Rnli
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.
Key takeaways
- The RNLI does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should first email its international team to say it wants to work with the RNLI, and only then consider a fuller approach.
- Its grant work is about drowning prevention, so your project needs a clear aim to reduce drowning, and the RNLI welcomes contact from organisations committed to that.
- The Charity Commission register records £699,000 of grants to institutions, but no grant range is stated, so do not assume a particular size and be ready to discuss your costs once a partnership is considered.
- The process is relationship-led: before any partnership begins, the RNLI checks financial controls, capacity to deliver, experience of similar activities and links with government, health or community groups.
- Any grant is tied to a Deed of Grant, due diligence on senior management, governance, financial capability and safeguarding, and agreed project milestones, so organisations that cannot show these should expect a longer route.
Overview
RNLI is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 209603).
The RNLI is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and its object is to save lives at sea and on inland and flood waters. Its international projects account for £3.1m of spend, which is 2% of its total spend.
What they fund
Priority Areas
RNLI grant support is described in relation to partner organisations. Grant payments are linked to a legal Deed of Grant, recipient due diligence and agreed project milestones. Its international work is carried out with organisations working at different stages of drowning prevention, including teachers and researchers, and with national and local partners delivering prevention projects in their home countries. The RNLI welcomes contact from organisations committed to reducing drowning. Before a partnership begins, it assesses financial controls, capacity to deliver the planned project, experience of similar activities and relevant relationships with government, health or community groups. The approach combines collaboration with checks on partner capacity and delivery.
Themes
- Drowning prevention
Geographic Focus
Priority: The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland; The Isle Of Man; The Channel Islands; The Republic Of Ireland.
How to apply
Organisations committed to reducing drowning can email the international team to express interest in working with the RNLI.
What to send:
- A legal Deed of Grant negotiated and agreed with the recipient, and a satisfactory due diligence audit of the recipient’s senior management, governance controls, financial capability, safeguarding systems and overall capacity to deliver desired results are required.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The RNLI considers the financial controls in place at a prospective partner organisation.
- The RNLI considers whether a partner has capacity to carry out the planned project.
- The RNLI values experience of delivering similar activities.
- Existing relationships with government, health or community groups may help a project be more effective.
- Grant recipients must pass due diligence covering senior management, governance, financial capability, safeguarding and delivery capacity.
- Grant payments are linked to agreed project milestones.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- Guernsey
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Rnli.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £219,912,000 | £199,803,000 | £591,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £231,800,000 | £233,000,000 | £996,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £249,600,000 | £242,600,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £251,300,000 | £250,700,000 | £815,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £286,700,000 | £258,100,000 | £699,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2024; year to 31 December 2025: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- rnli.org
- rnli.org/what-we-do/international/our-international-partners · read on 31 October 2026
- rnli.org/what-we-do/international/international-funding · read on 31 October 2026
- rnli.org/support-us/give-money/trusts-and-foundations · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Rnli?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Applying to Rnli?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required