Funding
Coffee shop at St Mary Woolnorth, City of London © B Payne April 2019
Searchable databases of funders of heritage
In no particular order:
– Historic England links to various funding directories
– My Funding Central (subscription, free if income less than £30,000)
– Grants Online (subscription)
– Church Grants (subscription; runs training)
And liaise with your local authority, local strategic partnership, voluntary action, council for voluntary services, or rural community council. Some can offer you free access to national funding databases, whilst others produce funding directories of regional and local sources of funding.
Guidance from experts
– The Church of England’s Parish Resources offers a range of funding guides http://www.parishresources.org.uk/resourcesfor-treasurers/funding
– the fund-raising hub of Ecclesiastical, which offers a step by step approach https://ecclesiastical.com/church/fundraising/
– the Chartered Institute of Fundraising has some useful guidance, under ‘guidance and resources’ https://ciof.org.uk/
– the near neighbours website (supported by the Church Urban Fund) has some general guidance https://www.near-neighbours.org.uk/resources
Some major funders
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (refunds VAT) – https://listed-places-of-worship-grant.dcms.gov.uk/
The National Lottery Heritage Fund – https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/ and see the September 2024 announcement https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/how-well-help-secure-future-uks-places-worship
The National Churches Trust – http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/get-support/grants
The Benefact Trust – https://www.benefacttrust.co.uk/grants/
Don’t forget to approach your denominational regional or central body.