People's Postcode Lottery

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £200+ million (2023)
• Success Rate: 16-28% depending on trust (2024 data)
• Decision Time: 4-5 weeks from application deadline
• Grant Range: £500 - £50,000 (up to £50,000 for multi-year funding)
• Geographic Focus: Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

Contact Details

Website: www.postcodelottery.co.uk / www.postcodetrust.org.uk

Phone: 0808 109 8765

Email: info@postcodelottery.co.uk

Address: 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET

Finding Your Local Trust: Use the Community Trust Finder at www.postcodelottery.info/making-a-difference/local-funding-opportunities to identify which trust covers your area.

Overview

People's Postcode Lottery was founded in 2005 as a subscription lottery supporting good causes across Great Britain. Since launch, lottery players have raised over £1.5 billion for thousands of charities and causes. In 2023 alone, the 20 independent Postcode Trusts distributed over £200 million. The lottery operates on the Dutch subscription model, with 32% of ticket proceeds going to charity. Funding is awarded through 20 grant-giving Postcode Trusts supporting work across care, culture, environment, human rights, education, arts, equality, health, sport, and animal welfare. In October 2024, People's Postcode Lottery became the 300th organization to publish grants data through the 360Giving Data Standard, demonstrating commitment to transparency. The organization prioritizes supporting smaller grassroots charities, particularly those led by and serving marginalized communities in areas of high deprivation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Six Regional Community Trusts (£500 - £25,000 one-year grants; up to £50,000 multi-year):

• People's Postcode Trust (Scotland) - Promotes human rights, combats discrimination, prevents poverty
• Postcode Community Trust (Wales) - Improves health and wellbeing, reduces isolation, supports arts and physical activity participation
• Postcode Local Trust (West England) - Increases access to outdoor spaces, improves biodiversity, sustainability, climate action
• Postcode Neighbourhood Trust (North England) - Community support and COVID-19 recovery
• Postcode Places Trust (East England) - Community development and local initiatives
• Postcode Society Trust (South England) - Community wellbeing and social cohesion

14 National Thematic Trusts - Include Postcode Active Trust, Animal Trust, Care Trust, Children Trust, Culture Trust, Earth Trust, Education Trust, Global Trust, Green Trust, International Trust, Innovation Trust, Justice Trust, Planet Trust, and Support Trust supporting specific cause areas.

Application Methods: Fixed rounds (typically 3 per year), one-week application windows, online two-stage process (Expression of Interest followed by full application for successful candidates).

Priority Areas

The trusts use either a four-theme or seven-theme funding model:

Four Themes (People's Postcode Trust, Postcode Community Trust, Postcode Local Trust 2025):

• Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
• Enabling participation in the arts
• Supporting marginalised groups and/or tackling inequality
• Improving mental health (focused on specific mental health issues, not general wellbeing)

Seven Themes (Postcode Society Trust, Postcode Places Trust):

• All four themes above, plus:
• Enabling participation in physical activity
• Improving biodiversity and responding to the climate emergency
• Improving green spaces and increasing access to the outdoors

Priority Groups: Women and girls, racially diverse communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, communities in areas of high deprivation (Indices of Multiple Deprivation 1-3).

Organizational Priorities: Organizations with annual income of £250,000 or below are prioritized, with particular focus on those under £60,000 for unrestricted small grants (£500-£2,000).

What They Don't Fund

While exclusions vary by trust, common restrictions include:

• Organizations with overdue regulatory submissions
• Projects lacking due diligence documentation (audited accounts where required, independent examiner's report)
• Applications from organizations that have received funding within the past 12 months (must wait 12 months from payment date and submit review form)
• Multiple applications per funding round (can only apply to one Postcode Trust per round)
• Registered charities applying for unrestricted grants over £2,500 must provide charity number; unregistered organizations capped at £2,500

Ready to write a winning application for People's Postcode Lottery?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Join the Launch List

Governance and Leadership

Each of the 20 Postcode Trusts operates independently with its own board of trustees responsible for all funding decisions. Trustees include experienced charity sector professionals:

Across Various Trusts:

• David - Director of Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust since 1997, supporting wellbeing in special landscapes
• Hannah - Social researcher with 20-year track record supporting organizational change and impact programmes in the voluntary sector
• Rahul - Experienced charity sector leader with executive and board-level positions at Football Foundation, Oaks Consultancy, Big Issue Invest Impact Growth Fund, and Magic Bus
• Sanjay - Director of ICAS Foundation, a social mobility charity providing bursaries and professional mentoring to young people from less-advantaged backgrounds

Trustees are responsible for making all funding decisions independently, ensuring grant distribution aligns with each trust's strategic priorities and mission.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. One Application Only: Organizations may only submit one application per round and cannot apply to multiple Postcode Trusts simultaneously

Key Documents Required:

• Annual accounts (signed)
• Independent examiner's report or audit (if required by regulators)
• Governing documents
• Charity registration number (if applicable)

Application Windows: Typically three rounds per year with one-week application windows. Check specific trust websites for exact dates.

Decision Timeline

• Standard Timeline: 4-5 weeks from application deadline
• Assessment Process: Applications undergo due diligence assessment (primarily through partner Brevio), followed by trustee funding panel review
• Notification: Applicants contacted via email with decision
• No Interim Contact: Applicants generally not contacted during assessment unless additional information needed

Success Rates

2024 Data by Trust:

• Postcode Neighbourhood Trust Round 3: 16% (85 successful from 554 applications, £1,392,449 distributed)
• Postcode Local Trust Round 3: 28% (64 successful from 250 applications)
• Postcode Places Trust Round 3: 32% (70 successful from 217 applications)
• Postcode Society Trust: 19% overall success rate
• People's Postcode Trust: 19% success rate in 2024

Context: All trusts report being heavily oversubscribed with high-quality applications. Since 2009, People's Postcode Trust alone has awarded over £9 million to more than 1,400 projects.

Reapplication Policy

• After Unsuccessful Application: Can reapply in subsequent funding rounds (no waiting period required)
• After Successful Grant: Must wait 12 months from payment date and submit grant review form before reapplying
• Application Frequency: Can apply twice per year to People's Postcode Trust; check specific trust websites for others
• Feedback Sessions: Some trusts offer additional feedback sessions for unsuccessful 2024 applicants to help improve future applications

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from Funders

Demonstrating Impact and Legacy: "It's important to evidence the legacy your project will have in your application." Trusts want to see sustainable, long-term community benefits.

Financial Proportionality: Request amount should not exceed one-third of total organizational income. This ensures grants represent meaningful but not overwhelming support.

Due Diligence Requirements: “One common reason applications fail to meet due diligence requirements is that their submissions to regulators are overdue or late.” Ensure all regulatory filings are current.

Unrestricted Funding Approach: “The funding is flexible, and trusts want to hear about the work the whole organisation does, rather than a specific project or costs.” Applications should describe overall organizational mission and impact, not just individual projects.

Recent Funded Projects

• Place2Be Volunteer Counsellors - £17,064 for recruiting and training 30 volunteer counsellors in Manchester and Salford
• Derby County Community Trust - £19,995 for Achieve FC program engaging 24 homeless participants in coaching qualifications and personal development
• Pendle Women's Forum - £19,998 to empower marginalized women through online networking, wellbeing exercise sessions, and 1-to-1 financial support

Key Success Factors

Priority Alignment: Organizations serving priority groups (women/girls, racially diverse communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+, those in deprived areas) receive preference.

Organizational Size: Smaller organizations with income under £250,000 are prioritized, with particular emphasis on those under £60,000.

Geographic Deprivation: Projects in areas ranking within top 15% on deprivation indices receive priority consideration.

Led By Communities Served: “Priority is given to organizations led by and providing services for minority/marginalised groups including communities experiencing racial inequity, disabled people, and the LGBT+ community.”

Common Rejection Reasons

• High competition and oversubscription (many strong applications rejected due to limited funds)
• Overdue regulatory submissions or missing examiner's reports
• Application does not align with trust's specific themes and priorities
• Organization already received funding within past 12 months
• Request exceeds one-third of organizational income

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Size Matters - Smaller is Better: Organizations with income under £250,000 are prioritized, with those under £60,000 having additional access to unrestricted small grants. Ensure your organization profile fits the funder's target size.

1. Lead with Identity and Impact, Not Projects: The trusts favor unrestricted funding and want to understand your whole organization's work and the communities you serve. Demonstrate how your organization is led by and serves marginalized communities rather than focusing narrowly on project activities.

1. Timing and Preparation Are Critical: Application windows are only one week long, typically three times per year. Ensure all regulatory filings, accounts, and examiner's reports are current well before applying, as overdue submissions are a common rejection reason.

1. Multi-Year Funding Now Available: Several trusts now offer up to £50,000 over three years, providing sustainability for long-term planning. This represents a significant shift in 2025 based on applicant feedback.

1. Evidence Deprivation and Priority Group Focus: Clearly demonstrate if you serve areas in the top 15% of deprivation indices and/or priority populations (women/girls, racially diverse communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+). This significantly strengthens applications.

1. Legacy and Sustainability Matter: Trusts want to see sustainable impact beyond the funding period. Articulate how your work creates lasting change in communities and what happens after grant funding ends.

1. One Shot Per Round: You can only apply to one Postcode Trust per funding round. Research carefully which trust best aligns with your location and mission before applying, using the eligibility checker tool to guide your decision.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Postcode Innovation Trust
• THE FORRESTER FAMILY TRUST
• The Swire Charitable Trust
• Chapman Charitable Trust
• Postcode Local Trust
• MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST
• The John Armitage Charitable Trust
• THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST
• Newby Trust Limited
• John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust

References

• People's Postcode Lottery official website: https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/
• People's Postcode Lottery Making A Difference: https://www.postcodelottery.info/making-a-difference
• About the Trusts: https://www.postcodelottery.info/charities/trusts/about-the-trusts/
• People's Postcode Trust: https://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/
• Postcode Community Trust: https://www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk/
• Postcode Local Trust: https://www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk/
• Postcode Society Trust: https://www.postcodesocietytrust.org.uk/
• Postcode Neighbourhood Trust Round 3 Overview: https://www.postcodeneighbourhoodtrust.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/round-3-overview
• Postcode Local Trust Round 3 Overview: https://www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/round-3-overview
• People's Postcode Lottery History: https://www.postcodelottery.info/about-us/history
• 360Giving Data Standard announcement: https://www.threesixtygiving.org/2024/10/30/300-publishers/
• 360Giving GrantNav - People's Postcode Lottery: https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/360G-postcodelottery
• People's Postcode Lottery Contact Information: https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/about-us/contact-us
• Postcode Trust FAQs: https://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/funding-guide/faqs
• Community Programmes Funding announcement: https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/news/charity/community-programmes-funding