Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility
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Who can apply for a grant?
The MCF only supports charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, or the relevant Central registry of the respective Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man’s government.
Do you have deadlines?
No, we have a rolling programme for both Small and Large grants.
Do you fund individuals?
The charity grants department does not fund individuals. Grants to individuals are only available to Freemasons and their families and are made through our Masonic Support department.
Find out more about grants to individuals
Are there any geographical restrictions?
Yes – our main charity grants programmes are only for charities and projects in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. This is because our funding comes from Freemasons in these areas. At the discretion of the Trustees of the MCF we occasionally award emergency grants to support the relief efforts responding to floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters in both the UK and around the world. It is not possible to apply for funding in this area.
Can we apply if we are a new organisation?
You must be able to provide us with audited or independently inspected charity accounts which have been published on the Charity Commission website. We also expect organisations to be able to demonstrate a track record of service delivery.
We don’t have our own charity number. Can we apply using the charity number of a head office?
Yes – but only if you have written permission to do so from your head office.
If you are part of a larger or a national charity, with the same charity number, and legally governed by the same board of trustees, we require your larger/national charity to provide written permission which must be sent in with the application. Please be aware that we are only able to accept one application per charity number and re-application rules will apply to that number, regardless of whether a different branch of the charity or head office has applied under that same registration number.
Our charity is exempt from registering with the Charity Commission. Can we apply?
No – Unfortunately we can only accept applications from charities that are registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales or the relevant Central registry of the respective Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man’s government.
Does our charity need to have its own bank account to be eligible to apply?
Yes the charity is required to have its own bank account for us to transfer the payment. We will require proof of BACS details before the payment will be authorised.
We are under the threshold for being required to have independently examined or audited accounts – can we apply?
No, unfortunately we cannot accept any application without a full set of independently examined or audited accounts.
You are funding our organisation already; can I apply for another grant?
Charities can only have one active large or small grant from us at a time, and then must wait two years to apply again. Charities in receipt of funding through our provincial programmes can still apply for our small or large grants programmes.
Our application was turned down. How soon can we apply again?
If your expression of interest or full application was declined, you must wait one year from the date you submitted the previous expression of interest before re-applying.
We have received a grant from the MCF in the past. When can we reapply?
You are eligible to reapply for a grant two years from the date that your previous funding ended. For example, if your last instalment was paid in December 2023, the grant ends in December 2024. Therefore, the charity would be eligible to reapply in December 2026.
We are a Hospice, can we apply to the Large or Small Grant programmes?
All of the MCF’s support for the Hospice sector is carried out via the Hospice Grant programme, this unfortunately prevents you from applying for a Large or Small grant. Please see our Partnership Programmes page for more info.
We have been in operation for several years but have recently merged with another charity and therefore have a new charity number. Can we still apply for funding?
You must have one year’s published accounts as the merged organisation; these must match the ones submitted to the Charity Commission.
Application Questions
How much can I apply for?
For the small grant programme, grants can be £1,000 to £5,000 per year for up to three years.
Large grants usually range from £10,000 to £60,000 in total spread over one to three years. The MCF has a preference for multiyear funding (for example, £20,000 per year for three years or £30,000 per year for two years). We will consider one year grants only in exceptional circumstances such as for pilot projects.
We encourage organisations to apply for the amount and length of funding they require, and that is appropriate and proportionate to their financial position. As a general rule, we would not tend to fund more than 20 per cent of an organisation’s income per year.
Do you give unrestricted funding?
We provide unrestricted funding in our small grants programme only.
Do you allow overhead costs to be included in large grants?
Yes. A full breakdown of the project costs must be entered into the appropriate section of the form.
Do you fund new/pilot projects?
Yes, we do fund new/pilot projects.
It is important that you can demonstrate the need and demand for the service and that your organisation has the capacity to deliver the project.
Do you fund salaries?
Yes we do. If applying for a large grant, the role must be integral to the project.
Can I attach more information to my application?
Yes. You can attach up to two supporting documents. We welcome an impact report, pilot evaluation or anything else you feel would be relevant to your application.
If I include a prepared project proposal, do I still have to complete the form in full?
Yes. The entire form must be completed in full.
If I send in a full set of accounts, do I still have to complete the finance section of the form?
Yes. The entire form must be completed in full as we use this information to help us assess any financial risk associated with a potential grant. Your finance worker, accountant/auditor, council for voluntary service or other support agency should be able to assist you if necessary.
Can I post or email my application, or should I submit it online?
We cannot accept postal or emailed applications, all forms are online only. Our application form is compatible with assistive technology. However, please contact us if you have any accessibility issues relating to submitting your application.
How will I know if you have received my enquiry/application?
You will receive a copy of your expression of interest/application immediately as receipt by email.
If changes occur to our organisation after we have submitted our expression of interest/application, do we need to inform the MCF?
Yes – please make sure that you keep us updated of any important changes that may affect the outcome of your application. This is especially important if your contact details change, or if the person who submitted the application leaves your organisation.
Do applications require the support or a reference from a Freemason?
No – your charity does not require a connection to a Freemason.
If you are a Freemason who is interested in referring a charity for a grant, please do not hesitate to share our website with the organisation or give them our contact details so we can advise them on how to apply.
My application fits more than one of the MCF’s priority areas. Which one should I apply for?
When you apply you will be prompted to choose the target group that best describes the project beneficiaries, and you may only pick one.
Assessment Questions
How are successful grantees selected?
Charities go through a rigorous assessment process before being selected for support. We assess applicants on several criteria: the need being addressed, whether the activities effectively tackle this need, the charity’s financial situation, the capacity and sustainability of the organisation and its project, reach and potential impact, how results are monitored, etc. Because we are funded by Freemasons across England and Wales we aim to have a good geographic spread of grants.
Once the applications have been assessed, a shortlist is presented to the relevant local Province and our Charity Grants Committee for a final decision. The Committee includes those with experience in the voluntary sector and it meets regularly throughout the year.
How long will I have to wait for a decision?
We aim to reply to expressions of interest within 2 weeks. For those invited to submit a full application as part of our Large Grants programme the entire process would last approximately five to six months. For Small Grants the process would last approximately three months.
Do you provide feedback on unsuccessful applications?
Yes. We will provide feedback at whichever stage your application is rejected.
The main reason for not funding projects is that we receive many more applications than we can support, which unfortunately causes us to turn down many of the charities that apply to us.
General Questions
How much does the MCF donate to charities each year?
We donate over £5 million each year to local and national charities.
How many enquiries does the MCF Charity Grants programme receive each year?
We receive approximately 1,250 expressions of interest to our small and large grants programmes each year, and we are able to fund around 150 charities.
My query is not answered here, where can I get further help and advice?
We are always happy to help with any questions you may have. Please contact us by email at charitygrants@mcf.org.uk or call 020 3146 3337 to talk on the phone. Our office hours are 9am-5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am-4pm on Friday.