The Grocers' Charity

Charity Number: 255230

Annual Expenditure: £1.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,000,000
  • Success Rate: 14%
  • Decision Time: 4 months (from application to payment)
  • Grant Range: Up to £5,000 (larger grants for exceptional projects)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (priority to City of London and adjoining boroughs)

Contact Details

Website: www.grocershall.co.uk

Email: enquiries@grocershall.co.uk

Phone: 020 7606 3113

Overview

The Grocers' Charity is the charitable arm of the Worshipful Company of Grocers, a City of London Livery Company founded in 1968. The charity distributes approximately £1 million annually to UK-registered charities working across designated areas of need. With significant investment holdings generating income, the charity supports small to medium-sized organizations (under £500,000 turnover, with exceptions for medical charities up to £15 million). The charity operates through a selective two-stage application process, receiving over 1,000 applications annually with a 14% success rate. Priority is given to charities working in the City of London and its adjoining boroughs, as well as areas connected to its affiliated churches and educational establishments.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Open Grants: Up to £5,000 (one-off grants)

  • Applications accepted via online portal only
  • Fixed deadline: Early September (next deadline: 1 September 2026)
  • Application portal opens: 30 March 2026
  • Larger grants may be considered for exceptional projects

Memorial Grants: Funding for specific charitable causes

  • Available to registered charities under £500,000 turnover
  • Follows same application process as open grants

Priority Areas

  1. Relief of Poverty: Programmes reducing disadvantages due to financial circumstances
  2. Children and Young People: Programmes helping young people overcome challenges and barriers
  3. Elderly Support: Programmes enabling older people to live with dignity and participate fully in communities
  4. Disability and Inclusion: Programmes empowering marginalised disabled people and promoting social inclusion
  5. Health: Programmes promoting good health and well-being
  6. Military Veterans: Support for military personnel and veterans
  7. Arts and Heritage: Supporting cultural and heritage initiatives
  8. Environment and Conservation: Programmes promoting a healthier, more sustainable environment and reducing emissions and waste
  9. Education: Support for affiliated educational establishments
  10. Church: Support for affiliated churches only

What They Don't Fund

Ineligible Organizations:

  • Non-UK registered charities (including Community Interest Companies)
  • Charities with turnover over £500,000 (except medical charities up to £15m)
  • Charities with overseas beneficiaries
  • Individual students
  • Unsolicited schools
  • Places of worship (unless affiliated with the Grocers' Company)
  • Charities that have received a grant in the last 24 months

Ineligible Projects/Expenses:

  • Work starting within four months of application
  • Marketing or literature leaflets (except educational materials)
  • Charities holding over 12 months of unrestricted reserves
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Governance and Leadership

The Grocers' Charity is governed by trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The charity has no trading subsidiaries and generates income substantially from investments donated as endowment or set aside from its own resources.

Leadership of Parent Organization (The Grocers' Company):

  • Master Grocer 2024/25: Guy Chisenhale-Marsh
  • Clerk: Brigadier Greville Bibby
  • Honorary Chaplain: Revd George Bush

Decision-Making: Charity trustees meet four times annually (typically in December, March, April, and June) to review applications and make funding decisions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Two-Stage Process:

  • Submit online Initial Enquiry form only (no post or email applications accepted)
  • Choose appropriate grant funding area
  • Deadline: Generally early September
  • Response time: Within 3 weeks after deadline
  • Invited applicants only
  • Complete second-stage application form
  • Timeframe: Approximately one week to complete

Application Support:

  • Download form questions in advance to prepare responses
  • Review “What We Have Funded” section on website for examples
  • Check eligibility carefully before applying

Decision Timeline

  • Initial response: Within 3 weeks of deadline
  • Grant decisions: Made at quarterly trustee meetings in December, March, April, or June
  • Overall timeline: Approximately 4 months from application to payment of successful grants
  • Notification: Via email

Success Rates

  • Applications received: Over 1,000 annually
  • Success rate: 14% on average
  • Total grants awarded: Approximately £1 million distributed annually
  • Grant data: Published via 360Giving (876 grants to 709 recipients between October 2019 and June 2024, totaling £4,943,801)

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that have had an application declined or awarded in the last 24 months are not eligible to apply. Unsuccessful applicants must wait 24 months before reapplying.

Important note: Due to capacity constraints, the charity is unable to provide feedback for unsuccessful applications.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

“Regrettably, due to our capacity, we are unable to provide feedback for unsuccessful applications.”

The charity emphasizes preparation: “You can download the form questions to help you prepare the online form, and learn more about their funding priorities and what they have funded in the past.”

Examples of Funded Projects

  1. Bramber Bakehouse: Award-winning charity providing therapeutic baking, well-being and employability skills for female survivors of trafficking
  2. Exposure: Grassroots communications charity enabling young people (aged 15-25) to thrive creatively through digital technology
  3. The Goed Life: Operating training cafes and horticultural centers to prepare young people with learning disabilities for employment
  4. Theatre-Rites: Creating experimental children's theatre with focus on puppetry and accessibility
  5. Lippy People Trust: Supporting individuals to create high-quality video stories, particularly helping older people struggling with loneliness following bereavement (4Ls project)
  6. The 2 Minute Foundation: Providing communities with tangible clean-up stations to combat litter and plastic pollution
  7. SEED Charity: Providing support, education, and early intervention for eating disorders
  8. Taxi Charity for Military Veterans: Organizing outings, entertainment and transport for veterans

Key Terminology and Language

The charity uses specific language around their funding areas:

  • “Programmes that reduce the disadvantages” (poverty)
  • “Overcome challenges and barriers” (young people)
  • “Live with dignity and participate fully” (elderly)
  • “Empowering marginalised and excluded” (disability)
  • “Promoting good health and well-being” (health)
  • “Healthier, more sustainable environment” (environment)

Standing Out

  • Demonstrate clear impact: Show how the grant will reduce disadvantages or overcome specific barriers
  • Align with priorities: Clearly articulate which funding area(s) your project addresses
  • Show appropriate scale: With typical grants of £5,000, demonstrate how this amount will make a meaningful difference
  • Be timely: Ensure project start date is at least 4 months after application deadline
  • Check geographic connections: Highlight any connections to City of London, adjoining boroughs, or areas near affiliated churches/educational establishments
  • Evidence organizational health: Show financial stability without excessive reserves (under 12 months unrestricted reserves)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Highly competitive: With a 14% success rate, applications must be exceptionally well-aligned and clearly articulated
  • Plan ahead: Four-month timeline from application to payment means projects cannot start within four months of applying
  • Prepare thoroughly: Download questions in advance and research past funded projects to understand what succeeds
  • One chance every two years: The 24-month reapplication restriction means you must get it right the first time
  • No feedback available: Without post-decision feedback, careful self-assessment against criteria is essential before applying
  • Geographic advantage: Organizations working in City of London and adjoining boroughs receive priority consideration
  • Size matters: Designed for smaller charities (under £500,000 turnover), so emphasize your organization's size and need
  • Study funded projects: The diverse range of funded projects (from bakeries to theatre to environmental cleanup) shows openness to creative approaches that achieve impact

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