Burlington Magazine Foundation

Could Burlington Magazine Foundation fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.

Typical grants
£1,000 – £12,000
Applications
Accepted
How to apply
Email application

Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.

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burlington.org.uk

About Burlington Magazine Foundation

The Burlington Magazine Foundation owns and financially stewards The Burlington Magazine, a leading publication in art history and decorative arts. Its mission is to ensure the magazine's long-term independence and scholarly integrity, supporting original research and critical writing across all periods and media of art. The Foundation operates from London with a global outlook, funding through competitive awards rather than open grant applications. Its core values are intellectual rigour, editorial excellence, and nurturing emerging talent, which drive support for art-historical research from historical periods to contemporary discourse.

What Burlington Magazine Foundation funds

The Foundation funds art-historical research across all periods and media, including fine and decorative arts. Named programmes include the Prize for Writing on Sculpture (supporting new writing on sculpture from the Renaissance to the end of the 1800s), the Burlington Magazine Scholarship for French 18th-century Fine and Decorative Art, the Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize (focused on contemporary art criticism and funded by the Thistle Trust), and the Rick Mather David Scrase Travel Bursaries (supporting research-related travel). All programmes fund individuals—students, early-career scholars, curators, academics, and independent researchers—rather than organisations.

Who can apply

Individuals with relevant expertise in art history may apply, including students, early-career scholars, curators, academics, and independent researchers worldwide. There are no geographic, income, or entity restrictions, but proposals must align precisely with announced calls for each named programme. The Foundation does not fund organisations or groups, only individual applicants.

What Burlington Magazine Foundation doesn't fund

The Foundation does not fund conference or workshop attendance costs, computer equipment (unless essential and justified), staff costs or personal salary payments, membership fees to associations, general journal subscriptions, or research outside art history. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—opportunities are limited to time-bound competitions with specific calls for proposals.

How they like to fund

The Foundation awards funding through time-bound competitions with specific calls for proposals; unsolicited applications are not accepted. Awards are one-off prizes or scholarships rather than multi-year grants. The Foundation prioritises scholarly impact over broad philanthropy, reflecting its role as steward of The Burlington Magazine.

How much does Burlington Magazine Foundation give?

Burlington Magazine Foundation runs 5 grant programmes. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.

Last verified 8 August 2026 · 43 sourced facts

Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize
£1,000 – £1,000
  • 1 rounds a year
  • Decisions in ~12 weeks
Burlington Magazine Prize for Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800
£1,000 – £1,000
  • 1 rounds a year
  • Decisions in ~12 weeks
Burlington Magazine Scholarship for French 18th-century Fine and Decorative Art
£12,000 – £12,000
  • 1 rounds a year
  • Decisions in ~12 weeks
Prize for Writing on Sculpture
£2,500 – £2,500
  • 1 rounds a year
  • Decisions in ~12 weeks
Rick Mather David Scrase Travel Bursaries
£2,000 – £3,500
  • 1 rounds a year

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 Burlington Magazine Foundation funds — and what they won't

Their stated priorities

Contemporary art criticism and writing; funded by the Thistle Trust.

Costs they'll cover
ResearchTransport
The full exclusions list (6)
  • Conference or workshop attendance costs
  • Computer equipment (unless essential and justified)
  • Staff costs or personal salary payments
  • Membership fees to associations
  • General journal subscriptions
  • Research outside art history

Good to know

FaithNo restriction
Focus areas
Arts & culture

How to apply to Burlington Magazine Foundation

Burlington Magazine Foundation takes applications via email application.

  • Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.

How it works

  1. 1
    Describe your project. Once — used for this funder and others.
  2. 2
    See if this could be a fit. Honest check on cause, place, size, and rules.
  3. 3
    Draft if yes. From your real data — or move on if not.

See if Burlington Magazine Foundation could be a fit. Draft if yes.

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does Burlington Magazine Foundation provide?

Burlington Magazine Foundation runs 5 grant programmes — Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize: £1,000 – £1,000 · Burlington Magazine Prize for Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800: £1,000 – £1,000 · Burlington Magazine Scholarship for French 18th-century Fine and Decorative Art: £12,000 – £12,000 · Prize for Writing on Sculpture: £2,500 – £2,500 · Rick Mather David Scrase Travel Bursaries: £2,000 – £3,500.

Where does Burlington Magazine Foundation fund charities?

Burlington Magazine Foundation funds charities operating in the UK.

Does Burlington Magazine Foundation accept unsolicited applications?

Burlington Magazine Foundation accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.

What does Burlington Magazine Foundation not fund?

Their published exclusions include: Conference or workshop attendance costs; Computer equipment (unless essential and justified); Staff costs or personal salary payments; Membership fees to associations; General journal subscriptions. The full exclusions list is further up this page.

How do I apply for funding from Burlington Magazine Foundation?

Burlington Magazine Foundation takes applications via email application. Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.

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Could Burlington Magazine Foundation be a fit?

Check free. Draft if yes, or shortlist better matches.