Archbishops’ Council

Registered charity 1074857 · since 1999churchofengland.org·England, Isle of Man·Updated 31 October 2026

At a glance

£192M

Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025

From filed accounts

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

Archbishops’ Council makes its grants to dioceses of the Church of England and, in some schemes, to other institutions, so a small nonprofit outside that structure should check first whether it can apply at all, and because it does not accept unsolicited requests, an approach should be made through a diocese or another route the funder itself recognises.
Dioceses apply to the Diocesan Investment Programme through the Grants Management System, where a final proposal is reviewed by the NCI Review Panel before the SMMIB decides.
No typical grant size is given, so any request should be framed around a diocesan plan rather than a figure.
Proposals should clearly link the mission interventions to the expected outcomes and show a robust plan for sustaining the work after national funding ends.
Time-limited funding excludes general financial support, plugging income gaps and general repairs or maintenance of church buildings, so those costs should not be requested.

Overview

Archbishops’ Council is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1074857).

Archbishops’ Council exists to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England. It makes grants to dioceses and other institutions under several main schemes, including the Diocesan Investment Programme, block funding for communities with the most deprived populations, and grants for training for ministry. According to the annual report, it paid £192,000,000 in grants.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Council's grant funding supports the Church of England's mission through dioceses and other institutions. The Diocesan Investment Programme funds diocesan plans to bring the Church's vision and strategy into local parishes and communities, developing new areas of mission, revitalising existing ministry and scaling missional approaches that are proving effective. Investment is prioritised for the most deprived and resource-poor contexts. The Council also distributes block funding through dioceses to support and develop mission in communities with the most deprived populations, and its grant schemes include training for ministry. The Council’s approach to the Diocesan Investment Programme is tailored to the differing stages of diocesan strategic development.

Themes

Diocesan mission development
Mission in low-income communities
Training for ministry

What they don't fund

Diocesan Investment Programme only: Activity which is eligible for other national funding in 2026-28 is not eligible for DIP funding; general repairs or maintenance of church buildings
DIP Time-Limited Funding only: general financial support or to plug gaps between income and expenditure where there is no long-term diocesan plan to develop mission and financial health; supporting strategic capacity in dioceses

How to apply

Dioceses apply to the Diocesan Investment Programme. Diocesan teams submit a final funding proposal through the Grants Management System for review by the NCI Review Panel before assessment and decision by SMMIB.

Deadlines: Final proposals are submitted ahead of assessment and decision by the SMMIB.

Who can apply:

Strategic Development Funding: It is only available to dioceses and the projects should fit with their strategic plans.
Strategic Transformation Funding: This particular funding is for those dioceses with financial difficulties wishing to undertake major restructuring programmes to provide a platform for the Church’s sustainable growth.

What to send:

DIP Time-Limited Funding: Updated strategic financial plan, including impact of the Diocesan Finance Review; Short narrative on how the change programme has developed since awarded DIP funding; Most recent annual review for programmes of more than one year

Application success factors

What the charity says:

The scale of delivery should be assessed against the Church’s bold outcomes, including children and youth, diversity and mixed ecology.
The proposal should clearly explain how the proposed mission interventions will lead to their anticipated outcomes.
The diocese should have a robust plan for sustaining the work after national funding ceases.

Where they fund

Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)

Isle of Man
England

Similar funders

Funders that often appear alongside Archbishops’ Council in recipients' filed accounts.

Benefact Trust LimitedMixed deadlinesGave £25.4M Church Commissioners for EnglandInvitation onlyGave £178M Trust for LondonRollingGave £13.1M Christian AidNo public processGave £28.8M National LotteryMixed deadlinesGave £1.6bn Thrive Together BirminghamNo public processGave £241k The Queen Victoria Clergy FundInvitation onlyGave £177k Transforming LivesNo public processGave £53,298 Growing Faith FoundationFixed deadlines The Temple Ecclesiastical CharityRollingGave £282k The World Reimagined LimitedRollingHelp FundChurch HouseBank of EnglandThe United SocietyThe Church FundThe Sustentation FundFaith FoundationNational Lottery Heritage FundTake Off

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2021	£128,092,018	£128,742,626	£106,410,960	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£153,231,155	£152,488,623	£133,021,527	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£186,036,537	£182,447,488	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£235,636,067	£229,408,033	£190,716,988	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£234,940,000	£232,178,000	£192,000,000	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2021

£106M grants

YE 2022

£133M grants

YE 2024

£191M grants

YE 2025

£192M paid

Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.

— No grants figure for that year.

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.