National Emergencies Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £99 million (Coronavirus Appeal total distribution)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Rapid distribution model - distributed £30m in first 8 weeks of COVID appeal
• Grant Range: £1,000 - £10,000 (typical small grants), larger grants available for strategic partnerships
• Geographic Focus: United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

Website: www.nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk

Email: info@nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk

Phone: Not publicly listed

Application Note: Charities should NOT apply directly to NET. Applications are made through local community foundations during active appeals.

Overview

The National Emergencies Trust was launched in November 2019 following a recommendation from the Charity Commission after the Grenfell Tower fire and 2017 terror attacks. The charity serves as the UK's domestic emergency response fundraising organization, providing a single trusted place for the public to donate during national emergencies. With royal patronage from the Prince of Wales since April 2020, NET collaborates with charities and community foundations to raise and distribute funds for people affected by UK disasters. The organization's first major appeal, the Coronavirus Appeal launched in March 2020, raised £99 million and supported 14,500 organizations and groups. In its 2023/24 financial year, NET had total income of £481,270 and expenditure of £772,575. The charity is committed to transparency and publishes grant data through 360Giving.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Emergency Appeal Grants (Active during national emergencies only)

• Distributed through local community foundations
• Typical range: £1,000 - £10,000 for small local organizations
• Larger grants available for organizations covering wider geographic areas or leading strategic partnership work
• Application method: Via local community foundation during active appeals (not directly to NET)

Local Action Fund (For smaller-scale emergencies)

• Provided when disasters don't meet national appeal threshold
• Rapid fundraising and distribution support to local organizations
• Example: Support provided during Southport attack

Priority Areas

NET responds to UK domestic disasters and emergencies. During the Coronavirus Appeal, priority support areas included:

• Essential needs provision: Food distribution for people self-isolating, medicines, and essential items
• Mental health support: Programs supporting wellbeing and psychological recovery
• Vulnerable populations: Children, elderly, people with disabilities, those in financial hardship
• Debt support: Helping people struggling with financial difficulties
• Post-hospital recovery: Supporting people recovering after hospital treatment
• Community resilience: Helping local charities adapt services to meet changing community needs

What They Don't Fund

• Activities discriminating against any group based on protected characteristics (age, gender reassignment, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief)
• Notional rent
• Bad debts to related parties and liabilities incurred before funding agreement
• Payments for unfair dismissal and associated legal costs
• Replacement or refund of funds lost to fraud, corruption, bribery, theft, or terrorist financing
• Lobbying or activity intended to influence Parliament, Government, or political parties (though lawful campaigning related to funded deliverables is permitted)
• Match funding used to petition for additional funding
• Grants solely for bursaries to individuals or families
• Direct applications from individuals - NET only funds registered charitable organizations

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Governance and Leadership

Senior Leadership

Chief Executive Officer: Mhairi Sharp (appointed September 2020, previously COO who led NET's formation)

Founding President: Lord Richard Dannatt

Royal Patron: The Prince of Wales (since April 2020)

Board of Trustees (2024)

Recent trustee appointments:

• Ruth Davison - Global Director of Impact at The Conduit, former CEO of Refuge
• Jes Ladva - Managing Partner at Odgers Berndtson Group
• Martin Smith

Honorary Trustee: Elizabeth Balgobin (deceased March 2024)

Leadership Perspective

Mhairi Sharp emphasizes collaboration as central to NET's approach: "We don't really exist without the rest of the sector“ and ”Our appeal partners programme is all about making that collaboration easier and faster in times of crisis."

Following evaluation by Nottingham Trent University, Sharp noted that the research proved “this collaborative, trust-based approach works” when the sector works together to ensure “funds reach survivors fast and fairly.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: Charities cannot apply directly to the National Emergencies Trust. The application process works as follows:

1. Wait for Appeal Launch: NET launches nationwide appeals only when domestic disasters arise that meet their threshold criteria
2. Contact Local Community Foundation: When an appeal is active, local charities should apply through their local community foundation (find via UK Community Foundations network at ukcommunityfoundations.org)
3. Community Foundation Assessment: Each of the 46 accredited UK community foundations has in-depth local knowledge to assess priority needs and ensure funding reaches where it can make most impact
4. Grant Distribution: Community foundations distribute funds within parameters agreed with NET

Decision Timeline

NET prioritizes speed in emergency response:

• Rapid distribution model: During Coronavirus Appeal, NET distributed £30 million in the first 8 weeks after launch
• Fast deployment: £12.5 million distributed in less than a month from appeal launch
• Efficient processing: Funds are distributed “with both care and speed wherever possible”

Decision timelines vary by appeal and are managed by local community foundations rather than NET centrally.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, the scale of distribution during the Coronavirus Appeal was significant:

• 14,500 organizations and groups supported
• Over £99 million distributed
• First £2.5 million allocated to 46 community foundations across the country

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies are not publicly detailed and likely vary by individual appeal parameters and community foundation processes.

Application Success Factors

Working Through Community Foundations

Community foundations are chosen as distribution partners because they:

• Have decades of place-based philanthropy experience
• Possess invaluable local knowledge
• Understand priority needs in their areas
• Can identify greatest need and ensure maximum impact
• Have established emergency grant-making expertise

Types of Organizations Successfully Funded

During the Coronavirus Appeal, funded organizations included:

• Finding Your Feet (Paisley, Scotland): Supports amputees and those with limb absence, fights isolation, provides mental and physical support
• PEEK (Glasgow): Children's charity providing mental health support (saw 800+ requests in first week)
• Moorland Community Charity (East Yorkshire): Community support organization
• Dal Dy Dir community farm (Powys, Wales): Community agricultural project
• Hundreds of food banks across the UK providing essential goods and medicines

Key Success Factors

1. Local presence and knowledge: Organizations with deep community roots and understanding of local needs
2. Adaptability: Ability to quickly adapt services to respond to changing community needs
3. Direct service delivery: Providing essential support (food, mental health, practical assistance) to vulnerable populations
4. Partnership approach: Willingness to work collaboratively with community foundations and other local organizations
5. Transparency: Ability to report on fund usage and impact

Language and Terminology

NET emphasizes:

• “Fast and fair” distribution
• “Collaborative, trust-based approach”
• “Care and speed”
• Supporting “survivors” and “people affected”
• Working with “local and national partners”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Don't apply directly: Never apply directly to NET - always go through your local community foundation when an appeal is active
• Build community foundation relationships now: Establish connections with your local community foundation before emergencies occur, as they are the gatekeepers to NET funding
• Monitor for appeal launches: NET only makes grants during active emergency appeals - watch their website and news for appeal announcements
• Be ready to respond quickly: When appeals launch, distribution happens rapidly - have your case ready to present swiftly to your community foundation
• Focus on vulnerable populations: Successful applications demonstrate support for people most affected by the emergency (isolated, financially struggling, disabled, children, elderly)
• Emphasize adaptability: Show how your organization can quickly adapt services to meet emergency-driven needs
• Think collaboration: NET values partnership approaches - demonstrate willingness to work with other local organizations
• Prepare for small grants: Most grants range £1,000-£10,000, though larger strategic grants are available - budget accordingly

References

• National Emergencies Trust official website: nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk
• Charity Commission Register: Register of Charities, charity number 1182809
• Civil Society News: "Mhairi Sharp: 'We don't really exist without the rest of the sector'"
• Civil Society News: “National Emergencies Trust launches coronavirus fundraising appeal”
• UK Community Foundations: “National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal”
• 360Giving GrantNav: National Emergencies Trust grant data
• Emergency Services Times: “National Emergencies Trust appoints four new trustees”
• Civil Society News: “National Emergencies Trust appeal reaches £16m fundraising milestone”
• Nottingham Trent University: “National Emergencies Trust to expand work after NTU evaluation of Coronavirus Appeal”
• Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation: "National Emergencies Trust FAQ's"