Foyle Foundation: Main Grants Scheme - Arts

The Main Grants Scheme supports charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom with a core remit of the Arts or Learning.

Smaller Arts or Learning Charites with a turnover under £150,000 per annum may be more suitable for consideration under our Small Grants Scheme (separate guidelines available on the website).

We welcome applications from all regions and countries of the UK.

Please note that we do not support applications from individuals.

Revised Criteria for Support since COVID-19

The Foundation understands that charities are now operating within very different circumstances since the March 2020 Coronavirus lockdown and during the gradual relaxation of social distancing restrictions. We are keen to be as flexible as possible in our support of charities during this difficult and constantly changing ongoing period. The Foundation has consulted, listened to the needs of the sectors we support and reflected on how we could adapt our grant-making to be more flexible and relevant in our response during these unprecedented times. As a result, until further notice, we have revised our criteria for support to include the following:

1. Our focus will change to make one-year grants only (no multi-year grants) to charities that can demonstrate ongoing financial stability for the next 12 months from the date of their application.

1. More grants to cover core costs, favouring those with no, or without significant, public funding.

1. Grants to cover essential equipment or re-equipping to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, delivery of on-line digital services and education work.

1. Grants to enable minor works, or fund equipment, to enable social distancing within buildings.

1. Projects/schemes that employ or support skilled freelance and independent artists and practitioners.

1. Projects/proposals that help reduce fixed or variable costs to promote efficiency savings, or which enable the generation of higher income, or additional revenue streams. This can include environmental efficiency projects to reduce your carbon footprint, energy costs, or which improve internal air circulation systems to improve safety for visitors.
   
2. Occasionally, to consider additional support (by exception) for existing building project already supported and underway, as costs will have increased during lockdown and site closures and where this will prevent the wipe-out of reserves. (Please discuss your situation with The Foundation before applying).

1. We are suspending our Capital Projects programme until autumn 2021. We will not accept applications for major new building projects until then and only for projects that have not started before autumn 2021.

Arts

The Foundation seeks applications that make a strong artistic case for support in either the performing or visual arts. Our Arts programme aims to help sustain the arts and to support projects that help to deliver your artistic vision. As we seek to support organisations to stabilize and recover from the impact of Coronavirus. we look for value for money, long term benefit and sustainability in projects that we support. Typical areas of support include:

• helping to make the arts more accessible by developing new and more diverse audiences
• encouraging new work and supporting young and emerging artists; skilled freelancers and independent practitioners
• projects that encourage sustainability by reducing overheads or which help generate additional revenue. This might include environmental improvements to save energy and lower carbon emissions where a cost benefit can be demonstrated.