Stewardship
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Stewardship's stated theme is Christian organisations and churches, though its grants also go to other charities, including secular causes, so a Christian-faith case is the clearest fit and any applicant should be ready to show how its work matches the foundation's objectives.
- The grants its annual report gives as typical run from £2,650,000 to £48,500,000, so a small request would sit far below the usual size and should be framed with that in mind.
- The annual report, register entry and website publish no application process, so the contact shown is the sensible first step, and because the foundation works in partnership with donors and other parties, a relationship with a donor or partner may matter.
- Its assessment tests faith against the Nicene Creed and applies risk-based due diligence and a financial needs assessment, so expect those checks before any decision.
- Churches or organisations that have not identified eligible individuals for training posts should not apply to the Sychar Gospel Fund, which has deadlines of 31 January, 31 May and 30 September and excludes training not in line with its Statement of Faith.
Overview
Stewardship is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 234714).
What they fund
Priority Areas
Stewardship works in partnership with donors and other parties to identify churches, Christian workers and charities for grant support. It assesses partners’ activities to ensure that their work is understood and consistent with its objectives, using the Nicene Creed to assess whether an organisation or partner shares its Christian faith. Grants can also go to a wide range of charitable causes, including secular causes. Donors may express preferences for specific partner causes; the foundation considers a donor’s request after due diligence and a financial needs assessment establish the beneficiary’s eligibility. The grants listed are chiefly for Christian organisations and churches, alongside other charities.
Themes
- Christian organisations
Geographic Focus
United Kingdom.
What they don't fund
- The Sychar Gospel Fund only:
- Individuals applying for funding who do not generally demonstrate eligibility in one of the categories outlined below
- Churches and organisations that have not identified eligible individuals for the training posts they are seeking funds for
- Training programmes that are not in line with our Statement of Faith
- Training programmes without a particular focus on developing individuals’ character, competence and conviction for Bible ministry
- Training programmes that are not flexible ministry training pathways with content tailored to specific cultural contexts and needs
- Training programmes that do not involve mentorship and support and ensure church placements that build strong relationships with local churches who can provide ongoing support as individuals take up ministry roles
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
Application windows:
- Sychar Gospel Fund
- Application deadline: 31 January
- Application deadline: 31 May
- Application deadline: 30 September
Who can apply:
- Sychar Gospel Fund: Churches and organisations would need to have identified eligible individuals for the training posts they are seeking funds for.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Partner activities must be properly understood and consistent with the foundation’s objectives.
- The Nicene Creed is its benchmark for assessing whether an organisation or partner shares its Christian faith.
- A beneficiary must pass due diligence and a financial needs assessment to be recognised as eligible.
- Due diligence is risk-based and considers grant size, geographical location, governance arrangements and operational structure.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Stewardship.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 6 grants in year to 31 December 2025 by size
Median £18.4M (year to 31 December 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- to Christian organisations£48,090,000year to 31 December 2025
- to Christian churches£23,081,000year to 31 December 2025
- to Christian organisations£20,469,000year to 31 December 2025
- to Christian churches£16,383,000year to 31 December 2025
- to other charities£6,428,000year to 31 December 2025
- to other charities£2,674,000year to 31 December 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 4 grants to individuals.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £102,239,000 | £93,746,000 | £72,575,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £114,523,000 | £104,773,000 | £82,589,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £119,565,492 | £117,557,712 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £117,502,769 | £114,672,117 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £170,918,545 | £144,476,318 | £117,126,000 | 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 3 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
— No grants figure for those years.
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
- stewardship.org.uk
- stewardship.org.uk/sychar-gospel-fund-how-to-apply · read on 23 October 2026
- stewardship.org.uk/help-support/contact-us · read on 23 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 23 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Stewardship?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 8502 5600source
- hello@stewardship.org.uksource
- 1 Lamb’s Passage, London, EC1Y 8ABsource
- stewardship.org.uk
- Contact form
- Apply online
Applying to Stewardship?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 8502 5600source
- hello@stewardship.org.uksource
- 1 Lamb’s Passage, London, EC1Y 8ABsource
- stewardship.org.uk
- Contact form
- Apply online