The National Benevolent Charity

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £388,000 (organisational grants, 2023)
• Total Income: £811,048 (2024)
• Charity Number: 212450
• Decision Time: 2 months for small grants (≤£2,000); 3 months for larger grants
• Grant Range: £2,000 - £40,000 (Bristol offers highest amounts)
• Geographic Focus: Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire & Swindon only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.natben.org.uk

Main Office:

• Email: office@natben.org.uk
• Phone: 01666 505 500
• Address: c/o Randall & Payne, Chargrove House, Shurdington, Cheltenham, GL51 4GA

Organisational Grants Manager (Vicky Oram-Ahern):

• Email: vicky.oram@natben.org.uk
• Phone: 01666 848 667

Overview

Founded in 1812 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1859, The National Benevolent Charity has over 200 years of history supporting people experiencing poverty. Despite its “national” name, the charity exclusively funds work in three specific regions: Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire & Swindon. The charity's formal purpose is “the relief of qualifying persons who are in need of assistance by reason of old age, infirmity, sickness or economic circumstances.” With total income of £811,048 in 2024, the charity distributed £388,000 in organisational grants in 2023. Led by CEO Ali Russell, the organisation maintains a strong preference for frontline organisations working with marginalised people and grassroots community groups. The charity operates under three core values: Open (responding to individual circumstances), Compassionate (prioritising people), and Collaborative (partnering with others).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Bristol:

• Main grants: £20,000 annually over two years (£40,000 total per organisation)
• Smaller grants: Up to £2,000 (considered year-round)
• Application method: One annual deadline (typically Autumn)

Gloucestershire & Wiltshire & Swindon:

• Maximum: £10,000 per organisation, per year
• Smaller grants: Up to £2,000 (considered year-round outside panel meetings)
• Application method: Annual deadlines

Priority Areas

The charity supports work addressing:

1. People in destitution/crisis - Immediate relief for those facing severe hardship
2. Employment/education/training opportunities - Programmes helping people develop skills and access work
3. Strengthening families and/or communities - Initiatives building social cohesion and support networks
4. Financial resilience - Support helping people manage money and build economic stability

What They Fund

• Not-for-profit organisations with an agreed constitution
• Organisations whose “primary service users are experiencing poverty” and whose funded activity aims to alleviate it
• Frontline organisations working with marginalised people (preference)
• Grassroots community organisations (preference)
• Core costs and project-specific costs

What They Don't Fund

• Exclusively religious projects
• Political campaigns and lobbying
• Animal/plant relief organisations
• Retrospective or deficit funding
• One-off conferences or events (unless aligned with charitable objects)
• Work outside Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire & Swindon

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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by 8 trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits. The organisation maintains a Finance and Investment Committee with specialised oversight.

Chief Executive Officer: Ali Russell

Ali Russell emphasises the charity's commitment to seeing impact firsthand: “We wanted to come and see The Harbour Project and Youth Action Wiltshire because it is really good to see what the charities we fund are doing, and to hear first-hand how lives have improved because of our grants is absolute gold dust.”

On what the charity looks for: "The aim of our fund is Improving Lives so if the groups who apply can show they are doing that we will be interested. When it comes to looking at which groups we want to fund, it's a blank canvas really."

How to Apply to The National Benevolent Charity

How to Apply

• Applications submitted via online Expression of Interest form on the website
• Smaller grants (up to £2,000) considered year-round outside panel meetings
• Larger grants reviewed at annual panel meetings
• Applicants contacted within two weeks of submission to acknowledge receipt

Decision Timeline

• Smaller grants (≤£2,000): Decision within two months of submission
• Larger grants: Decision within three months of application deadline
• All applicants notified of outcomes promptly

Reapplication Policy

• Organisations receiving two consecutive years of funding must wait 12 months before reapplying
• Unsuccessful applicants receive feedback
• No right of appeal for declined applications
• No specific restriction mentioned for unsuccessful applicants reapplying in subsequent years

Application Success Factors

What Makes a Strong Application

1. Clear demonstration of poverty relief: Primary service users must be experiencing poverty, and the application must clearly show how the funded activity will alleviate it
2. Alignment with priority areas: Strong applications address at least one of the four priority outcomes (destitution/crisis, employment/education/training, strengthening families/communities, or financial resilience)
3. Frontline and grassroots focus: The charity prefers organisations working directly with marginalised people and community-based groups
4. Demonstrable impact: Show how lives will be improved - the charity values evidence of real-world outcomes

Examples of Funded Projects

Youth Action Wiltshire: Received £4,000 for outdoor activity days including cycling, archery, heritage, conservation and cooking for vulnerable young carers and other young people, providing respite during lockdown. Also funded gazebos and PPE equipment.

The Harbour Project, Swindon: Funded English lessons for refugees to enable them to integrate into their communities. The group supports more than 600 asylum seekers and refugees with guidance, advice and help with building a new life in the UK.

Key Language and Terminology

• “Improving Lives” - The central mission and what reviewers look for
• “Poverty relief” and “alleviating poverty”
• “Frontline organisations”
• “Grassroots community organisations”
• “Marginalised people”
• Focus on demonstrating impact on “primary service users”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Geographic eligibility is crucial: If your work isn't in Bristol, Gloucestershire, or Wiltshire & Swindon, do not apply - this is a strict requirement despite the “national” name.

1. Show clear poverty focus: Applications must demonstrate that primary service users are experiencing poverty and explain how the funded work will alleviate it - this is non-negotiable.

1. Emphasise direct impact: The CEO values hearing firsthand how grants improve lives - include specific, tangible examples of outcomes and impact.

1. Consider smaller grants for quick funding: The £2,000 grants decided within two months offer a faster route to funding and are considered year-round.

1. Frontline and grassroots organisations are preferred: If your organisation works directly with marginalised communities at a grassroots level, emphasise this - it's a clear advantage.

1. Plan for multi-year relationships: Bristol applicants can secure two-year funding (£40,000 total), but remember the 12-month waiting period after two consecutive years of funding.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Quartet Community Foundation
• National Lottery
• Access - The Foundation For Social Investment
• The Edward Gostling Foundation
• The Big Give Trust
• Power To Change Trust
• The Barrow Cadbury Trust
• Somerset Community Foundation
• Thirty Percy Foundation
• The Blagrave Trust
• The Veolia Environmental Trust
• The Aurora Trust
• The Nisbet Trust
• The Medlock Charitable Trust
• The Will Charitable Trust
• The Francis Winham Foundation
• The David Family Foundation
• Cla Charitable Trust
• Local Trust
• I Can Do It Limited

References

• The National Benevolent Charity official website: https://www.natben.org.uk/
• Grants for Organisations page: https://www.natben.org.uk/grants-for-organisations
• Charity Commission Register entry for charity number 212450: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/212450
• Marlborough News article on Improving Lives Fund: https://marlborough.news/lead/improving-lives-fund-set-up-after-pilot-in-oxenwood-and-swindon/
• CEO Ali Russell quotes from site visits to Youth Action Wiltshire and The Harbour Project, published in local news coverage