Another charitable funder has announced that it will temporarily close to applications from charities as it revises its grantmaking strategy.
The Will Charitable Trust said it would close to applications from 15 November and “likely” make changes to its current grant programmes.
It expects to open applications for its revised programmes in midsummer next year, with the reopening date to be announced on its website in due course.
Applications made before 15 November as part of capital appeals, which will still be running in autumn 2025 are “unlikely to succeed”, according to its website.
Charities that have received grants from the trust will still be expected to comply with reporting requirements, the website states.
Other funders closing
The Will Charitable Trust was established in 1990 by private philanthropy to make grants to other charities that provide services of blind care, long-term care of people with learning disabilities and cancer care.
Its charitable spending amounted to £1.32m in the year to April 2023, according to its latest accounts, including unrestricted grants of up to £10,000 each and project grants of between £3,000 and £30,000.
The trust’s recent announcement came at a time when other major funders have also paused their grant programmes in the last few weeks due to rising demand.
In late September, City Bridge Foundation announced it would close its grant programmes for a year due to an “unprecedented surge” in demand.
Shortly after, the Schroder Charity Trust also announced to pause its programme after receiving “an unsustainable level” of applications.
Dan Corry, chief executive of think tank New Philanthropy Capital, previously told Civil Society that the trend among funders to stop their grant programmes creates more challenges for charities, especially on cash flow.
Instead of closing or pausing programmes completely, Corry suggested that funders could recruit more staff to deal with increased demand or operate at a lower level on grantmaking while carrying out a strategic review for the future.
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