Forces In Mind Trust

Charity Number: 1145688

Annual Expenditure: £2.7M
Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1.7 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 6 months for initial application response
  • Grant Range: £61,500 - £355,000+ (examples from recent awards)
  • Geographic Focus: UK only (UK Armed Forces community)
  • Endowment Model: Spend-out trust (closing 2031)

Contact Details

Website: www.fim-trust.org

Email: enquiries@fim-trust.org

Phone: 020 7811 3228

Application Portal: Online application form via website

Overview

Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) is a London-based spend-out trust founded in November 2011 with a £35 million endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund (formerly Big Lottery Fund). The Trust is required to disburse its entire endowment by the end of 2031. FiMT's mission is to provide an evidence base that will influence and underpin policy-making and service delivery to enable ex-Service personnel and their families to lead successful civilian lives. In 2023, the Trust awarded £1.7 million in grants across various projects supporting the Armed Forces community, with total charitable expenditure of £2.7 million. FiMT was shortlisted for The Charity Governance Awards, demonstrating recognition of its strong organizational leadership. The Trust operates as both a grant-maker and research commissioner, funding evidence generation, influencing activities, and capacity-building initiatives across the Armed Forces charity sector.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

FiMT funds projects across seven programme areas aligned with their Change Model:

  • Employment Programme: Supporting sustainable employment transitions
  • Health Programme: Including mental health research and wellbeing initiatives
  • Housing Programme: Addressing accommodation needs and homelessness prevention
  • Finance Programme: Financial capability and stability
  • Criminal Justice Programme: Supporting veterans in the justice system
  • Relationships Programme: Family and community integration
  • Enabling Programme: Strengthening the Armed Forces charity sector through collaboration and capacity building

Grant Amounts: Vary significantly based on project scope and duration. Recent examples include:

  • £61,500 (12-month pilot project with Wiltshire Mind)
  • £97,539 (online support service pilot)
  • £250,000 (three-year partnership with The Royal Foundation)
  • £355,262 (three-year research project with Ulster University)

Application Method: Rolling basis - no fixed deadlines. Applications accepted at any time through online portal.

Priority Areas

FiMT funds projects aligned with their Four Change Mechanisms:

  1. Knowledge and Evidence: Research, evaluation, and evidence generation to inform policy and practice
  2. Influencing and Convening: Activities that shape policy, bring stakeholders together, and create systemic change
  3. Collaboration and Leadership: Partnership working and sector development initiatives
  4. Capacity Building: Strengthening organizational capability across the Armed Forces charity sector

The Trust prioritizes projects demonstrating alignment with their Six Outcomes: Housing, Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Finance, Criminal Justice System, and Relationships.

What They Don't Fund

FiMT explicitly excludes:

  • Service delivery - unless required as part of a broader project where the primary purpose supports one of their four change mechanisms
  • Work that does not benefit Service men, women, veterans and their families
  • Projects outside the UK or without direct UK benefit (though this does not preclude support for foreign and commonwealth groups that have served in the UK Armed Forces)
  • Work that is primarily the responsibility of central or local government - including statutory providers such as local authorities and Primary Care Trusts, or projects which directly replace statutory funding
  • Profit-making organizations - unless the objective is in support of Service personnel, veterans, and their families as part of a corporate social responsibility programme
  • Grants to individuals - as this is considered a primary role of existing Services charities and benevolent funds

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Chief Executive: Michelle Alston (current as of 2024-2025)

Previous Leadership: Ray Lock CBE served as founding Chief Executive from December 2012 to June 2021. Air Vice-Marshal Lock stated about FiMT's approach: The Trust focuses on funding “targeted, conceptually sound, evidence generation and influence activities that will cause policy makers and service providers to support their mission, and to strengthen the Armed Forces charities sector through collaboration and leadership.”

Board Structure

Chair: Rear Admiral Jim Macleod CB CVO (appointed December 2022). Macleod completed a 33-year career in the Royal Navy, with his latest roles including Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel Capability) & Defence Services Secretary and Head of Armed Forces Remuneration.

The Trust has a single corporate Trustee (FIM Trustee Limited) with a Board of Directors of between 10 to 14 members. Up to five Directors come from the Service charity sector. The Trust also has a Protector to represent the Founder (the National Lottery Community Fund).

Board positions include representatives from organizations such as the Army Benevolent Fund, Combat Stress, and Cobseo, reflecting strong sector engagement.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Two-Stage Process:

  • Cover letter with organizational description (including sufficient information for verification)
  • Project outline (maximum two sides of A4, minimum font size 11pt for non-Mental Health Research Programme applicants)
  1. Full Application: Invited only if initial application meets objectives and current priorities

Pre-Application Requirements: Thoroughly review eligibility criteria before applying. The Trust strongly advises only proceeding if your application falls within their objectives.

Decision Timeline

  • Initial Application Response: FiMT aims to respond within 6 months of receipt
  • Appraisal Time: Between 12-16 weeks to complete full appraisal once invited to submit full application
  • Application Schedule: Rolling - no fixed deadlines, applications accepted at any time

Success Rates

Success rate information is not publicly disclosed. The Trust awarded £1.7 million across multiple projects in 2023, down from £4.4 million in 2022, reflecting strategic prioritization as the Trust approaches its 2031 spend-out deadline.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified in available sources. Applicants should contact the Trust directly for guidance on reapplication following an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Direct Guidance from FiMT on Strong Applications

FiMT provides specific advice on what makes a strong application:

1. Well-Defined Objectives

"Have well-defined objectives, considering what long-term success looks like, how you will know you have achieved it, and how these will help achieve FiMT's Change Model."

2. Clear Rationale

“Provide clear rationale for your project, with evidence to support your approach, potential pitfalls and contingency plans, and a realistic timescale.”

3. Budget Justification

“Ensure that the costs requested for your project are necessary and that the figures add up.”

4. Clear Communication

“Write in clear English and avoid technical jargon where possible.”

5. Time Management

"Give yourself plenty of time, as it's really important that you avoid rushing your application."

Examples of Funded Projects

  • Research: King's College London and University of Liverpool partnership evaluating whether mental health and treatment needs of UK veterans differ from the general population
  • Pilot Services: Wiltshire Mind's online support service for carers of people suffering from severe mental illness in the Armed Forces Community (£97,539)
  • Healthcare Innovation: 12-month feasibility study piloting a 'healthcare navigator' role in Birmingham
  • Partnership Working: Sunderland City Council Armed Forces Partnership (winner of FiMT Working Together Award 2024) - brought together multiple organizations to ensure none of the 10,000+ veterans in Sunderland face rough sleeping
  • Evidence Generation: Ulster University three-year research project (£355,262)
  • Employability Research: Futures 4 Forces qualitative research programme into employability of ex-Service personnel

Language and Terminology

FiMT emphasizes:

  • Evidence-based approaches: Projects must demonstrate conceptual soundness and evidence-based methodology
  • Collaboration: Partnership working and sector strengthening are highly valued
  • Impact on transition: Clear articulation of how the project supports successful civilian transition
  • Alignment with Change Model: Explicit connection to the six outcomes and four change mechanisms

Standing Out

  • Demonstrate understanding of FiMT's unique role as a spend-out trust focused on creating lasting systemic change before 2031
  • Show how your project will generate evidence or influence policy/practice, not just deliver services
  • Emphasize collaboration across the Armed Forces charity sector
  • Include robust evaluation methodologies to demonstrate impact
  • Connect your work to the broader strategic landscape and how it will create sustainable change beyond the project lifecycle

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Spend-out urgency: FiMT must disburse all funds by 2031, creating potential opportunities for larger or strategic grants as the deadline approaches, but also increasing focus on lasting impact rather than short-term service delivery
  • Evidence is paramount: This is fundamentally a research and policy trust - your project must generate knowledge, influence policy/practice, or build sector capacity, not simply deliver services
  • Change mechanisms over outcomes: While your work must align with one of the six outcomes (Housing, Employment, Health, Finance, Criminal Justice, Relationships), demonstrating how you'll achieve this through one or more of the four change mechanisms is critical
  • Collaboration is currency: Partnership working and sector strengthening are highly valued - solo projects face higher scrutiny than collaborative initiatives
  • Time investment required: With 6-month initial response times and 12-16 week appraisal periods, plan for a long application cycle - rushing applications is strongly discouraged by FiMT
  • No deadlines means strategic timing: Rolling applications allow you to apply when your project is truly ready and well-developed, rather than forcing artificial deadlines
  • Quality over quantity: FiMT's annual giving decreased from £4.4m (2022) to £1.7m (2023), suggesting increasingly selective grant-making focused on strategic priorities as they approach their spend-out deadline

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

References

  1. Forces in Mind Trust official website - www.fim-trust.org
  2. “What makes a strong application?” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/apply/what-makes-a-strong-application/
  3. “How to apply” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/apply/how-to-apply/
  4. “Check your eligibility” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/apply/check-your-eligibility/
  5. “Change Model” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/change-model/
  6. "Mission & Vision" - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/about/mission-vision/
  7. “Board” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/about/board/
  8. Charity Commission Register - FORCES IN MIND TRUST, Charity Number 1145688
  9. “Forces in Mind Trust publishes Impact Report 2023” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/news-policy-item/forces-in-mind-trust-publishes-impact-report-2023/
  10. “Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock Appointed New Chief Executive of the Forces in Mind Trust” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/news-policy-item/air-vice-marshal-ray-lock-appointed-new-chief-executive-forces-mind-trust/
  11. “Forces in Mind Trust appoints Rear Admiral Jim Macleod CB CVO as new Chair” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/news-policy-item/forces-in-mind-trust-appoints-rear-admiral-jim-macleod-cb-cvo-as-new-chair/
  12. “Projects we have funded” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/what-we-fund/projects-funded/
  13. “Sunderland City Council Armed Forces Partnership wins Working Together Award” - Forces in Mind Trust, www.fim-trust.org/news-policy-item/sunderland-city-council-armed-forces-partnership-wins-working-together-award/
  14. “Forces in Mind Trust - The Charity Governance Awards” - www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk/short-list/forces-in-mind-trust/
  15. Funding Scotland - Forces in Mind Trust profile, funding.scot/funds/a0Rb0000003iYoyEAE/forces-in-mind-trust