B&Q Foundation

Charity Number: 1183275

Annual Expenditure: £3.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £3 million+ (to Foundation and national partner Shelter)
  • Total Distributed: £7.2 million+ to over 1,300 projects since 2020
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Up to 12 weeks from deadline
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £10,000 (may consider higher value grants)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide

Contact Details

Overview

The B&Q Foundation was established in 2020 as a registered charity (1183275) to build on B&Q's commitment to making a positive difference in local communities. The Foundation has distributed over £7.2 million to more than 1,300 charity projects, helping support over 600,000 people. In 2023/24, B&Q's community programmes donated more than £3 million and helped over 718,000 people, with colleagues volunteering over 33,000 hours to support 302 projects. The Foundation's mission is to relieve those in need across the UK because of financial hardship, ill-health, disability, or other disadvantage, particularly by making grants to registered charities providing, maintaining, repairing, and improving housing and community spaces, and providing housing advice and support.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The B&Q Foundation operates two main funding programmes:

  • Home Improvement Fund: Up to £10,000 for essential home improvements to accommodation or gardens connected to accommodation. Projects supported include decorating, fixing roofs, refurbishment of garden space, upgrading key fixtures and fittings, and creating new buildings or rooms. Only charity-managed properties qualify for home and accommodation improvements.
  • Home-Starter Kits Fund: Up to £10,000 for home-starter packs to help people set up their new home with essentials to feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive.
  • Higher Value Grants: The Foundation will consider awarding grants above these limits in exceptional cases.
  • Application Method: Quarterly funding rounds via Neighbourly platform (applications open every quarter with two-week windows).

Priority Areas

The Foundation's focus is on projects that directly improve home environments, rather than community centres, support hubs, or well-being spaces. Funding supports:

  • Essential home improvements for people facing homelessness, domestic abuse, disabilities, illness, or financial hardship
  • Home-starter packs to help individuals and families set up new homes
  • Projects improving homes or community spaces for people experiencing bad housing or homelessness
  • Housing and community space improvements for people in financial hardship, sickness, disability, or other disadvantage
  • Full project costs including staff time required
  • Projects must be delivered within six months of receiving the grant

Funding Prioritisation: The Foundation prioritises grants where they are funding over 25% of the total project cost.

What They Don't Fund

  • Contributions to general appeals or circulars
  • Religious activity not for wider public benefit
  • Public bodies carrying out their statutory obligations
  • Activities solely supporting animal welfare
  • Activities that have already taken place
  • Privately owned and profit-distributing companies or limited partnerships
  • Projects to improve office facilities (unless dual-purpose spaces used by beneficiaries)
  • Eligibility limitation: Only UK registered charities (CICs and unregistered community groups are not eligible)
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Governance and Leadership

The B&Q Foundation is governed by a board of trustees with diverse expertise:

  • Chair - Catherine: Finance Change Director for Kingfisher since 2021, bringing strong track record in Finance, Governance, and Change
  • Treasurer - Stuart: Financial Controller at B&Q with 11 years in the B&Q Finance team
  • Trustee - Alex: Director of Transforming Funding at NPC, previously Head of Funding at The National Lottery Community Fund
  • Trustee - Simon: CEO of Homeless Oxfordshire with nearly 15 years working in charities
  • Trustee - Anna: B&Q retail colleague currently on secondment to the Communities Team

This diverse board combines retail, finance, charity sector, and lived community experience to guide funding decisions.

How to Apply to B&q Foundation

How to Apply

The B&Q Foundation uses a three-step process managed through the Neighbourly platform:

  1. Expression of Interest: Complete initial form to assess eligibility (quick measure)
  2. Full Application Invitation: If eligible, receive email invitation to full application via Neighbourly with a two-week window to complete
  3. Create Profile: Set up organisational profile on Neighbourly platform as part of application

Applications open quarterly, though the Foundation may skip a round if they receive a large volume of eligible applications and choose to allocate from existing submissions.

Decision Timeline

  • Notification: Within 12 weeks of the funding round deadline
  • Method: Email notification of outcome
  • Project Delivery: Funded projects must be completed within 6 months of receiving the grant

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the Foundation has funded over 1,300 projects since 2020, with over 500 projects funded by the time cumulative giving reached £2.5 million. Applications are reviewed and awarded based on strength of application.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated in public guidance. Contact the Foundation directly for clarification on reapplication timelines for unsuccessful applicants.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Foundation

"Provide as much information as possible about why your organisation is looking for this funding and how this will benefit both your beneficiaries and the charity. Using specific examples of who will be helped can really bring applications to life and help the B&Q Foundation to understand the need in your community."

Key Success Factors

  1. Demonstrate standalone projects: Show how your project reaches beyond core running costs and represents a specific, deliverable initiative
  2. Quantify impact: Include specific numbers of people reached, longevity of impact, and measurable outcomes
  3. Align with core aims: Explicitly reference the Foundation's mission to create better, safer places for people who need them most
  4. Focus on home environments: Ensure projects directly improve home environments for people in need
  5. Show significant Foundation contribution: Prioritise applications where Foundation funding exceeds 25% of total project cost
  6. Use compelling examples: Bring applications to life with specific stories of beneficiaries who will be helped
  7. Charity-managed properties: For home improvements, ensure the property is charity-managed

Recently Funded Projects

  • Action for Children: £150,000 over three years to create safe homes for children and young people, including Yew Tree House (fully accessible home for children with learning and physical disabilities)
  • The Haven Wolverhampton: £4,888 to furnish new safe house property for women and children fleeing domestic abuse
  • YMCA East Surrey: Furniture for housing 18-30 year-olds
  • Mountbatten Hampshire Hospice: Furnished house for five young people experiencing homelessness
  • Northern Ireland Hospice: Summer house for children

Language and Terminology

The Foundation emphasises:

  • “Feel at home” and “sense of belonging”
  • “Better, safer places”
  • “People who need them most”
  • “Home environments”
  • “Community spaces where people can thrive”
  • Focus on transformation and improvement rather than maintenance

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Structure budgets for over 25% funding threshold: Ensure B&Q Foundation contribution exceeds 25% of total project cost to increase prioritisation
  • Focus on home environments: Projects must directly improve home environments rather than community centres or support hubs
  • Tell beneficiary stories: Use specific, named examples and case studies to bring the need and impact to life
  • Demonstrate standalone project: Clearly distinguish project from core operations and show discrete deliverables within 6-month timeframe
  • Only UK registered charities eligible: Confirm charity registration status before applying - CICs and community groups cannot apply
  • Charity-managed properties only: For home improvement projects, ensure the property is charity-managed
  • Plan for quarterly deadlines: Monitor website for opening dates as rounds may be skipped if previous round was oversubscribed
  • Emphasise “home and belonging”: Use Foundation's language around creating spaces where people feel at home and have belonging
  • Include volunteer opportunity: B&Q colleagues volunteer extensively (33,000+ hours in 2023/24) - consider if project could benefit from volunteer support

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References

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