St. John's Foundation Est. 1174

Charity Number: 201476

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Founded: 1174 (850+ years of service)
  • Annual Giving: £203,000+ (Crisis Programme 2023, additional funding through Best Start in Life and community grants)
  • Decision Time: 5 working days (sometimes within hours for urgent cases)
  • Grant Range: Up to £1,500 (individuals via Crisis Programme); varies for organisations
  • Geographic Focus: Bath and North East Somerset only
  • Charity Number: 201476

Contact Details

Address: 4-5 Chapel Court, Bath, BA1 1SQ

Website: www.stjohnsbath.org.uk

Email:

  • General grants enquiries: grants@stjohnsbath.org.uk
  • Governance: governance@stjohnsbath.org.uk

Phone: 01225 486400

Pre-application support: Available - the Foundation encourages potential applicants to contact them before applying to discuss situations and suitability

Overview

St. John's Foundation, established in 1174 by Bishop Reginald Fitzjocelyn, is one of the UK's oldest community charities. With an endowment comprising financial investments and extensive property holdings across Bath city centre, the Foundation generates income from its investment portfolio rather than traditional fundraising. The charity operates across three strategic areas: supporting children through the Best Start in Life initiative (aimed at significantly reducing the educational attainment gap at Key Stage 2 in Bath and North East Somerset by 2029), providing almshouse accommodation for older adults aged 65+, and running a Crisis Programme for individuals and families facing financial hardship. In 2023, the Foundation supported 332 applicants with £203,000 through the Crisis Programme alone. The Foundation currently works with more than 60 local charities, achieving a 97% success rate in helping funded charities achieve their intended objectives. In recent years, the Foundation has undergone strategic refocusing, with new leadership appointed in 2025 including CEO Catharine Brown and Chair of Trustees Sandy Forbes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Crisis Programme (Individuals)

  • Amount: Up to £1,500 per application
  • Application method: Via professional referrers only (charities, housing associations) - rolling basis
  • Decision timeline: 5 working days average, can be hours for urgent cases
  • Covers: Essential needs including beds, white goods, furniture, counselling, debt support, basic employment skills and training

2. Best Start in Life Initiative (Organisations)

  • Target: Children from pre-birth to age 12
  • Three programmes:
  • Primary Empowerment Programme (reading, writing, maths, oracy, emotional/behavioural wellbeing)
  • Early Years Programmes (speech, language, mental health for ages 3-5, support for new mothers)
  • Nutritious Food and Safe Places Programme (food distribution via schools, food clubs, pantries)
  • Example funding: £820,841 released in 2021 to six delivery partners supporting seven schools
  • Application method: Partnership-based approach with schools and early years settings

3. Community Grants (Organisations)

  • Funding streams: Project, Pilot Project, Development, and Core Funding
  • Eligible organisations: Registered charities, excepted charities, Community Interest Companies, constituted community groups
  • Application method: Online portal via Experience Cloud for Nonprofits - Community Awards Programme open on rolling basis
  • Examples: Multi-year core funding grants to organisations like Jessie May Trust and Bath City Farm

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on six key social issues:

  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Housing
  • Isolation
  • Poverty
  • Relationships
  • Employment and Skills

Strategic focus: Educational attainment gap reduction, crisis intervention, healthy ageing

Recent strategic shift: The Foundation has moved from broader community funding to a focused approach on children under 12 through the Best Start in Life initiative, meaning some organisations previously eligible may no longer meet current criteria

What They Don't Fund

Geographic restriction: Only supports residents and organisations operating in Bath and North East Somerset

Income restrictions (Crisis Programme): Applicants must have disposable monthly income of:

  • £250 or less for households with no dependent children
  • £275 or less for households with up to two dependent children
  • £300 or less for households with three or more dependent children

Previous funding consideration: If funding has been provided in the last two years, this is taken into account when assessing new applications

No direct individual applications: Crisis Programme applications must come through professional referrers

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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Catharine Brown (appointed permanently February 2025, served as Interim CEO from July 2024)

  • Background: Career began at Selfridges and Marks & Spencer, Global Marketing Director at The Economist group, former Chief Executive of Designability
  • Quote: "This charity has a remarkable history of supporting the community in Bath and the local area, and I look forward to building on that legacy with fresh ideas, renewed energy and a clear vision for the future. Change brings opportunity, and I am excited to work with our team and partners to ensure St John's continues to grow, evolve and make a meaningful difference to the people we serve."

Chair of Trustees: Sandy Forbes (appointed 2025)

  • Background: 18 years as partner at Burges Salmon LLP, senior leadership roles at National Express Group plc and Rotork plc as Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
  • Quote: “On behalf of the trustees, I am delighted to welcome Catharine as our CEO. Having recently taken on the role of Chair myself, I know how important it is to honour the incredible 850-year legacy of this charity while ensuring we continue to evolve for the future.”

Previous CEO: David Hobdey (2018-2024) - Instrumental in launching the 10-year strategy in 2020

Board of Trustees: Available on website - oversee strategic direction and funding allocation

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Individuals (Crisis Programme):

  • Cannot apply directly
  • Must apply through a professional referrer from a registered charity, housing association, or support organisation
  • Referrer submits application via branded online community portal (Experience Cloud for Nonprofits)
  • Applicants can view, amend, and check updates on funding status via the community portal

For Organisations:

  • Submit applications directly via online community portal
  • Community Awards Programme: Rolling basis
  • Organisation Funding Programme: Fixed deadlines (check website for current dates)
  • Pre-application discussion encouraged - contact grants@stjohnsbath.org.uk or 01225 486400

Application Requirements:

  • Must demonstrate alignment with one or more of six key social issues
  • Referrers/applicants must provide accurate, relevant information
  • Must serve Bath and North East Somerset residents

Decision Timeline

Standard timeline: 5 working days from submission

Urgent cases: Can respond within hours

Organisations: Aim to respond within one month of each deadline

Notification method: Via online community portal with status updates

Success Rates

Organisational funding success: 97% of funded charities achieved their intended objectives

Crisis Programme 2023: 332 applicants supported with £203,000

Application numbers: Foundation works with 60+ local charities as referrers and delivery partners

Reapplication Policy

Previous funding consideration: If funding has been provided in the last two years, this is taken into account when assessing applications (implies reapplication is possible but previous support is a factor)

Unsuccessful applications: Specific reapplication waiting periods not publicly stated - contact Foundation for clarification

Application Success Factors

Partnership approach works: The Foundation achieved 97% success rate with organisations achieving intended objectives, indicating strong preference for collaborative working relationships

Evidence-based proposals: The Foundation collaborates with head teachers to shape programmes and provides tailored support - applications should demonstrate understanding of specific local needs and evidence-based approaches

Alignment with strategic priorities: Strong focus on educational attainment gap for children under 12, crisis intervention, and addressing the six key social issues - applications clearly aligned with these will be strongest

Professional referrer quality matters: Foundation explicitly states it “relies on Professional Referrers to provide accurate, relevant information in order to make a decision to award funding” - quality of referral is critical

Local knowledge essential: All work must serve Bath and North East Somerset residents - demonstrate deep understanding of local context and needs

Quick response capacity valued: Foundation can respond within hours for urgent cases - indicate if support is time-sensitive

Recent examples of funded work:

  • Language for Life project (collaboration with HCRG Care Group and BaNES Council for early years language development)
  • Primary Empowerment Programme (£820,841 to six delivery partners supporting seven schools)
  • Oasis Hub Pantry Project (start-up costs, co-funded with Feeding Britain)
  • School breakfast clubs for Primary Empowerment Programme schools
  • Team Bath Netball Empowerment Day (collaboration with Prior Park College)

Key terminology used by the Foundation:

  • “Educational attainment gap”
  • “Crisis point”
  • “Intended objectives”
  • “Tailored support”
  • “Professional referrers”
  • “Disposable income”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic precision is non-negotiable: Every aspect of your application must demonstrate clear benefit to Bath and North East Somerset residents - no exceptions to this boundary
  • Work through established referrers for individual support: Build relationships with the 60+ local charities already working with the Foundation if supporting individuals in crisis
  • Align with strategic priorities: Best chance of success is alignment with Best Start in Life (children under 12), crisis intervention, or one of the six key social issues (health/wellbeing, housing, isolation, poverty, relationships, employment/skills)
  • Leverage their partnership approach: The Foundation values collaboration - consider joint applications with schools, early years settings, or other local organisations
  • Speed matters for crisis support: If supporting individuals in urgent need, clearly indicate urgency as Foundation can respond within hours
  • Evidence your local impact: With 97% of funded organisations achieving objectives, demonstrate clear, measurable outcomes specific to Bath and North East Somerset context
  • Consider long-term funding: The Foundation provides multi-year core funding - don't limit requests to project funding if organisational sustainability is the need

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