Drapers Charitable Fund

Charity Number: 251403

Annual Expenditure: £2.9M
Throughout England And Wales

Contact Info

Website: www.thedrapers.co.uk

Phone: 020 7588 5001

Email: charities@thedrapers.co.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5.26m (donations made, financial year ending July 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 6-10 weeks (applications considered at next committee meeting if received 4 weeks before)
  • Grant Range: No minimum/maximum, typically up to £15,000-£25,000, larger grants available
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Greater London, with some support in Northern Ireland and City of London
  • Committee Meetings: 5 times per year

Contact Details

Email: charities@thedrapers.co.uk

Phone: 020 7588 5001

Website: www.thedrapers.co.uk

Key Personnel:

  • Clerk: Colonel Richard Winstanley OBE (leads staff of around 30)
  • Master Draper 2024/25: Professor Morag Shiach

Overview

The Drapers' Charitable Fund (Charity No. 251403) is operated by the Worshipful Company of Drapers, one of London's historic livery companies. The Fund focuses on improving the quality of life and aspirations of people and communities, particularly those who are socially excluded or disadvantaged. With roots dating back centuries, the Company has evolved from a trade association into a powerful charitable body. In the financial year ending July 2024, the Fund made £5.26m in donations with investment assets generating £4.6m in gains. The Fund allocates 60% of support to education and training, with the remainder supporting prisoners, homeless people, ex-service personnel, those with disabilities, and people in need. Most grants go to registered charities in Greater London for education and social welfare projects, while also promoting the Company's textile heritage and maintaining historical connections in Northern Ireland and the City of London.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Rolling Application Process: Applications accepted year-round and considered at the next of five annual committee meetings (typically 6-10 weeks from submission if received at least 4 weeks before meeting date).

Grant Amounts: No minimum or maximum stated. Grants normally awarded up to £15,000-£25,000, though larger grants may be awarded. Most grants are one-off payments, but multi-year grants are selectively awarded subject to annual progress review.

Organizational Size: Support focused on organizations with annual income less than £5 million.

Priority Areas

Education & Young People (60% of funding)

  • Supporting young people under 25 from disadvantaged backgrounds to increase academic attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy
  • Helping young people continue or further their education
  • Improving wellbeing, resilience, self-esteem and engagement of young people
  • Focus on deprived areas of Greater London

Homelessness

  • Programs in Greater London supporting homeless people, those vulnerably housed or at risk of homelessness
  • Support to gain or maintain stable accommodation
  • Developing skills to live independently

Prisoners & Ex-Offenders

  • Projects delivered in prisons, “through-the-gate” and to ex-offenders in the community
  • Improving employability opportunities for offenders or ex-offenders
  • Supporting rehabilitation through education and training
  • Rebuilding family relationships

Ex-Service Personnel

  • Rehabilitation of wounded, injured or sick ex-services personnel, particularly into training or employment
  • Improving welfare, health and wellbeing of ex-service personnel in need

Disability & Mental Health

  • Improving quality of life for adults with sensory impairment
  • Supporting those with mental health needs or learning difficulties

Heritage

  • Textile industry projects and textile conservation (particularly textiles of national importance on public display)
  • Projects developing textile-related skills
  • Memorials, monuments and museum projects related to armed forces, history of London or the textile trade

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Fund focuses on registered charities (or exempt organizations) with income under £5 million, primarily in Greater London. Organizations outside these parameters are unlikely to be funded.

Governance and Leadership

The Fund is governed by a Charities Committee comprising members of the Worshipful Company of Drapers. The Committee meets five times annually to review grant applications. No trustees receive remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

Key Leadership:

  • Clerk: Colonel Richard Winstanley OBE serves as Clerk to the Drapers' Company, functioning as Chief Executive and leading a senior management team and staff of approximately 30
  • Master Draper 2024/25: Professor Morag Shiach
  • Governance Body: The Court of Assistants serves as the governing body, with all committee members as volunteers drawn from among their 750 members

The Drapers' Company operates as a charitable, ceremonial and educational institution, administering charitable trusts from which thousands benefit each year including schoolchildren, students, educational and charitable institutions, the elderly, homeless and poor.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted at any time throughout the year via email to charities@thedrapers.co.uk. There is no specific application form mentioned; applicants should contact the Fund directly for application guidance.

Decision Timeline

  • Committee Meetings: The Charities Committee meets five times per year
  • Processing Time: Applications received at least 4 weeks before a meeting will normally be considered at that next meeting
  • Typical Timeline: 6-10 weeks from submission to decision, depending on meeting schedule
  • Note: Consideration at a particular meeting cannot be guaranteed and depends on the number of applications received

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The Fund made £5.26m in donations in the financial year ending July 2024.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Applicants should contact the Fund directly at charities@thedrapers.co.uk for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Essential Requirements

  • Safeguarding Policies: Grants are conditional on applicants having written safeguarding policies and procedures relating to child protection, vulnerable adults and any other welfare issues
  • Registered Charity Status: Applications only considered from registered charities, unless the organization is exempt from registration
  • Income Threshold: Focus on organizations with annual income less than £5 million

Recent Successful Projects

Education & Young People (£50,000-£10,000 range):

  • Action Tutoring: £50,000 for supporting disadvantaged pupils in London through voluntary tutors
  • First Star Scholars UK: £20,000 to support children in care
  • Coram's Fields: £15,000 for Employability Programme for disadvantaged youth
  • In2scienceUK: £15,000 to promote diversity in STEM
  • Power2: £10,000 for mentoring program
  • British Exploring Society: £10,000 for youth skills development

Homelessness:

  • Marylebone Project: £15,000 for 24/7 women's crisis support center
  • Hope Worldwide: £10,000 for housing services
  • Housing the Homeless Central Fund: £6,000 for small emergency grants

Disability & Mental Health:

  • James' Place, Oakfield, Watford Sheltered Workshop, Multiple Sclerosis Trust: £15,000 each for various services
  • Music in Hospitals and Care: £14,169 for live music experiences
  • Yellow Submarine: £10,000 for social clubs

Prisoners & Ex-Offenders:

  • Upper Room, Recruitment Junction: £15,000 each for supporting homeless/ex-offenders and post-prison employment
  • One Small Thing: £10,000 for women's justice facility

Multi-Year Support Example

Chapter One UK has received grants from the Fund in May 2019, June 2021, and November 2022 for their Online Reading Volunteers Programme in London, which grew from supporting 240 children in 15 schools (2018) to 1,126 children in 36 schools (2023-24). This demonstrates the Fund's willingness to support organizations with proven track records over multiple years.

Key Language and Terminology

  • “Improving quality of life and aspirations”
  • “Socially excluded or disadvantaged”
  • “Realizing full potential”
  • “Resilience and self-esteem”
  • “Employability opportunities”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic Focus is Critical: While not exclusively London-focused, the vast majority of grants support Greater London organizations. Strong alignment with London's deprived communities significantly increases chances of success.
  • Safeguarding is Non-Negotiable: Written safeguarding policies and procedures must be in place before applying. This is a mandatory condition for all grants.
  • Demonstrate Impact on Disadvantaged Groups: Applications should clearly articulate how the project improves quality of life and aspirations for socially excluded or disadvantaged people, particularly young people under 25.
  • Right-Size Your Organization: The Fund focuses on organizations with income under £5 million, suggesting they prefer supporting smaller-to-medium charities where their grant will make meaningful impact.
  • Consider Multi-Year Relationships: While most grants are one-off, the Fund does award selective multi-year grants with annual progress reviews. Demonstrate strong outcomes to build a relationship over time.
  • Flexibility on Grant Size: With no stated minimum or maximum and grants ranging from £6,000 to £50,000 in recent awards, tailor your request to genuine project needs rather than trying to fit a predetermined amount.
  • Heritage Connections Welcome: If your project involves textile heritage, military heritage, or London history, highlight these connections as they align with the Company's historical mission.

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References