The Relief of Poverty and Hardship
What we fund
We fund projects that support people experiencing the negative impact of poverty and hardship. Our focus is on grassroots organisations working in local communities. Our aim is to prioritise a longer-term approach, focussing on the underlying causes of poverty.
The relationship between families and poverty is a funding priority. Families are a focal point through which poverty is often experienced. Those with multiple children, as well as single-parent families, are disproportionately at risk of facing its impact. Many are multi-generational, supporting elderly grandparents or individuals with disabilities within the family group.
Our work is focused on London and Kent. We look to support projects with a track record of success, or where the specific model of work is proven to be successful.
Awards up to £5,000 per-year are available, with awards for three years open to consideration.
Funding Criteria
- Projects in London and Kent
- Where successful project outcomes can be evidenced
- A registered not-for-profit organisation, with at least one set of audited or independently examined annual accounts and with an annual income of less than £500,000.
Funding is available for specific projects – and related general organisational costs. This can include pro-rata staffing and operational costs. We will not award a grant that represents more than 20% of the current annual running costs of the organisation.
Project Themes
- Families
- Older People
- People with Disabilities
- Early Years
- Domestic Violence
What we don't fund
- Projects that have no community or charitable element
- Retrospective funding, deficits, or loans
- Organisations which are not a registered not-for-profit organisation
- Organisations with an annual turnover above £500,000
- Organisations with reserves of more than 12 months’ expenditure
- Requests that represent more than 20% of the current annual running costs of the organisation.
- Organisations that do not provide direct services to clients
- Organisations which applied to us unsuccessfully within the previous 18 months
- Capital Costs
- Services which are a statutory responsibility
- Projects that are primarily for the advancement of religion or politics (this does not exclude faith-based charities; however, we may ask for a copy of your non-proselytizing policy)
- Overseas work
"Your generosity is supporting disadvantaged families in so many ways"
Wayne Scorah, Project Manager, Thanet Trust
Applications & Awards
Applications & Deadlines
- Before submitting a full application, please email us with a short outline of the project.
- If you are eligible, we will be in touch with full details of how to make a complete application.
- Applications will be considered at our committee meetings, held in spring and autumn.
- The next meeting will take place on 22 September 2026. The deadline for initial expressions of interest is 5pm on 7 August 2026, with the deadline for full applications falling a week later, on 14 August 2026.
- During our assessment, we may request a visit, online meeting or telephone conversation to find out more about your work.
- We will communicate all decisions in the week following the meeting.
The use of AI in applications to the Skinners’ Charity Foundation
- We recognise that generative AI tools are increasingly a part of everyday life. They can save time, allow you to explain your work confidently and help make the process of applying for a grant less daunting – particularly if you are not used to doing this or if English is not your first language. We understand why people would want to use an AI tool, and it will not disadvantage your application to us should you choose to use one.
- However, AI-generated applications can often be generic and lack the detail that we need to understand who you are, why your work is important and what motivates you to do it. If you decide to use AI, we encourage you to read through what has been generated carefully before submitting your application. You should ensure that your application really does communicate what makes your organisation and approach unique, how the project you are planning will meet a need in your community, and the experience you have that means you will be able to do this effectively.
Awards
- If an award is made, the terms of our grant will be included with notification of our decision.
- This will include end-of-year monitoring, with any future instalments of our grant conditional on this.
