The Evan Cornish Foundation

Charity Number: 1112703

Annual Expenditure: £0.8M
Geographic Focus: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia ... [32 more]

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £700,000-£1,000,000 (based on recent expenditure)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months (applications reviewed, decisions announced in Autumn)
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £10,000 (first-time applicants max £5,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Northern England (Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Durham, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire) with exceptions for advocacy and innovative projects

Contact Details

  • Website: www.evancornishfoundation.org.uk
  • Email: contactus@evancornishfoundation.org.uk
  • Phone: 0114 224 2230
  • Address: Sheffield, Yorkshire

Overview

The Evan Cornish Foundation (ECF) was founded in 2002 by Ethel Cornish and her daughters in memory of Evan Cornish, and since Ethel's death in 2010, operates in memory of both. Registered as a charity in 2006 (number 1112703), the foundation strives for “equality and justice for all by supporting the most marginalised and promoting human rights.” With annual grant expenditure of approximately £700,000-£1,000,000, ECF supports projects throughout England and Wales, as well as international initiatives in countries including Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The foundation particularly encourages applications from smaller organizations and prioritizes projects that promote equality for women. ECF operates through periodic funding windows for UK and overseas projects, with grants typically awarded for 12-month periods.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

UK Funding Window: Rolling application periods (typically opens once or twice per year)

  • First-time applicants: Maximum £5,000
  • Repeat applicants: £5,000 - £10,000 (higher amounts considered but may not be fully awarded)
  • Multi-year funding occasionally granted with strong justification
  • Standard grant period: 12 months
  • Application method: Online portal during open windows only

Overseas Funding Window: Separate periodic application rounds for international projects

Priority Areas

ECF funds projects that align strongly with at least one of the following aims:

1. Human Rights

  • Fighting violations of human rights (as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
  • Supporting victims of human rights violations and their dependants
  • Empowering people to protect their own rights

2. Social and Economic Inequality (SEI)

  • Addressing root causes of inequality
  • Supporting food sovereignty
  • Promoting social cohesion
  • Addressing gender inequality
  • Supporting vulnerable populations

3. Mental Health

  • Supporting people with mental health issues
  • Reducing mental health stigma
  • Improving young people's self-esteem

4. Criminal Justice

  • Promoting a fair criminal justice system
  • Supporting prisoners' wellbeing
  • Assisting vulnerable people at risk of imprisonment

5. Elderly People

  • Supporting older people's independence
  • Alleviating isolation

6. Refugees & Asylum Seekers

  • Advocating for refugees
  • Improving quality of life
  • Promoting community cohesion

7. Excluded Young People

  • Supporting alternative education
  • Advocating for at-risk youth

Special Priorities: Projects promoting equality for women and combating human rights violations receive priority consideration.

What They Don't Fund

  • Academic research
  • Animal welfare
  • Building repairs
  • Flight costs
  • Grants to individuals or individual students
  • Medical research
  • Political activities or lobbying
  • Religious organizations that promote or evangelize a particular faith
  • Religious organizations that discriminate based on faith
  • Organizations requiring trustees, staff, volunteers, or beneficiaries to be of a particular faith
  • Projects outside eligible geographic areas (unless they meet specific exception criteria)
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The foundation is governed by three trustees who are responsible for day-to-day management and all decision-making:

  • Barbara Ward
  • Sally Cornish (daughter of Evan and Ethel Cornish)
  • Rachel Cornish (daughter of Evan and Ethel Cornish)

The trustees maintain a close family connection to the foundation's origins and continue to honor the legacy of Evan and Ethel Cornish through their grant-making decisions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Application Method: Online portal only (accessible only when funding windows are open)

  • Applications via email or post will not be considered
  • No speculative applications accepted outside funding windows
  • Application form auto-saves progress
  • Applicants must register on the online platform

Required Documentation:

  1. Detailed project budget
  2. Most recent audited organizational accounts
  3. Details of an independent UK-based referee (not affiliated with your organization)
  4. Optional supporting documentation to complement the application

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (for UK-based organizations)
  • Must have a UK office and UK bank account
  • Projects must benefit people in eligible geographic areas (or meet exception criteria)
  • Project must strongly align with at least one of ECF's aims

Decision Timeline

Typical Process:

  1. Application window opens (announced on website)
  2. Application window closes (typically runs for several weeks)
  3. Initial review by trustees
  4. For repeat applicants who pass initial stages: Meeting arranged with ECF team to discuss application in detail
  5. Final decisions made
  6. All applicants notified of outcomes in Autumn

Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from application deadline to decision notification

Notification: All applicants (both successful and unsuccessful) are informed of the outcome. Successful applicants receive follow-up instructions about grant administration.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available. The foundation does not provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Reapplication Policy

For Previously Successful Applicants:

  • May reapply if at least 12 months have passed since last ECF funding
  • Must have completed a Progress Report for previous grant
  • Cannot have a current 'live' grant with ECF

For Previously Unsuccessful Applicants:

  • May reapply after 12 months if unsuccessful only once
  • Cannot reapply if unsuccessful more than once, unless there are significant changes in circumstances to the organization or project (contact the Administrator to discuss before applying)

Application Success Factors

Direct Guidance from the Foundation

  • Check eligibility thoroughly before applying - applications that don't meet basic criteria will not progress
  • Demonstrate strong alignment with at least one of ECF's aims in your application
  • Projects prioritizing women receive priority consideration
  • Smaller organizations are particularly encouraged to apply
  • Innovative projects that are “truly innovative and unique for the UK” may receive exceptions to geographic restrictions
  • Be realistic about funding requests - even if you request more than £10,000, you may not receive the full amount

Examples of Recently Funded Projects (2019 UK Round)

Criminal Justice:

  • Artichoke Trust - Neon Words, Lumiere Durham 2019
  • Bradford Court Chaplaincy Service - Diverting Vulnerable People from Custody
  • Clean Break - 2019-20 prisons programme
  • Prisoners Education Trust - Changing lives: Access to Learning for women in prison

Refugees and Asylum Seekers:

  • Freedom from Torture - Direct therapeutic and capacity building support for torture survivors across Yorkshire and Humberside
  • Leeds Bike Mill - Fix it to Ride
  • Music in Detention - Delivering the strategy

Mental Health:

  • Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Trust (Saffron) - Life beyond trauma and abuse: supporting women to recover and rebuild their lives
  • Young Dementia UK - Sheffield Support Group

Language and Terminology

The foundation uses language focused on:

  • “Equality and justice for all”
  • “Supporting the most marginalised”
  • “Promoting human rights”
  • “Empowering people”
  • “Combating violations”

Strategic Tips

  • For first-time applicants: Don't be discouraged by the £5,000 cap - this is an entry point to build a relationship
  • For geographic exceptions: Advocacy/policy projects, prisoner-focused projects (where prisoners are from eligible areas), and truly innovative projects fitting core aims may receive exceptions
  • For reapplicants: Having successfully received funding before opens up higher grant amounts (£5,000-£10,000)
  • Application timing: Monitor the website regularly for funding window announcements
  • Don't chase: First-time applicants are specifically told not to chase for replies

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic alignment is crucial: Unless your project meets specific exception criteria, it must benefit people in the designated Northern England regions (Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Durham, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire)
  • Women-focused projects get priority: If your project promotes equality for women, emphasize this strongly in your application
  • One chance if unsuccessful: The policy of not accepting reapplications after being unsuccessful twice means you have essentially one opportunity to reapply if rejected - make it count
  • Build a track record: The £5,000 cap for first-time applicants increases to £5,000-£10,000 for repeat grantees, rewarding successful partnerships
  • Timing matters: Applications can only be submitted during open windows - plan ahead and monitor their website for announcements
  • Strong aim alignment essential: Your project must “fit strongly” with at least one of their seven aims - superficial connections won't suffice
  • Smaller organizations welcome: ECF explicitly encourages applications from smaller organizations, so don't be intimidated if you're a small charity

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