The Queen Victoria Clergy Fund

Charity Number: 213258

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Income: £142,175 (2024)
  • Annual Expenditure: £177,485 (2024)
  • Grant Distribution Method: Formula-based allocation to 42 dioceses
  • Geographic Focus: Church of England dioceses across England
  • Application Method: No public application process - diocesan allocation only
  • Beneficiaries: Serving Church of England clergy in financial need

Contact Details

  • Email: Stephanie.maurel@churchofengland.org
  • Phone: 020 7898 1310
  • Charity Number: 213258

Overview

The Queen Victoria Clergy Fund was formally founded in 1896 as the Clergy Sustentation Fund for the Two Provinces of York and Canterbury. In 1897, to associate itself with Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the fund obtained a royal charter and became The Queen Victoria Clergy Fund. Queen Victoria herself gifted the Fund £1,000. From its foundation to the end of 1897, it raised over £140,000. Today, the Fund provides relief to serving Church of England clergy experiencing financial hardship. Operating through a formula-based distribution model, it allocates its annual charitable income among the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, which then distribute the funds confidentially through their local discretionary funds. The Fund does not accept direct applications from individual clergy members.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Fund operates through a diocesan allocation system rather than individual grant programs:

  • Diocesan Block Grants: Annual charitable income is distributed among all 42 Church of England dioceses using an agreed formula that accounts for diocesan needs
  • Individual Clergy Support: Dioceses typically make grants of up to £1,000 per clergy member through their discretionary funds
  • Purpose: Relief of financial hardship for serving clergy

Priority Areas

  • Financial hardship relief for serving Church of England clergy
  • Emergency financial support distributed through diocesan discretionary funds
  • Support costs associated with attending courses (though not course fees themselves)
  • General poverty relief for clergy in financial need

What They Don't Fund

  • Ordinands (trainee clergy not yet in active service)
  • Retired clergy
  • Course fees for training (though associated support costs may be covered)
  • Direct applications from individual clergy members
  • Non-Church of England clergy
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Canon Peter Nigel Edward Bruinvels (Chair)
  • John Michael Brydon (appointed February 2022)
  • Mary Gertrude Talbot (appointed February 2022)
  • Canon Robert John Perry (appointed February 2022)
  • Anthony Robert Allwood (appointed February 2016)
  • Rosemary Lyon

The Fund is governed by 6 trustees, none of whom receive remuneration. The charity has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and maintains no trading subsidiaries.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Queen Victoria Clergy Fund does not consider individual applications from clergy members. Instead, the Fund operates through a two-tier distribution system:

  1. The Fund distributes its annual charitable income to all 42 Church of England dioceses using an agreed formula based on diocesan needs
  2. Each diocese then administers these grants confidentially through their local discretionary funds

For Clergy Seeking Support: Serving Church of England clergy experiencing financial hardship should contact their diocese's discretionary fund administrator, typically through their Suffragan Bishop or Archdeacon, rather than applying directly to the Queen Victoria Clergy Fund.

Decision Timeline

Decisions are made at the diocesan level on a confidential basis. Timing varies by diocese and is managed through local discretionary fund processes overseen by Bishops and Archdeacons.

Application Success Factors

Since the Fund operates through diocesan allocation rather than direct applications, success in accessing these funds depends on diocesan-level processes:

  • Diocesan Contact: Clergy should approach their Suffragan Bishop or Archdeacon to request access to discretionary funds that include Queen Victoria Clergy Fund allocations
  • Confidential Assessment: Dioceses assess need confidentially, so clergy should be prepared to discuss their financial circumstances candidly with diocesan authorities
  • Serving Clergy Status: Only serving (active) Church of England clergy are eligible - this excludes ordinands in training and retired clergy
  • Typical Grant Amounts: According to diocesan guidance, grants are usually for no more than £1,000, though this varies by diocese
  • Flexible Use: Funds can be used for any poverty relief purposes except course fees themselves (though support costs for attending courses may be covered)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This funder is not suitable for typical grant applications as it does not operate a public grant-making process. Key points to understand:

  • The Fund makes institutional grants to all 42 Church of England dioceses, not to individual organizations or clergy members
  • Distribution is formula-based, not application-based, so dioceses receive allocations automatically
  • Individual clergy access these funds through their diocese's confidential discretionary processes
  • The Fund is specifically restricted to serving Church of England clergy experiencing financial hardship
  • For researchers: This is a grant-making organization (it makes grants to multiple dioceses) but it is not accessible through traditional grant applications
  • Grant writers working with Church of England dioceses may reference this as one source of funding for clergy support, but cannot apply to it directly

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