Gerald Coke Handel Foundation

The foundation prioritises funding for arts, culture, heritage, and education initiatives related to Handel and eighteenth-century music. Supported activities include collection maintenance, cataloguing, digitisation, conservation, academic symposia, research projects, publications, and public displays or educational programmes. All funded work must be directly connected to the Gerald Coke Handel Collection, leveraging its manuscripts, scores, and artefacts for musicological study, music printing history, and related heritage pursuits. Geographically, the collection is based in London, and funding is available for projects associated with eligible organisations across England and Wales.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and academic institutions in England and Wales. The foundation has a strong preference for established specialist entities, such as the Foundling Museum or closely aligned partners with a proven track record in Handel-related work. Beneficiaries include the general public, scholars, students, musicians, and cultural institutions that engage with the collection. The foundation does not support grassroots groups or organisations without a direct connection to the collection's themes.

The foundation does not fund general purposes, unrestricted support, or projects unrelated to the Gerald Coke Handel Collection and its eighteenth-century music focus. It also does not support grassroots groups or organisations that are not registered charities or academic institutions in England and Wales.

Funding is directed exclusively to project-specific work related to the collection, rather than core costs or general operations. The foundation works by invitation, with grants made to established partner organisations; it does not accept unsolicited applications. Funding is typically for discrete initiatives such as conservation, digitisation, research, or educational programmes.