The Pixel Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £122,971 (year ending April 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 4-6 months (can be as little as 16 weeks)
• Grant Range: £2,500 - £5,000 (first grants)
• Geographic Focus: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
• Total Distributed: Over £1 million since 2011
• Registered Charity Number: 1191052

Contact Details

Website: www.pixelfund.org.uk

Email: admin@pixelfund.org.uk

Phone: 07756 629 245

Address: 9 Southlands Road, Bromley BR2 9QR

Pre-Application Support: Mandatory Q&A Drop-in Meetings (book via website)

Overview

The Pixel Fund was officially established on January 18, 2011, and made its first grants in Spring 2011. The charity transitioned from an unincorporated charity (No. 1139878) to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) (No. 1191052) on 5 October 2020. Since its inception, the fund has distributed over £1 million to a wide variety of mental health initiatives across the UK, ranging from cutting-edge research to grassroots community care.

The fund's mission is to provide grants to UK-registered charities working on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young adults (defined as those under 26 years old at the start of any granted project). With annual giving of £122,971 in the year ending April 2024 (down from £134,143 in 2023), the fund maintains a focused approach to supporting smaller to medium-sized charities with project-specific grants. The organization operates entirely paperless using Airtable for all forms, submissions, and document management.

The Pixel Fund is governed by three trustees who emphasize strong governance structures and have implemented a staged application process designed to reduce unsuccessful applications while ensuring quality decision-making. As the trustees openly acknowledge, “The hardest thing we do is turn down applications,” reflecting their commitment to thoughtful grant-making.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

First Grants: £2,500 - £5,000

• Typically awarded for 12-month projects
• No single grant exceeds 5% of an organization's annual income
• Rolling application process (no fixed deadlines)
• Applications accepted year-round following mandatory Q&A meeting

Follow-on Grants: Available to existing grantees

• Contingent on successful delivery of initial grant commitments
• Requires progress report submission after first grant period
• Trustees review reports and decide whether to invite follow-on applications

Priority Areas

Core Focus: Mental health and wellbeing of children and young adults under 26

Organizational Preferences:

• Strong preference for charities with annual income under £2 million
• Priority for organizations with annual income between £50,000 and £2 million
• Very unlikely to grant to organizations with income under £20,000
• Preference for project-specific grants over core funding
• Preference for direct work with children and young people

Project Types Funded:

• Arts-based therapy and play therapy
• Wellbeing projects for young carers
• Clinical psychology services
• Creative psychotherapies (art, play, dramatherapy)
• Mental health support for children with physical disabilities
• Relationship abuse prevention programs
• School-based therapeutic interventions
• Mental health support for children with complex needs

What They Don't Fund

• Overseas charities or international projects
• Independent schools (except those supporting special educational needs)
• Individuals
• Religious organizations
• Exempt charities
• Organizations not core-focused on mental health and wellbeing
• Projects that do not directly benefit children and young people under 26

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

1. Neil Debnam - Appointed 3 May 2024
2. Sandra Yvonne Thomson - Appointed 27 July 2020
3. Katherine Joanne Ferrie - Appointed 27 July 2020

The trustees receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The organization has one volunteer and no employees with total benefits over £60,000.

Governance Philosophy

The fund's trustees have clear expectations regarding organizational governance, scaled to organizational size:

For charities approaching £500,000 annual income: Should be looking carefully at governance issues and putting good structures in place.

For charities over £1 million annual income: Must have fixed trustee term limits and considered organizational risk policies. Organizations heading towards £1 million would be unlikely to receive grants without fixed trustee term limits in place.

Additional expectations for larger organizations:

• Minimal conflicts of interest
• Sustainable pension schemes
• Strong risk management policies

As stated on their website: "As an organisation grows, Pixel Fund Trustees will be increasingly less forgiving of 'loose' governance.“ However, they acknowledge that ”smaller organisations will struggle to adhere to their governance requirements."

The fund operates on a trust-based philosophy: “We need to trust you and your governance structures as we prefer to leave you alone to get on with the work.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Pixel Fund uses a mandatory 4-stage paperless application process:

Stage 1: Q&A Drop-in Meeting (Required)

• Must attend before starting application
• Online informal meeting, preparation-free
• Limited to 100 attendees per meeting
• Book via website; additional dates added regularly
• Helps determine if your charity is a good fit

Stage 2: Eligibility Checklist Questionnaire

• Link sent after attending Q&A meeting
• Formalizes application requirements
• Details eligibility criteria for your charity and application

Stage 3: Due Diligence Form

• Sent following eligibility checklist completion
• Required before invitation to full application

Stage 4: Full Application Form

• Online application via Airtable
• Only invited applicants can access
• No time limit - take time to complete properly
• Upload supporting documents (PDFs preferred)
• Be comprehensive in answers

Post-Award Requirements:

• Sign acceptance form
• Provide short blog post for website
• Submit progress report after grant period (usually 12 months)

Decision Timeline

Total Process Duration: 4-6 months from start to finish (can be as little as 16 weeks)

• No fixed deadlines - rolling basis
• Process can vary widely depending on circumstances
• Trustees review applications and make decisions
• Notification provided after trustee review

Grant Period: Usually 12 months

Success Rates

The Pixel Fund does not publicly disclose specific success rate statistics or the percentage of applications approved. However, the fund introduced a new eligibility checklist in February 2024 specifically to help reduce the number of unsuccessful applications, indicating awareness of application volume pressures.

The trustees' statement that “the hardest thing we do is turn down applications” suggests competitive selection, and they encourage careful self-assessment before applying.

Reapplication Policy

For Unsuccessful Applicants: No specific reapplication policy is publicly stated. Potential applicants can attend Q&A meetings multiple times.

For Successful Grantees:

• Follow-on applications are welcomed
• Must deliver on initial grant commitments
• Must submit progress report at end of grant period
• Trustees review progress report and decide whether to invite follow-on application
• As stated on website: “The Pixel Fund is happy to look at follow-on applications to existing grantees that have delivered on commitments”

Application Success Factors

Based on The Pixel Fund's explicit guidance and funded projects, the following factors are critical for application success:

Organizational Readiness:

• Strong governance structures appropriate to your organization's size
• Clear organizational focus on mental health and wellbeing (not just as a secondary outcome)
• Sustainable organizational infrastructure
• Annual income ideally between £50,000 and £2 million

Project Design:

• Project specifically targets children and young people under 26
• Measurable difference to beneficiaries
• Direct delivery of mental health and wellbeing support
• Clear connection between grant amount and project outcomes
• 12-month timeframe (typical grant period)

Application Quality:

• Comprehensive answers to all questions
• Proper document preparation (PDFs preferred)
• Honesty about organizational capacity and governance
• Demonstrates understanding of the fund's priorities
• Takes time to complete application properly (no time limit imposed)

Governance Indicators the Fund Values:

• Fixed trustee term limits (especially for organizations over £1 million income)
• Documented risk policies
• Minimal conflicts of interest
• Sustainable pension scheme (where applicable)
• Appropriate governance for organizational size

Strategic Alignment:

• Core focus on mental health and wellbeing (not tangential)
• Target beneficiary age group clearly under 26
• Project-based rather than core costs (preferred but not exclusive)
• Operating within England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland

Recent Successful Projects Include:

• Play Therapy Base: £2,000 for third playroom running costs (25 additional sessions per week)
• The Hugs Foundation: £5,000 for youth wellbeing project in Cornwall
• Cerebral Palsy Plus: £8,000 for activities for children with cerebral palsy in Bristol
• Kool Carers South East: £5,000 for core costs supporting young carers
• Blue Smile: £3,228 for arts-based therapy in Cambridgeshire schools
• Counselling Plus Community: Grant for 4 additional clients
• The Windmill Trust: Creative psychotherapies for children
• LMK (Let Me Know): Relationship abuse prevention for 16-19 year olds

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Attend the Q&A meeting with genuine questions - This mandatory first step is your opportunity to determine fit before investing time in a full application. The fund values self-assessment and wants applicants to understand their priorities.

1. Demonstrate strong governance appropriate to your size - Governance expectations scale with organizational income. If approaching £500,000 income, show you're implementing strong structures. Over £1 million requires fixed trustee term limits.

1. Focus on measurable project outcomes for under-26s - The fund prefers project-specific grants that will provide measurable differences to beneficiaries. Generic mental health work won't stand out; specific, targeted interventions will.

1. Be honest about organizational capacity - The fund operates on trust and prefers to leave grantees alone to do their work. Demonstrate you have the governance and capacity to deliver without hand-holding.

1. Don't rush the application - With no time limits and a 4-6 month process, take time to craft comprehensive answers. Quality matters more than speed in this rolling program.

1. Understand the 5% rule - Your grant request must not exceed 5% of annual income, which is why organizations under £50,000 income rarely receive funding. Calculate this before applying.

1. Plan for the blog post requirement - Successful grantees must provide a blog post for the website before receiving funds. Review existing grantee blog posts at pixelfund.org.uk/grantees-blog to understand expectations and tone.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Garfield Weston Foundation
• BBC Children in Need
• The Big Give Trust
• The Thompson Family Charitable Trust
• KUSUMA TRUST UK
• The Swire Charitable Trust
• The Apax Foundation
• CECIL AND HILDA LEWIS CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Constance Travis Charitable Trust
• The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
• The Hobson Charity Limited
• South Downs National Park Trust
• Hedley Foundation Limited
• THE BRIDGE TRUST
• Chapman Charitable Trust
• AXIS FOUNDATION
• The Nineveh Charitable Trust
• The Alchemy Foundation
• The 3 TS Charitable Trust
• THE HOSKING CHARITABLE TRUST

References

1. The Pixel Fund Official Website. https://pixelfund.org.uk/

1. The Pixel Fund Applications Page. https://pixelfund.org.uk/applications

1. The Pixel Fund Grantees Blog. https://pixelfund.org.uk/grantees-blog/category/New+Grant

1. UK Charity Commission Register - The Pixel Fund (Charity No. 1191052). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5161809

1. UK Charity Commission - Trustees Information. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5161809/trustees

1. Funding Scotland - The Pixel Fund Profile. https://funding.scot/funds/a0Rb0000000Ng9MEAS/the-pixel-fund

1. Supporting Communities - Pixel Fund Accepting Applications for 2025. https://supportingcommunities.org/funding-news-1/2025/7/4/pixel-fund-accepting-applications-for-2025

1. PAVO (Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services) - The Pixel Fund. https://www.pavo.org.uk/news/the-pixel-fund/