Barbara Ward Children's Foundation
Could Barbara Ward Children's Foundation fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.
- Typical grants
- £1,000 – £15,000
- Applications
- Accepted
- How to apply
- Postal application
- Decisions
- Rolling (no fixed deadline)
Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.
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bwcf.org.ukAbout Barbara Ward Children's Foundation
The Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation is a small grant-making trust established in December 2001 by Barbara Irene Ward. It operates without paid staff, guided by a lean trustee-led model. The foundation supports smaller non-religious charities that serve severely disadvantaged children and young people. It prioritises organisations where statutory funding is not available, where incomes and fund balances are used effectively, and where administration overheads are kept to a minimum. Its mission is to make a real difference for children facing serious illness, disability, poverty, and hardship.
What Barbara Ward Children's Foundation funds
The foundation funds work in the areas of disability, physical health, poverty hardship, and youth. It supports projects such as respite care, educational inclusion, mental health services, and medical support. Grants are made to charities working both in the UK and internationally, including in countries such as Uganda, Nepal, Kenya, and the Philippines. The foundation focuses on financially healthy charities where its contribution can have a tangible impact, often stepping in where other funding sources are not forthcoming.
Who can apply
Registered charities in the UK are eligible, and overseas charities must have a UK base or office. The foundation only supports non-religious charities; faith groups are not considered. Charities must have been registered in the UK for at least two years and be financially healthy, with low administration overheads. The foundation prioritises organisations that serve severely disadvantaged children and young people. Grants are typically small relative to a charity’s income, and requests that would represent a significant portion of the charity’s income are not considered.
How they like to fund
The foundation welcomes unsolicited applications. Grants are typically made for projects, with occasional multi-year commitments possible. The foundation prioritises charities with low overheads and a strong track record of using funds effectively.
How much does Barbara Ward Children's Foundation give?
Barbara Ward Children's Foundation runs one grant programme. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.
Last verified 8 August 2026 · 18 sourced facts
- Apply by letter
- Multi-year funding
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.
What Barbara Ward Children's Foundation funds — and what they won't
The BWCF is a small grant-making body that helps the smaller non-religious charities to serve severely disadvantaged children anywhere in the world where our grants are likely to make a real difference. To do this the BWCF focuses its support on financially healthy children's charities where funding is not forthcoming from statutory bodies, where incomes and fund balances are constantly put to good use and where administration overheads are kept to a minimum.
The full exclusions list (3)
- Charities must be registered in the UK for at least two years
- Grants requests which exceed more than 10% of a charities income will not be considered
- Overseas charities must also have a registered UK base or office
Good to know
How to apply to Barbara Ward Children's Foundation
Barbara Ward Children's Foundation takes applications via postal application.
- Published programme route: apply by letter.
- 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 Barbara Ward Children's Foundation could be a fit. Draft if yes.
Frequently asked questions
How much funding does Barbara Ward Children's Foundation provide?
Barbara Ward Children's Foundation runs one grant programme — Barbara Ward Children's Foundation Grants: £1,000 – £15,000.
Where does Barbara Ward Children's Foundation fund charities?
Barbara Ward Children's Foundation funds charities operating in the UK.
Does Barbara Ward Children's Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Barbara Ward Children's Foundation accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.
What does Barbara Ward Children's Foundation not fund?
Their published exclusions include: Charities must be registered in the UK for at least two years; Grants requests which exceed more than 10% of a charities income will not be considered; Overseas charities must also have a registered UK base or office. The full exclusions list is further up this page.
How do I apply for funding from Barbara Ward Children's Foundation?
Barbara Ward Children's Foundation takes applications via postal application. Published programme route: apply by letter.
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Could Barbara Ward Children's Foundation be a fit?
Check free. Draft if yes, or shortlist better matches.