Henry Smith Charity
Could Henry Smith Charity fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.
- Typical grants
- £500 – £250,000
- Applications
- Accepted
- How to apply
- Two-stage application
Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.
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henrysmith.foundationAbout Henry Smith Charity
The Henry Smith Foundation is one of the UK's oldest independent grant-makers, established in 1628. Its mission is to alleviate poverty and disadvantage by empowering people and communities to thrive. The Foundation values trust, collaboration, and equity, and favours flexible, long-term partnerships that combine immediate support with lasting change. It funds across three themes: Getting Started (early years and families), Building Independence (young people aged 14-25), and Safer Futures (survivors of abuse, homelessness, or prison). The Foundation is distinctive for its risk-tolerant, evidence-based approach and its focus on lived experience.
What Henry Smith Charity funds
The Foundation supports work across a wide range of causes including children and young people, disability, mental health, education and employment, faith, poverty, and support for refugees and migrants. Funded activities include non-statutory advocacy, careers education with job coach support, holiday trips for disadvantaged children, welcome support for newcomers to the UK, and projects that help Anglican clergy stay healthy and effective. They fund core costs, salaries, and project delivery in most programmes, while the Holiday Grants Programme covers events and transport. All work must take place within the UK.
Who can apply
The Foundation funds organisations only, including registered charities, community interest companies, community groups, schools, faith groups, and social enterprises. They support a broad range of beneficiaries: children experiencing inequity or disability, young people aged 14-25, disabled people, LGBT+ communities, refugees and people seeking asylum, and the general public. Some programmes have specific eligibility – for example, the Christian Projects Grant Programme supports projects benefiting Anglican clergy, while the Holiday Grants Programme is open to schools and youth groups. The Foundation does not fund individuals.
What Henry Smith Charity doesn't fund
The Foundation does not fund capital works or equipment; services that only offer peer support groups, mentoring, befriending, or general information and advice; projects taking place overseas; organisations with reserves covering more than 12 months' expenditure; trips that have already taken place or will happen in less than five weeks; trips over multiple days or with excessive travel time. The Christian Projects Grant Programme excludes heritage projects, and the Holiday Grants Programme excludes education, skills, and faith-related causes.
How they like to fund
The Foundation offers multi-year grants across most programmes, typically supporting core costs, salaries, and project delivery. The Holiday Grants Programme is an exception, providing one-off grants for single-day trips. They welcome unsolicited applications and take a risk-tolerant, evidence-based approach, prioritising flexible, long-term partnerships. The Foundation values trust and collaboration, often supporting organisations that combine immediate support with lasting change.
How much does Henry Smith Charity give?
Henry Smith Charity runs 5 grant programmes. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.
Last verified 8 August 2026 · 102 sourced facts
- Two-stage process
- Next deadline 2 September 2026
- Multi-year funding
- Online application form
- 3 rounds a year
- Decisions in ~20 weeks
- Multi-year funding
- Two-stage process
- 3 rounds a year
- Decisions in ~5 weeks
- Single-year grants
- Two-stage process
- Multi-year funding
- Two-stage process
- 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 Henry Smith Charity funds — and what they won't
Investing in careers education for young people with learning disabilities, providing job coach-led support in school settings to help them secure meaningful paid work.
The full exclusions list (7)
- Reserves (net current assets plus investments) covering more than 12 months' expenditure
- Work that will take place overseas
- Trips that have already taken place.
- Trips that will happen in less than five weeks.
- Trips over multiple days to multiple venues.
- Trips that spend too much time travelling, the focus should be on the children’s fun experience.
- We are not able to fund services that only offer: Peer support groups, Mentoring or befriending services, Information, advice and guidance (IAG) services, General services that are not about rights or are not person centred.
Good to know
How to apply to Henry Smith Charity
Henry Smith Charity takes applications via two-stage application.
- Published programme route: two-stage process.
- Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.
What Henry Smith Charity's application asks
We hold the 13 questions from Henry Smith Charity's application form, word for word — so you know exactly what you're signing up to answer.
“Who you support”
“How people’s voices run your organisation”
11 more questions from their form, plus answers drafted from your charity's real data if you decide to apply.
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 Henry Smith Charity could be a fit. Draft if yes.
Frequently asked questions
How much funding does Henry Smith Charity provide?
Henry Smith Charity runs 5 grant programmes — Career Ready Fund: Up to £200,000 · Christian Projects Grant Programme: £10,000 – £70,000 · Holiday Grants Programme: £500 – £2,750 · Shout! Fund: Up to £240,000 · Welcome for Newcomers Fund: Up to £200,000.
Where does Henry Smith Charity fund charities?
Henry Smith Charity funds charities operating in UK.
Does Henry Smith Charity accept unsolicited applications?
Henry Smith Charity accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.
What does Henry Smith Charity not fund?
Their published exclusions include: Reserves (net current assets plus investments) covering more than 12 months' expenditure; Work that will take place overseas; Trips that have already taken place.; Trips that will happen in less than five weeks.; Trips over multiple days to multiple venues.. The full exclusions list is further up this page.
How do I apply for funding from Henry Smith Charity?
Henry Smith Charity takes applications via two-stage application. Published programme route: two-stage process.
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Could Henry Smith Charity be a fit?
Check free. Draft if yes, or shortlist better matches.