Clore Duffield Foundation – Main Grants – ongoing

The Main Grants Programme is open to registered charities (local authority cultural organisations are also eligible to apply). It should be noted that the majority of support is directed towards the cultural sector, and in particular to cultural learning and to museum, gallery, heritage and performing arts learning spaces.

There is no application form for your initial approach to the Foundation.

If your project falls within the Foundation’s areas of interest, please send a letter of application. This letter should be no longer than two sides of A4 paper and must be written on your organisation’s headed paper with your contact details and charity number clearly displayed. The letter should include the following information:

• A title (of no more than fifteen words) for the project/programme for which you are requesting funding
• A brief overview of the work of your organisation
• A concise account of the project you are seeking funding for
• A clear statement of the sum you are seeking from the Foundation and the total cost of the wider project if applicable
• No annual accounts or additional information should be included at this stage.

Please note that the Foundation will only be able to respond to your application if you enclose a standard-sized (DL), stamped, self-addressed envelope. Email applications will not be accepted, and please do not send it by recorded delivery as the Foundation is not able to guarantee that a member of staff will be on site to receive it. Only if your request is progressed to the relevant stage of the assessment process will you be sent an application form.

Timings

Stage 1:

• Submit your initial application letter following the instructions provided here
• You should receive a response from the Foundation within eight weeks of contacting them (if you have included a stamped self-addressed envelope)
• The foundation receive many initial applications, and relatively few of these will progress to stage 2

Stage 2:

• If the Foundation decides to progress your application to this stage they will contact you to inform you of this initial outcome
• At stage 2 they might:
  • request further information or ask questions about your proposal
  • organise for a representative of the Foundation to meet with you
  • Send you a detailed application form to complete
• Not all applicants will progress through the whole of stage 2, and an application can be declined at any point during the process
• There is no set time-scale for this although the average time for an application to pass to stage 3 is up to six months

Stage 3:

• This is the final stage of the assessment process, and means that your proposal will be considered by the Trustees at an upcoming meeting
• We will inform you of the date your application will be discussed; meetings are typically held twice a year, in June/July and November/December
• Successful and unsuccessful applicants are usually contacted in writing within two weeks of the meeting
• Difficult decisions have to be made at each meeting, and not all proposals will be approved by the Trustees

Stage 1 and 2 decisions are made by a combination of Foundation staff, Trustees, and Advisors. The Stage 3 decisions are made only by the Trustees. All decisions are final.

For more information and to apply here