St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This is a Church of England diocesan funder that gives mainly to parishes for mission, church buildings, hardship and net zero work in the Diocese of St Albans, so a parish project in its stated focus area of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Luton and part of the London Borough of Barnet is the clearest fit.
- Its listed single-programme limits are up to £20,000 for Mission Initiatives – Major Grants and up to £1,000 for Mission Initiatives – Small Grants, so size your request to those figures.
- Major mission grants need the support of the Mission and Ministry Team and your Archdeacon, and you must show that the project relates to a priority in your parish Mission Action Plan and cannot proceed without this grant, so contact those people early.
- Check the deadlines: Pastoral Aid Support Grants close at 5pm on Wednesday 28 October, and applications for consideration at the November meeting of Diocesan Mission Grants need to be submitted by Wednesday 4 November.
- The listed exclusions include Accessibility Grants for historic churches, which are usually not eligible, and applications by individual parishes for Mission Aided Support Grants.
Overview
St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 248887).
St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance is a registered charity whose principal object is promoting the work of the Church of England in the Diocese of St Albans. Its Parish Grants Committee administers Church Repair Grants, City Church Fund Grants, Mission Aided Grants, Mission Initiative Grants and Net Zero Carbon Project Grants. The same committee also administers welfare funds, including the Allder Trust, Christine Canti Fund, Diocese of St Albans Moral Welfare Fund and Patrick Trust. Its annual report records £1,721,000 awarded in total, which may include grants to individuals.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Board promotes the work of the Church of England in the Diocese of St Albans, supporting parochial mission and ministry through contributions from parishes. Its central work includes paying and housing parochial clergy and supporting the statutory and non-statutory work of the Diocese. Through its diocesan grant schemes, it supports parishes with new missional activity focused on evangelism and discipleship, including work that advances the diocesan priority of growing younger and more diverse. It also supports church buildings and churchyards, including repairs, accessibility projects and net zero carbon initiatives. Hardship grants help parishes facing short-term exceptional financial difficulty to continue specific mission activity. Major mission projects should relate to priorities in a parish Mission Action Plan, while small missional grants are administered separately.
Themes
- Evangelism and discipleship
- Growing younger and diverse
- Church building repairs
- Parish hardship support
- Net zero carbon projects
Geographic Focus
Bedfordshire; Hertfordshire; Luton; part of the London Borough of Barnet.
What they don't fund
- Accessibility Grants only: grants to historic churches are usually not eligible
- Mission Aided Support Grants only: applications by individual parishes
- Mission Initiatives – Major Grants (over £1000) only: projects that do not relate to a priority within your Mission Action Plan; projects that can proceed without this specific grant support
How to apply
For major mission initiatives, submit an application to the Parish Grants Committee; the proposal needs support from the Mission and Ministry Team and the applicant’s Archdeacon.
Deadlines: Applications for church-building grants should reach the office at least 10 days before a Parish Grants Committee meeting.
Application windows:
- Pastoral Aid Support Grants: Applications are open; the deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 28 October.
- Diocesan Mission Grants: Applications for consideration at the November meeting need to be submitted by Wednesday 4 November.
Who can apply:
- Mission Initiatives – Major Grants: Grants are to support parishes to initiate new missional activity.
- Pastoral Aid Support Grants: Pastoral Aid Support Grants provide encouragement and motivation to parishes experiencing short term exceptional hardship.
What to send:
- Diocesan Mission Grants: Complete the Online Grant Application Details Form alongside the grant application.
- Mission Initiatives – Major Grants: The application needs the support of the Mission and Ministry Team and your Archdeacon.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Major mission projects must relate to a priority in the parish Mission Action Plan.
- Applicants need to demonstrate that the project cannot proceed without this specific grant support.
- Where project work is expected to continue beyond three years, applicants should demonstrate its sustainability, including how it will be funded after the grant period.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £25,312,000 | £22,332,000 | £604,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £23,852,000 | £21,675,000 | £824,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £22,725,000 | £23,055,000 | £716,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £22,858,000 | £21,666,000 | £685,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £35,716,000 | £32,106,000 | £1,721,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023; year to 31 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- stalbansdiocese.org/about-us/governance/synods-boards-and-committees/board-of-finance · read on 31 October 2026
- stalbansdiocese.org/parishsupport/managing-your-church/grants/diocesan-mission-grants · read on 31 October 2026
- stalbansdiocese.org/parishsupport/managing-your-church/grants/pastoral-aid-support-grants · read on 31 October 2026
- stalbansdiocese.org/parishsupport/managing-your-church/grants/grants-for-church-buildings · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance?
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Applying to St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required