Church Commissioners For England

Charity Number: 1140097

Annual Expenditure: £223.0M
Geographic Focus: Throughout England

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £223 million (charitable expenditure 2023); £1.2 billion over 2023-2025 triennium
  • Total Assets: £11.1 billion endowment fund (end of 2024)
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £25.5 million (varies significantly by program)
  • Geographic Focus: England (Church of England institutions)
  • Application Method: Primarily through diocesan channels (not direct parish applications for most programs)
  • Funding Recipients: Church of England dioceses, parishes, cathedrals

Contact Details

Address: Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ

Phone: 020 7898 1000

Email: commissioners.enquiry@churchofengland.org

Website: www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchcommissioners/

For Grant Enquiries: Contact your local Church of England diocese, as most funding is distributed through diocesan channels rather than direct applications.

Overview

The Church Commissioners for England was established in 1948, combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty (dating from 1704) and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (formed in 1836). Registered as charity number 1140097 in 2011, the Commissioners manage the Church of England's £11.1 billion endowment fund, which delivered a 10.3% return in 2024—marking sixteen consecutive years of positive returns. The organization contributes around 20% of the Church of England's annual running costs and has provided over £3.5 billion in funding since 2009.

The Commissioners' mission is to support the work and mission of the Church of England today and for future generations, helping it remain a Christian presence in every community. In 2023, they made £223 million in charitable expenditure (up 19.4% from £186.8 million in 2022), with more than two-thirds supporting dioceses and local churches. For the 2023-2025 triennium, funding increased by 30% to £1.2 billion, focusing on the Church's Vision and Strategy for the 2020s: reaching more young and disadvantaged people, addressing racial justice, and achieving net zero carbon emissions.

The Commissioners have set indicative distributions of £4.6 billion over nine years (2026-2034) to support clergy wellbeing, parishes in low-income communities, safeguarding, and redress programs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strategic Development Funding (SDF)

  • Amount: Major multi-year investments (£9.4 million to £25.5 million)
  • Eligibility: Church of England dioceses only
  • Purpose: Major change projects leading to significant difference in dioceses' mission and financial strength
  • Focus: Since 2020, targeted at promoting growth in largest urban areas, with focus on younger generations and deprived communities
  • Application: Through diocese's consultancy partner

Lowest Income Communities (LInC) Funding

  • Amount: £99 million allocated (2023-2025)
  • Distribution: 28 dioceses receive block funding
  • Allocation Method: Based on average income, income deprivation levels, and population size
  • Purpose: Support and develop mission in communities with most deprived populations

Buildings for Mission

  • Total Fund: £11 million (2023-2025)
  • Minor Repairs & Improvements (MR&I) Grant Fund: £6.2 million allocated across 41 dioceses
  • Grant Size: Up to £12,000 per project
  • Match Rate: 50% to 90% of project costs (depending on parish deprivation profile)
  • Purpose: Small-scale urgent repairs, improvements, and “stitch in time” projects
  • Application: Through diocesan Church Buildings teams

Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP)

  • Scope: Supported around 200 frontline ministry roles in 2023
  • Includes: Curates, youth and family ministry roles, ministers among children and young people

Cathedral Support

  • Section 21 Funding: Provided to every cathedral (except Oxford)
  • Covers: Stipends and pension costs of deans and two residential canons
  • Emergency Support Example: £1 million for cathedral choir salaries, £800,000 for heritage skills (COVID-19 response)

People and Partnerships Funding

  • Amount: £49 million (2023-2025)
  • Purpose: Front-line ministry including additional ordinands and developing pipeline of young leaders

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

  • Diocese of Blackburn: £25.5 million over nine years for parish renewal, lay pioneer ministry, and ministry to children and young people
  • Diocese of Southwark: £21.6 million for apprentice-style training for ministry with children and young people
  • Diocese of London (Hackney and Islington): £9.4 million over six years, including youth ministers serving 21 parishes
  • Diocese of Hereford: £123,750 for small-scale repairs and improvements grants
  • Diocese of Southwark: £217,000 Buildings for Mission allocation

Priority Areas

  • Young People and Children: Doubling the number of children and young people in churches; nearly half (46%) of Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment proposals funded in 2023 focused on this priority
  • Lowest Income Communities: Establishing 10,000 new Christian communities, with at least 2,000 in poorest and most deprived areas
  • Mission and Ministry: Supporting frontline ministry roles, ordinands, and pioneer ministries
  • Church Buildings: Urgent repairs, mission-focused improvements, heritage preservation
  • Clergy Wellbeing: Pensions, stipend increases, property support, financial advice
  • Racial Justice: Projects addressing inequality and promoting diversity
  • Net Zero: Environmental sustainability and carbon reduction initiatives

What They Fund

  • Diocesan strategic development programs
  • Ministry in low-income communities
  • Church building repairs and improvements (small to medium scale)
  • Youth and family ministry positions
  • Cathedral operational costs and special projects
  • Bishops' stipends and working costs
  • Clergy pensions (for service prior to 1998)
  • Pastoral reorganization costs

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside the Church of England structure
  • Individual parishes applying directly (most funding must come through dioceses)
  • General operational costs not aligned with strategic priorities
  • Projects not supporting the Church's Vision and Strategy for the 2020s
  • Non-religious or secular organizations
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Governance and Leadership

Board Structure

The Church Commissioners comprise 33 members: six hold offices of state, while 27 serve on the Board of Governors as the main policy-making body with trustee responsibility for charitable obligations. Board members are either elected by the General Synod or appointed by the archbishops.

Key Leadership

First Church Estates Commissioner: Alan Smith (appointed October 2021)

  • Former financial services executive with ESG and risk management expertise
  • Quote: “Our job is to provide the maximum sustainable funding to support the mission and ministry of the Church in perpetuity. So we are focused on protecting and growing assets over the long term.”

Deputy Chair: Bishop Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury (appointed January 2024)

Chief Executive: Gareth Mostyn (stepping down after five years)

  • Under his leadership, Church Commissioners grew funding support by more than 50%
  • Quote on Impact Investment Fund: “We want to be ambitious with this fund, and also to listen widely to ensure this work is done sensitively and with accountability – we cannot do this on our own.”

Third Church Estates Commissioner: Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland (appointed February 2025)

  • Former Lord Chancellor

Board Members Include

  • Bishop Pete Wilcox (Bishop of Sheffield)
  • Bishop Philip North (Bishop of Blackburn)
  • Dean Rogers Govender (Dean of Manchester)
  • Busola Sodeinde (Financial services executive, General Synod member)
  • Dame Kate Barker (Former Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member)
  • Remi Olu-Pitan (Member since October 2022, Assets Committee)

Committees

Board members are organized into four committees:

  1. Assets Committee
  2. Audit and Risk Committee
  3. Bishoprics and Cathedrals Committee
  4. Mission, Pastoral & Church Property Committee

Strategic Investment Board

Created by the Archbishops' Council to decide on grant applications for Strategic Development Funding, using money released by the Church Commissioners.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Church Commissioners do not accept direct applications from individual parishes or external organizations. Funding is primarily distributed through the Church of England's diocesan structure.

For Parishes:

  • Contact your diocesan office to inquire about available funding streams
  • Buildings for Mission grants are administered by diocesan Church Buildings teams
  • Each diocese has allocated funding for specific programs and determines local application processes

For Dioceses:

  • Strategic Development Funding: Contact your diocese's designated consultancy partner
  • Lowest Income Communities funding: Allocated directly to eligible dioceses as block grants based on deprivation metrics
  • Applications typically require alignment with diocesan strategic plans and the Church's Vision and Strategy for the 2020s

Buildings for Mission (Parish Level):

  • Apply through your diocese's Church Buildings team
  • Each diocese has its own application forms, deadlines, and criteria
  • Grants typically up to £12,000 for projects costing up to £10,000-£12,000
  • Match funding required (50%-90% of project costs depending on parish deprivation profile)

Decision Timeline

Timelines vary significantly by program:

  • Buildings for Mission: Diocesan decision processes (varies by diocese; some have closed applications when funding allocated)
  • Strategic Development Funding: Multi-stage process requiring diocesan strategic planning and consultation
  • Block Allocations: LInC and other core funding distributed to dioceses on agreed schedules within three-year trienniums

Funding Cycles

  • Major funding allocations set in three-year trienniums
  • Current triennium: 2023-2025 (£1.2 billion)
  • Next triennium: 2026-2028 (£1.6 billion announced)
  • Nine-year indicative planning: 2026-2034 (£4.6 billion indicative distributions)

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, in 2023:

  • Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Funding awarded £60 million to Church of England projects and parishes
  • Additional £29 million supported lowest income communities
  • Around 200 frontline ministry roles supported through DIP
  • 28 dioceses received LInC block funding
  • 41 dioceses allocated Buildings for Mission grants

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for direct parish applications. Dioceses engage in ongoing funding relationships with the Commissioners through triennium planning cycles and strategic discussions.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Vision and Strategy for the 2020s

The Church Commissioners prioritize funding that supports the Church of England's Vision for “a simpler, humbler, bolder Church that is Jesus Christ centred and Jesus Christ shaped.” Successful proposals demonstrate:

  1. Focus on Young People and Children: Projects that contribute to doubling the number of children and young people in churches are highly prioritized. In 2023, 46% of funded proposals through Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment involved this objective.
  1. Serving Deprived Communities: Strong emphasis on establishing Christian communities in poorest areas. The allocation methodology for LInC funding specifically weights toward dioceses with higher income deprivation.
  1. Diocesan Strategic Integration: For Strategic Development Funding, projects must fit within diocesan strategic plans and demonstrate potential for significant difference in mission and financial strength.

Evidence of Need and Impact

  • Deprivation Metrics: Buildings for Mission grants offer higher match rates (up to 90%) for parishes in more deprived areas
  • Measurable Outcomes: Projects should demonstrate clear mission outcomes, particularly around reaching new demographics
  • “Stitch in Time” Principle: For building grants, demonstrate how small investments prevent larger future costs
  • Long-term Sustainability: Show how funding creates lasting change rather than short-term fixes

Partnership and Collaboration

From Gareth Mostyn: “We cannot do this on our own” - emphasis on collaborative approaches and listening widely to stakeholders.

Alignment with Responsible Investment Values

Alan Smith emphasized the Commissioners focus on “the greater good – of people, and of the planet.” Projects addressing:

  • Climate change and net zero commitments
  • Social inequality
  • Racial justice
  • Nature and biodiversity

Realistic and Well-Planned Proposals

  • Clear project costs and timelines
  • Evidence of matched funding or sustainability plan
  • Integration with existing diocesan or parish mission activities
  • Demonstration of how project serves strategic priorities beyond basic operational needs

For Building Grants Specifically

  • Urgent and necessary repairs or improvements
  • Projects that enable mission and ministry (not just maintenance)
  • Clear connection to reaching more people or better serving the community
  • Appropriate scale for the funding available (up to £12,000)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Work Through Your Diocese: Individual parishes and external organizations cannot apply directly. Build strong relationships with your diocesan Church Buildings team, mission team, or relevant department to access funding.
  • Align with Strategic Priorities: Funding strongly favors projects focusing on young people/children and serving deprived communities. Demonstrate how your project supports the Church's Vision and Strategy for the 2020s.
  • Deprivation Matters: Projects in more deprived areas receive preferential treatment, including higher match rates for building grants. Use deprivation data to strengthen your case.
  • Think Beyond Buildings: Even for building projects, emphasize mission impact and how physical improvements enable reaching more people, particularly younger generations and those in poverty.
  • Long-Term Planning: Major funding operates on three-year triennium cycles. Dioceses plan strategically for these cycles, so engage early with diocesan conversations about future priorities.
  • Scale Your Ask Appropriately: Buildings for Mission suits urgent repairs up to £12,000. For transformational change, dioceses can pursue Strategic Development Funding worth millions over multiple years.
  • Demonstrate Sustainability: Show how investment creates lasting impact rather than temporary fixes. The Commissioners focus on “protecting and growing assets over the long term” applies to their grant-making philosophy too.

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References

  • Various diocesan websites including Diocese of Hereford, Coventry, Southwark, and York providing information about Buildings for Mission program implementation.