The 1001 Critical Days Foundation

The 1001 Critical Days Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1212594).

The 1001 Critical Days Foundation exists because it believes every baby should experience the best start in life, and it aims to improve babies' outcomes during the 1,001 critical days from pregnancy to age two. It works through three programmes: grant funding for charities delivering support services in family hubs and other similar settings, commissioned research into the best support during the perinatal period, and promotion of the importance of the 1001 critical days around the world. Across two funding rounds it has awarded £3.5m in multi-year grants to 13 charities working to improve outcomes for babies across the UK. In its latest annual report it paid £268,984 in total.

Priority Areas

The foundation seeks to improve babies’ outcomes during the 1,001 critical days, from pregnancy to age two, and to give every baby the best start in life. It provides multi-year grants to charities delivering support through family hubs and similar one-stop-shop community settings, with an emphasis on measurable, lasting impact. The funded work spans infant feeding, parenting programmes, parent-infant relationships, perinatal mental health, support for dads, carers and non-birthing partners, and help for communities experiencing marginalisation or discrimination. Alongside frontline charity work, it funds research on evidence-based ways to improve baby outcomes and on the impact of universal family support in integrated settings. It also advocates internationally for the importance of the 1,001 critical days, working with researchers, practitioners and policymakers.

Themes

• Infant feeding
• Parenting programmes
• Parent-infant relationships
• Perinatal mental health
• Dads and carers
• Marginalised communities
• Early-years research

Geographic Focus

Priority: The UK.

The process has three stages: an Expression of Interest Form, a Main Application Form, and a meeting for shortlisted applications.

Deadlines: Applications are made in funding rounds.

Application windows:

• Charity Grants, Round 2: Opens in October, closes in December

Who can apply:

• Charity Grants
  • Be a UK registered charity
  • Have at least three unrelated trustees
  • Have been established for at least two years
  • Have at least one set of accounts published on the Charity Commission website

What to send:

• Charity Grants, Stage One
  • Your organisation’s latest audited accounts (and if these are older than 10 months, your draft or management accounts)
  • A proposal, maximum 1,200 words, covering the project description, your experience, partnership approach and expected outcomes
• Charity Grants, Stage Two
  • Your organisation’s latest strategy
  • A full budget for your proposed project, including how much funding you’ve secured so far
  • A project plan which includes clear milestones and a risk register

Applying again: Charity Grants: If you have applied for a grant and your application was not successful, please do not apply for the same project again within 12 months.

What the charity says:

• The foundation values a strong track record of making a meaningful difference to babies.
• The foundation values a commitment to demonstrating impact and building practice-based evidence for supporting babies and their families.
• The foundation considers how closely projects align with its values.
• The foundation considers intervention quality and the likely strength of impact.