Funding for faith-based organisations: a quick guide

*This blog was updated on 12/04/18. This was to take into account changes to our application process. 

When we talk to faith-based organisations, they are often surprised to find out that they might be able to access our funding! Because of this, we thought it would be a good idea to try and deal with a few of the most common questions, issues and misconceptions. Here we go:

I don’t think we can accept money from the Big Lottery Fund because of its links to the National Lottery. Do you run the National Lottery?

It’s important to note that the Big Lottery Fund doesn’t run the National Lottery. The National Lottery is run by a separate organisation, Camelot, and a proportion of the income they generate is given to the UK government. The government, which set up the Big Lottery Fund along with a number of other distributors, gives some of this money to us to distribute to good causes throughout the UK.

Can faith-based organisations apply for Big Lottery Fund grants?

Yes. Faith-based groups (including places of worship, religious organisations, or charities with religious values) can apply for most of our grants, so long as they have the following things in place.

• A committee or board with at least two unrelated members (or three if applying for more than £10,000)
• A governing document such as a constitution
• A bank account in the organisation’s name
• Annual financial accounts.

Applicant organisations don’t have to be registered charities. They just have to have charitable or social aims, and meet our basic requirements laid out above. You can read more about these requirements here.

What type of activities can faith-based organisations use Big Lottery Fund grants for?

Faith-based organisations can apply to run the same kinds of activities as any other groups applying.

The main thing faith-based groups need to be aware of is that we cannot fund the practice of religion, or any activities that actively promote religion or particular belief systems (or indeed the lack of belief). This is because these activities could exclude people from accessing a project on religious grounds.

Can Big Lottery Fund support projects with religious elements?

Potentially. Our main consideration is whether these activities could exclude people from accessing your project. For example, we couldn’t fund a counselling project that requires all users to make a religious pledge before taking part. But if users were given the option to opt out from this pledge without it affecting their participation, we could consider funding the activity.

Can Big Lottery Fund support community buildings within places of worship – like church halls?

Yes. We regularly fund minor refurbishment and upgrades for the likes of church halls through National Lottery Awards for All Scotland. We recognise that these are important assets in many communities, and host a wide range of other groups and activities. That said, we would not typically fund a building (or parts of a building) that is used primarily as either a place of worship or for other religious activities. However, our sister organisation the Heritage Lottery Fund can potentially fund places of worship where they are of particular heritage value.

Do any Big Lottery Fund Scotland grants come from sources other than The National Lottery?

Yes. Most of our funding comes from the National Lottery, but we also administer some grants in Scotland that distribute money from other sources. For example, we run the Young Start fund which is funded only by dormant bank accounts. We also run funds for the likes the Scottish Government, so it’s worth checking with us if you are interested.

Any other questions? Not sure if you can apply?

Get in touch! You can find our contact details here.

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