The Yapp Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £294,527 (total expenditure 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Up to 5 months
• Grant Range: £500 - £3,000 per year
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales
• Multi-year Funding: Up to 3 years

Contact Details

Website: www.yappcharitabletrust.org.uk

Email: info@yappcharitabletrust.org.uk

Phone: 0191 389 3300

Address: Chester Le Street, County Durham

Charity Number: 1076803

Trust Secretary: Joanne Anderson (recommended to contact with eligibility queries before applying)

Overview

The YAPP Charitable Trust is a UK grant-making charity registered in 2000 that focuses on sustaining the work of very small charities across England and Wales. With an annual expenditure of approximately £294,527 and income of £183,564 (2024), the Trust occupies a distinctive niche by providing multi-year core funding to grassroots organizations that often struggle to secure running costs from other sources. The Trust makes grants exclusively for running costs and salaries to help maintain existing work, not to fund new projects or capital expenditure. Governed by six trustees who meet three times annually, the Trust is particularly interested in supporting charities working in areas of high deprivation, delivering unpopular or unattractive work, and serving marginalized populations. The Trust values organizations that demonstrate effective use of volunteers and, where feasible, elements of self-sustainability through user fees or subscriptions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Core Running Costs Grants: £500 - £3,000 per year for up to 3 years
• Online application portal with rolling deadlines
• Multi-year grants preferred to support ongoing needs
• Average grant approximately £2,000-£3,000 annually

Priority Areas

Priority Beneficiary Groups (applications must focus specifically on one):

• Elderly people
• Children and young people
• People with physical impairments, learning difficulties or mental health challenges
• Social welfare - people overcoming life-limiting problems of a social origin (addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse, offending)
• Education and learning, particularly for educationally disadvantaged people

What They Look For:

• Charities delivering services in areas of high deprivation
• Work that is unattractive to the general public or unpopular with other funders
• Services helping improve lives of marginalized, disadvantaged or isolated people
• Effective use of volunteers
• Where feasible, elements of self-sustainability through charging subscriptions/fees to service users

What They Don't Fund

• Organizations with annual expenditure of £50,000 or more
• Charities operating for less than 3 years (must have governing document and management committee for minimum 3 years)
• Community Interest Companies (CICs)
• Branches of national charities without separate charity registration
• Work outside England and Wales
• Capital projects, building work or renovations
• Equipment purchases
• New projects or new staff positions
• Organizations primarily focused on worship activities (though faith-based organizations serving broader community needs can apply)
• Work that does not focus specifically on one of their priority beneficiary groups

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Governance and Leadership

The Trust is governed by six trustees who receive no remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The trustees meet three times per year to review applications and make funding decisions.

Trust Secretary: Joanne Anderson manages day-to-day operations and is the primary contact for applicants.

The Trust emphasizes transparency by publishing annual grant summaries on their website, demonstrating their commitment to accountability and helping potential applicants understand their funding patterns.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Application Method: Online application portal (rolling basis)

Steps:

• Charity activities and beneficiaries
• Recent finances (accounts required)
• Projected spending for grant period
• Secured income and other funding sources

Pre-application Support: Contact encouraged for eligibility queries

Decision Timeline

• Applications accepted on rolling basis throughout the year
• Trustees meet 3 times per year to review applications
• Decision process takes up to 5 months from date of submission
• The Trust Secretary stays in touch with applicants throughout the process
• No fixed deadlines - submit when ready

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the Trust's total expenditure of approximately £294,527 suggests they make roughly 100-150 grants annually (estimating average grants of £2,000-£3,000 per year across 1-3 year commitments).

Reapplication Policy

For Current Grantees:

• Can reapply 3 months before current grant expires
• Funding officially ends 12 months after final payment
• Must still meet all original eligibility criteria

For Unsuccessful Applicants:

• Reapplication policy not explicitly stated on website
• Contact Trust Secretary to discuss feedback and reapplication timing

Application Success Factors

Trust's Stated Priorities (from official guidance):

The Trust explicitly states they particularly favor:

• “Charities delivering services in areas of high deprivation”
• “Work that is unattractive to the general public or unpopular with other funders”
• “Services that help improve the lives of marginalised, disadvantaged or isolated people”
• Organizations demonstrating “effective use of volunteers”
• Charities that can demonstrate “an element of self-sustainability by charging subscriptions/fees to service users” where feasible

Application Tips:

1. Read exclusions carefully: The Trust emphasizes reviewing their exclusion list thoroughly before applying to avoid wasting time on ineligible applications

1. Focus on sustainability: As the Trust notes, “Most of our grants are for more than one year because we like to fund ongoing needs” - emphasize the ongoing nature of your core work rather than new initiatives

1. Core running costs only: The Trust exclusively funds “the costs associated with regular activities or services that have been ongoing for at least a year” - do not apply for new work or projects

1. Demonstrate volunteer involvement: The Trust values charities that make effective use of volunteers

1. Show element of self-sustainability: Where possible, demonstrate user fees, subscriptions or other income generation (though this is not essential)

1. Target the right beneficiary group: Clearly focus your application on one of their five priority beneficiary groups

1. Be under threshold: Ensure total annual expenditure is below £50,000 before applying

Feedback from Funded Organizations:

One grantee noted: “The Yapp Charitable Trust was rare among grant funders to provide grants for running costs to very small charities and grass-roots organisations, which could be a lifeline for these groups.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Fill a unique niche: YAPP is specifically designed for very small charities (under £50,000 annual expenditure) struggling to secure core running costs - emphasize why other funders overlook your work
• Multi-year perspective: Frame applications around sustaining existing services over 2-3 years rather than one-off needs
• Don't rush: With rolling deadlines and 5-month decision times, plan applications well in advance of funding needs
• Quality over innovation: This funder values proven, ongoing work serving marginalized groups - avoid language about “exciting new projects”
• Contact first if uncertain: The Trust Secretary welcomes eligibility queries - use this resource to avoid wasted effort on ineligible applications
• Demonstrate being overlooked: Make the case for why your work is “unattractive to the general public or unpopular with other funders” - this is actually a positive for YAPP
• Show volunteer engagement: Highlight how volunteers contribute to service delivery and sustainability

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Masonic Charitable Foundation
• The Beatrice Laing Trust
• The Hobson Charity Limited
• Bernard Sunley Foundation
• THE A.D. CHARITABLE TRUST
• Schroder Charity Trust
• The Archer Trust
• Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales
• Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation
• The Marjory Boddy Charitable Trust

References

1. The YAPP Charitable Trust official website - Homepage. https://yappcharitabletrust.org.uk/

1. The YAPP Charitable Trust - What We Fund. https://yappcharitabletrust.org.uk/what-we-fund/

1. The YAPP Charitable Trust - How to Apply. https://yappcharitabletrust.org.uk/how-to-apply/

1. The YAPP Charitable Trust - FAQs. https://yappcharitabletrust.org.uk/faqs/

1. UK Charity Commission Register - THE YAPP CHARITABLE TRUST (Charity Number 1076803). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=1076803

1. Resource Centre - Yapp Charitable Trust funding information. https://www.resourcecentre.org.uk/information/yapp-charitable-trust/

1. Get Grants - Yapp Charitable Trust overview. https://www.getgrants.org.uk/yapp-charitable-trust/