Lloyds Bank Foundation For England & Wales

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £35.2 million (2024 - largest since 2013)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Notified by May 23, 2025 for current round
• Grant Range: £25,000 - £150,000 per year
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

• Website: www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
• Email: enquiries@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
• Phone: 020 7378 4610
• Pre-application Support: Available via online meetings and eligibility quiz
• Programme-Specific Contacts: collaborations@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk

Overview

Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales (Charity No. 327114) is an independent charitable foundation established in 1986 and funded by Lloyds Banking Group. The Foundation receives 0.5% of the Group's pre-tax profits and made its largest annual donation since 2013 in 2024 at £35.2 million. Their mission is to partner with small and local charities working with people facing complex issues and barriers, providing unrestricted funding and development support. Since 2014, Lloyds Banking Group has donated £243 million to its charitable foundations, with over £131 million provided since 2020. The Foundation focuses on charities with annual incomes between £25,000-£500,000 and has supported over 2,400 charities through grant-making and colleague matched giving in 2023.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Specialist Programme: £75,000 over three years (£25,000 annually) plus tailored development support
• Racial Equity Programme: £75,000 over three years (£25,000 annually) - 25% of core funding budget allocated
• Local Collaborations Programme: £100,000 over two years for partnerships seeking local/regional change
• Disability Financial Inclusion Programme: £75,000 over three years for charities led by and working with Deaf and Disabled people
• National Influencing Programme: Up to £150,000 over three years (18 grants awarded)

All programmes use rolling applications except Local Collaborations which has specific Expression of Interest deadlines.

Priority Areas

• Small and local charities supporting people facing complex issues and barriers
• Organizations working with disadvantaged or disabled people aged 18+
• Charities focusing on accommodation, social security, refugees and asylum seeker support
• Work influencing policy, practice and systems change
• Organizations led by and working with marginalized communities

What They Don't Fund

• Large national charities (typically those with income over £500,000)
• Organizations without a one-year track record of service delivery
• Multiple grants to the same organization simultaneously (except through different programmes)

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Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Matt Hyde OBE (joined September 2024, formerly CEO of Scout Association for 11 years)

Chair of Trustees: Dame Ann Limb DBE DL

Recent Trustee Appointments (2024):

• Ajneet Jassey, Laura Needham, and Jayne Opperman from Lloyds Banking Group

Leadership Philosophy: Matt Hyde emphasizes building long-term, constructive relationships with funded charities. The Foundation's Chief Executive personally signs all rejection letters and often encourages charities to reapply. As Hyde notes: “The needs and aspirations of people drive their work. They strengthen the small and local charities that support them and the communities they live in.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

• Complete online eligibility quiz first
• Pre-application meetings available with Foundation team
• Expression of Interest for Local Collaborations programme
• Online applications through Foundation portal
• Up to £500 accessibility support available

Decision Timeline

• Current Round: Applications notified by May 23, 2025, funds available from June 2025
• Local Collaborations: Expression of Interest decisions by July 11, 2025
• Assessment involves regional manager review and potential site visits

Success Rates

Specific success rates not publicly available, though the Foundation awarded 300 grants totaling £23 million across two equity programmes (2022-26). Recent programme examples include 83 Specialist Programme grants and 42 Racial Equity grants of £75,000 each.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants receive personalized feedback letters signed by the CEO with specific reasons for rejection. The Foundation actively encourages reapplication and views constructive feedback as critical to their approach. Organizations with live grants can apply to other programmes for collaborative work.

Application Success Factors

Direct Foundation Guidance:

• “Through unrestricted funding, support to develop and influencing policy and practice, they help small and local charities thrive”
• Regional managers assess applications and conduct site visits to “properly understand funding needs and how a grant might help”
• Foundation seeks charities “looking to influence and achieve change in national policy and practice”

Key Success Elements:

• Demonstrate clear track record serving people aged 18+ facing complex barriers
• Show annual income between £25,000-£500,000
• Evidence local/community connection and understanding of complex issues
• Articulate how unrestricted funding will strengthen organizational capacity
• Align with Foundation's focus on disadvantaged populations
• Present clear policy/practice influence potential

Partnership Approach: Foundation partner testimonial: “The grant is fantastic because it covers our core costs... These costs are always the hardest to secure yet provide the foundations from which services can operate.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Core Funding Focus: Foundation exclusively provides unrestricted funding - emphasize how core support will strengthen your organization's foundation
• Size Matters: Target sweet spot of £25,000-£500,000 annual income organizations where their funding makes greatest impact
• Complex Issues: Demonstrate deep understanding of complex barriers faced by your beneficiaries rather than simple service delivery
• Policy Influence: Articulate potential for local, regional, or national systems change and policy influence
• Long-term Relationship: Frame application as beginning of partnership, not one-off transaction
• Pre-application Engagement: Take advantage of eligibility quiz, guidance documents, and pre-application meetings
• Reapplication Welcome: View rejection as opportunity for feedback and improvement - Foundation actively encourages resubmission

References

• Lloyds Bank Foundation website: www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
• UK Charity Commission Register: Charity No. 327114
• “Lloyds Banking Group makes largest ever annual donation to its charitable foundations” - UK Fundraising, March 15, 2024
• Lloyds Bank Foundation 2022-2026 Strategy: “Building a Better Future”
• “Bridging the Gap: our impact in 2023” - Foundation Impact Report
• Foundation programme guidance documents and eligibility resources
• 360Giving GrantNav data on Foundation giving patterns
• Accessed: September 26, 2025