Actors' Benevolent Fund
Could Actors' Benevolent Fund fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.
- Applications
- Accepted
- How to apply
- Online form
- Decisions
- Rolling (no fixed deadline)
Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.
Get a draft in 2 minutes · no card
actorstrust.org.ukAbout Actors' Benevolent Fund
The Actors' Benevolent Fund, now operating as the Actors' Trust, is a historic UK charity established in 1882. Its mission is to provide relief, welfare, advice and financial assistance to professional actors and stage managers who are unable to work due to accident, illness, old age or acute employment disruption. Support also extends to their spouses, civil partners and dependants. The charity is rooted in the theatre community's mutual aid ethos and upholds values of compassion, confidentiality, fairness, inclusivity and stewardship. It offers means-tested emergency grants to individuals in crisis, focusing on preserving dignity and professional independence during financial precarity.
What Actors' Benevolent Fund funds
The fund supports professional actors and stage managers facing hardship caused by circumstances beyond their control. Grants cover living expenses, medical costs, rent, utilities and other urgent needs arising from incapacity. The charity also assists the partners of actors or stage managers who have passed away. All support is provided on a case-by-case basis and is available across the UK. The focus is on individual welfare rather than artistic projects or organisational costs.
Who can apply
Only individual professional actors and stage managers who are resident in the UK may apply. Applicants must demonstrate urgent financial hardship and meet means-tested criteria, including savings thresholds. The charity also considers applications from the spouses, civil partners and dependants of eligible professionals. Extra, walk-on or background work is not counted as professional credits. Students enrolled on a course at degree level or above are not eligible. There is no religious restriction.
What Actors' Benevolent Fund doesn't fund
The fund does not support students on degree-level or higher courses, nor does it assist with the cost of higher education. It does not fund artistic projects, training courses, organisations or broader initiatives. Extra, walk-on or background work is not considered professional experience for eligibility purposes.
How they like to fund
Grants are means-tested and provided on a case-by-case basis, offering short- or long-term relief depending on individual circumstances. The charity welcomes unsolicited applications and does not require match funding. Support is tailored to need and may cover a range of essential costs.
How much does Actors' Benevolent Fund give?
Actors' Benevolent Fund runs one grant programme. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.
Last verified 8 August 2026 · 2 sourced facts
Those are the published figures. What your charity could realistically get — and whether you'd clear their rules on income, location and legal structure — is what the free fit check answers.
Good to know
How to apply to Actors' Benevolent Fund
Actors' Benevolent Fund takes applications via online form.
- Decisions are typically rolling (no fixed deadline).
- Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.
How it works
- 1Describe your project. Once — used for this funder and others.
- 2See if this could be a fit. Honest check on cause, place, size, and rules.
- 3Draft if yes. From your real data — or move on if not.
See if Actors' Benevolent Fund could be a fit. Draft if yes.
Frequently asked questions
How much funding does Actors' Benevolent Fund provide?
Grant amounts vary. Contact Actors' Benevolent Fund directly for current funding levels.
Where does Actors' Benevolent Fund fund charities?
Actors' Benevolent Fund funds charities operating in the UK.
Does Actors' Benevolent Fund accept unsolicited applications?
Actors' Benevolent Fund accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.
How do I apply for funding from Actors' Benevolent Fund?
Actors' Benevolent Fund takes applications via online form. Decisions are typically rolling (no fixed deadline).
Similar funders
Other UK funders with overlapping focus — not a claim they fund the same charities.
Browse related grants
Spotted something that needs correcting? Tell us.
Could Actors' Benevolent Fund be a fit?
Check free. Draft if yes, or shortlist better matches.