Beneficiaries that the Kearns Foundation are looking to target through its small grants programme are:

  • Individual young people (aged 11-21 years)
  • Adults in membership of a community organisation (with an annual income of under £100,000 in its most recent completed financial year) undertaking activities that contribute to their personal development for wider community benefit
  • Grants of between £50 and £250 are available

SPECIAL GRANTS PROGRAMME 2021-22 The Foundation will particularly target the following needs through two specific priorities: 

  • Post Covid -19 Comeback Fund – To help cover venue hire, equipment replacement or marketing to enable youth and community groups to re-engage with their communities as we exit the pandemic effects. 
  • Family Support Fund – where organisations can recommend specific needs for individual young people, and families who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the impact of a loss of family income through the Covid-19 pandemic

Full Grants Criteria is here   Small Grants Criteria 2021 23

What sort of things will the Kearns Foundation consider funding?

The Trustees retain the right to consider each application on its own merits but examples of projects that the Foundation may support include:

  • A young person, or adult volunteer, requiring financial assistance to access a training, or development course, to learn skills that could be passed on to others in the community. This might include supporting community youth work, community arts, or developing community leadership.
  • A community organisation that needs help with recruiting and training volunteers, committee members, fundraising or marketing.
  • A young person, or adult volunteer, needing assistance to access an international exchange, or study visit, that promotes co-operation, builds personal development and community capacity.


How Much is Available?

Grants are normally awarded of amounts between £50 and £250 per project depending on the funds available at that time.

The Application Process

Make an application

Complete the online application form for the Small Grants Programme.
Apply Here
Your application may be followed by a request for more information if there's something missing or not clear from the information you submitted.
Your application will be reviewed at a Kearns Foundation meeting by our board of trustees and advisors which are normally held four times a year in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. Following this meeting, you will be contacted with the results of your application.
If your application is successful

We'll ask for your supporting documents

If your application has been provisionally approved by our Board of Trustees, we'll ask you to send us some supporting documents so we can confirm the information you submitted in your application form.
View Required Documents
Providing the documents match your application, we will issue a grant acceptance form for you to sign and return. This will release the funds awarded.
You will be required to submit a short post-grant report at the end of your funded project, or within 12 months of the release of funds, if later. You can choose your own format, or request a standard format from us.