People's Postcode Lottery

Charity Number: CUSTOM_F0F38353

Annual Expenditure: £220.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £220+ million (2022)
  • Success Rate: 15-39% (varies by trust and round)
  • Decision Time: 4 weeks from application deadline
  • Grant Range: £500 - £25,000
  • Geographic Focus: Great Britain (Scotland, England, Wales)
  • Total Raised Since 2005: Over £1.5 billion

Contact Details

Main Website: www.postcodelottery.co.uk

Phone: 0808 109 8765 (freephone)

Email: info@postcodelottery.co.uk

Address: 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET

For Grant Applications: Each trust has its own website and contact details. Use the Community Trust Finder tool at postcodelottery.info to identify which trust to apply to based on your location.

Overview

People's Postcode Lottery launched in Great Britain in 2005 as part of the international Postcode Lottery Group. Since its inception, the lottery has raised over £1.5 billion for charities and good causes across Britain, with £220+ million raised in 2022 alone. A minimum of 30% from each ticket goes to charities and good causes, exceeding the statutory UK requirement of 20%. The lottery operates through six community-focused grant-giving trusts that support local community groups, voluntary projects, and social enterprises working at grassroots level. In 2024, the global Postcode Lottery Group strengthened its position as one of the largest private charity donors worldwide, with charity partners receiving a record €969 million. The organization works with 32 national partner charities as promoting societies, including Dogs Trust, Save the Children, and WWF, while also supporting over 7,500 local causes through its community trusts.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

People's Postcode Lottery distributes funding through six regional community trusts:

People's Postcode Trust (Scotland): £500 - £25,000

  • Promotes human rights, combats discrimination, and helps prevent poverty
  • Rolling application rounds (typically 3 per year)
  • Recent success rate: 15%

Postcode Community Trust (Wales): £500 - £25,000

  • Improves health and wellbeing, reduces isolation
  • Increases participation in arts and physical recreation
  • Recent success rate: 35-39%

Postcode Local Trust: £500 - £25,000

  • Increases community access to outdoor space
  • Improves biodiversity
  • Recent success rate: 26%

Postcode Neighbourhood Trust: £500 - £25,000

  • Supports communities affected by COVID-19
  • Recent success rate: 16%

Postcode Places Trust: £500 - £25,000

  • Community-focused projects
  • Recent success rate: 38-39%

Postcode Society Trust: £500 - £25,000

  • Various community initiatives

Application Method: Fixed funding rounds (typically 3 per year), with each round open for approximately 7 days

Funding Type: One-year core or project funding

Eligibility:

  • Registered charities can apply for up to £25,000
  • Non-registered organizations (constituted groups) can apply for up to £2,500
  • Annual income must be under £1 million (preference for under £500,000)
  • Grant amount should not exceed one-third of total annual income
  • Priority given to organizations with income under £250,000
  • Must have been operating for at least 1 year with signed accounts

Priority Areas

  • Human rights and anti-discrimination work
  • Poverty prevention
  • Health and wellbeing initiatives
  • Arts and physical recreation
  • Environmental conservation and biodiversity
  • Community access to outdoor spaces
  • Supporting marginalized and minority communities
  • Social inclusion projects

What They Don't Fund

  • Promotion of religion
  • Medical research, advice, and equipment
  • Statutory bodies (schools/PTAs, councils, local authorities)
  • Colleges and universities (except special schools)
  • Organizations with exclusive membership policies
  • Individuals
  • Foreign travel
  • Short-term events (conferences, day trips, seminars, galas, festivals)
  • Capital installations (toilets, showers, lifts, changing rooms)
  • Political parties or party political activities
  • Organizations not based in or not benefiting Scotland, England, or Wales
  • Organizations that received funding within the last 12 months from any Postcode Trust
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Governance and Leadership

Clara Govier - Managing Director and Chair, People's Postcode Lottery (appointed May 2018)

Govier has been outspoken about increasing fundraising limits for society lotteries, stating: "For years now People's Postcode Lottery has been calling on the government to raise the annual fundraising limit on society lotteries to £100 million and the single draw limit to £10m. By making these simple changes to the law more can be raised for charity at no cost to government or the taxpayer."

Sigrid van Aken - CEO, Postcode Lottery Group

Van Aken emphasizes empowerment through role models, noting: “For every child, role models play an important part in developing their own dreams for the future.”

Boudewijn Poelmann - Founder

Known for his philosophy: “Always keep your mind on the goal”

Trustees: Each individual trust has its own board of trustees overseeing grant-making decisions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  • Bank statements from last 3 months (showing account name, sort code, account number)
  • Governing document (Constitution or Articles of Association)
  • Signed annual accounts (at least 1 year of operation required)

Important: Organizations may only make one application per funding round and are not eligible to apply to other Trusts supported by People's Postcode Lottery players simultaneously.

Decision Timeline

  • Application rounds open: Typically for 7 days
  • Decision notification: Within 4 weeks of application deadline (not from individual submission date)
  • Notification method: Email (check spam/junk folders)
  • Organizations are not normally contacted during the assessment process unless there are questions about documents

Process Breakdown:

  • Week 1: Application submission deadline
  • Week 2: Eligibility screening and assessment begins
  • Week 3: Consideration by Trustees
  • Week 4/5: Decisions finalized and notifications sent

Success Rates

Success rates vary significantly by trust and funding round:

  • People's Postcode Trust: 15% (2025 Rounds 1-2); 24% (2023 overall)
  • Postcode Community Trust: 35-39%
  • Postcode Places Trust: 38-39%
  • Postcode Neighbourhood Trust: 16%
  • Postcode Local Trust: 26%

Recent Funding Statistics:

  • People's Postcode Trust Round 1: 51 successful applications from 330 total, awarding £988,914
  • Postcode Community Trust Round 1: 49 successful applications from 125 total, awarding £887,870
  • Postcode Places Trust Round 3: 70 successful applications from 217 total, awarding £1,069,422
  • Postcode Neighbourhood Trust Round 3: 85 successful applications from 554 total, awarding £1,392,449

Reapplication Policy

General Policy: Organizations can apply a maximum of twice per calendar year if unsuccessful with their first application. This limit resets each calendar year.

Important Exception: Some trusts restrict reapplications. For example, Postcode Community Trust stated that groups unsuccessful in Rounds 1 and 2 are not eligible to apply again within that calendar year.

Waiting Period After Successful Grant: Organizations must wait at least 12 months after receiving a funding award before applying again to any Postcode Trust.

Feedback: All unsuccessful applicants receive feedback on areas to strengthen their application. Applicants can contact the trust via email for additional clarity on feedback before reapplying.

Note: Taking on feedback does not guarantee success in future applications due to high application volumes.

Application Success Factors

Key Advice from the Funder

Clear Alignment: "The organisation's aims and objectives must align with at least one of the funding themes, and applications without clear alignment will be considered ineligible."

Demonstrate Impact: “Charities must clearly identify how their project will tackle systemic societal problems and make it clear how the project will benefit those most in need.”

Innovation Matters: “Applications should demonstrate that projects are truly innovative, with impactful and original proposals being more likely to be shortlisted.”

Evidence Long-term Benefits: “Applications must clearly demonstrate the tangible impact after 12 months and evidence the legacy the project will have.”

Strategic Considerations

Income Sweet Spot: Priority is given to organizations with annual income of £250,000 and below. If your income is higher (but still under £1 million), emphasize how the project serves underserved communities.

Proportionate Funding: The grant amount requested should not exceed one-third of your organization's total income. Requesting amounts aligned with this guideline may strengthen your application.

Community Focus: Applications serving minority or marginalized communities receive priority consideration.

Prepare in Advance: Since the live application form cannot be saved, thorough preparation using the downloadable Word document is essential to avoid incomplete submissions.

Examples of Funded Projects

Recent successful grants have supported:

  • Save the Children's Catch-Up Clubs helping children return to learning
  • British Red Cross and Kenya Red Cross nature-based solutions in coastal Kenya
  • Sported's community sports projects (£1,000-£25,000 grants)
  • Local community groups working in health, arts, environment, sport, and animal welfare

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Applying to multiple Postcode Trusts simultaneously (not permitted)
  • Requesting more than one-third of your annual income
  • Failing to clearly demonstrate alignment with funding themes
  • Not evidencing 12-month impact and legacy
  • Applying before completing one year of operation
  • Submitting incomplete documentation

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Choose the Right Trust: Use the Community Trust Finder tool to ensure you're applying to the correct geographical trust - this is non-negotiable for eligibility.
  1. Timing is Critical: Funding rounds are only open for approximately 7 days with just 3 rounds per year, so monitor announcements closely and prepare materials in advance.
  1. Success Rates Vary Widely: With success rates ranging from 15% to 39% depending on the trust, competition is significant. Applications demonstrating innovation, clear alignment with priorities, and impact on marginalized communities stand out.
  1. Proportion Matters: Keep your request under one-third of annual income and target organizations with income under £250,000 for best chances.
  1. Impact Over Activities: Focus on systemic change, tangible 12-month outcomes, and lasting legacy rather than simply describing activities. The trusts want to see how you'll make a measurable difference.
  1. Feedback is Valuable: If unsuccessful, use the detailed feedback provided and contact the trust for clarification. You can reapply (up to twice per year), and strengthening weak areas significantly improves future chances.
  1. Document Preparation: Have all required documents ready before the application window opens - bank statements, governing documents, and signed accounts - as you cannot save a partially completed application.

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