1. Purpose
 

1.1 The purpose of this policy is to set out the principles, criteria and processes 

that govern how the SHC Trust (SHCT) makes grants.
 

1.2  A grant is defined as a financial award the SHCT makes from its funds to 

advance the education and all-round development of children aged 0-11 in 

Hillingdon and the surrounding areas.
 

2. Introduction 

2.1 The SHCT is a registered charity (number 1196657). Its objects are to 

advance the education and development of children aged 0-11 in Hillingdon 

and the surrounding areas through the provision of grants to: 

• assist in the provision of facilities not required to be provided by the Local Education Authority for education and/or
   
• provide leisure time activities so as to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.

2.2 The Trustees ensure proper governance of the Trust’s grant making in three ways, as follows.

• Through grant making principles which ensure that, even where there is donor or funding partner involvement, decisions are ultimately made by the SHCT Trustees. These principles clarify that funds given are the SHCT’s asset, albeit with no conditions regarding restrictions of their use.
   
• Through published grant making criteria which set out the activities the Trustees wish to support in furtherance of the Trust’s charitable objectives. The criteria also include activities which the Trustees do not wish to support because they do not consider them to be in line with the Trust’s purpose. The Trustees accept that they will on some occasions make grants outside published criteria but that in all cases the activity supported will be charitable in law.
   
• Through grant making processes which set out how decisions are reached for awarding grants from funds at the Trust.
  
  3. Grant Making Principles

3.1 The principles which underpin the Trustees’ governance of the Trust’s grant making take 

into account the scale and range of its grants and strike a balance between proper oversight of decision-making and responsive service for both applicants and donors. 

3.2 The principles are as follows. 

• The Board of Trustees has ultimate collective responsibility for all grant making decisions in line with the Trust’s charitable purposes.
   
• Trustees reserve the right to apply conditions to any grant.
   
• Trustees also reserve the right not to approve any recommendation or nomination if they determine that the resulting grant would not be charitable or would conflict with the Trust’s stated policies or objectives, or damage its reputation.
   
• The Trustees are not required to publish or make available reasons as to why any particular application is either accepted or rejected, except if required to comply with our legal obligations.
  
  4. Grant Making Criteria

4.1 The Trust’s published guidance on criteria for applications from individuals and groups is set out in Appendix 1 of this policy. The goal is to make grants to a diverse range of organisations/individuals. Trustees are particularly keen to help grassroots community groups and small-to-medium-sized voluntary organisations in the primary area of benefit.

4.2 Grants to organisations or individuals will always be restricted for a specific charitable purpose. 

4.3 Trustees expect that grants will normally support either or both of the following outcomes: 

• provide facilities that make possible and/or enhance the delivery of education or leisure activities to promote the development of children aged 0-11 and/or
   
• provide services or activities that support the development of children aged 0-11.

4.4 External applications for support must be made using the Trust’s Grant Application Form, whether submitted electronically or in print form. 

4.5 Grant requests which the Trustees will not normally support are: 

• religious activity which is not for wider public benefit;
• public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations;
• activities which have already taken place;
• grant making by other organisations.
• applications where the Local Authority already has a funding scheme in place. 

4.6 To ensure that the Trust’s resources are used solely to further its charitable objectives, and it can report on the impact of grants, Trustees normally expect that all grants will have one to three measurable objectives agreed at the beginning of the funding period as part of the grant offer. 

4.7 There is no minimum limit for grant applications.

4.8 There is a maximum limit of £3,000 per grant application. 

4.9 The SHC Trust reserves the right to claw-back any grant if any evidence, material in nature or otherwise, comes to the attention of the Trustees, which if known at the time of approving the application, would have resulted in a rejection, for any reason. The final decision rests solely with the Trustees. 
 

5. Grant Making Processes

5.1 Trustees aim for the Trust’s grant making processes to be transparent and to address the interests of applicants. To this end, all eligible grant requests are considered in a fair and equitable manner and all go through a three part process as follows: 

• Assessment to ensure that the application is eligible according to the Trust’s charitable objectives and Grant Making Policy.
• Review of the application by at least two Trustees, which may result in recommendation of the application for fund allocation. Grants not recommended are rejected.
• Ratification of the recommendation by the Board of Trustees.
  
  6. Variations To This Policy

6.1 The Board of Trustees may vary the terms of this policy from time to time, without giving prior written notice.