1SQ.

You can now apply online. Please use the link below.  Online applications require registration and confirmations are sent by automatically generated email. Once you have clicked on the link and have started the online application, you can save it and complete it at a later date if you wish.

Click here to apply online

Alternatively you can download an application form below: