THE LEONARD LAITY STOATE CHARITABLE TRUST

How to Apply - and Application Process

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How to Apply

There is no special application form, but applications should be in writing; neither telephone nor e-mail applications will be entertained.

Please try and be concise but supply clear details of:
• the need the intended project is designed to meet.

• the project cost or budget. If a project is being carried out in discrete phases, then it is perfectly permissible to apply for a specific phase. In this event a brief outline of the complete project will be helpful, but the detailed figure work should apply only to the phase in question.
• where applicable, the amount raised so far, with a breakdown of how much has been raised from within the local community and how much from other grant making bodies or other sources. However much detail you supply it should be possible for us to ascertain from your figures that:

«Total Project Cost»

minus «Funds Received or Pledged» .

equals «Current Shortfall» ..

Please also supply where possible:
• accounts or budgets.

• your registered charity number (unless exempt eg most churches) or, for unregistered organisations, a copy of your constitution.

• An e-mail address for follow-up correspondence or application acknowledgement would be helpful (but do not forget to include your postal address as well). Please allow a couple of months for an acknowledgement. There is no need to include an SAE (if acknowledgement of your application is required) if an e-mail address is provided.

There is no need to supply accounts if these are available on the Charity Commission website.

Please note that we now qualify as a Financial Institution for the purposes of Common Reporting Standards and are obliged to carry out due diligence to determine the tax residence of our grant holders, and potentially report this information to HMRC. Fortunately, UK registered charities are presumed to be UK tax resident, and that is in itself sufficient, but non-registered organisations including exempt churches will need to provide us with a declaration of tax residence for which we will supply a form at the shortlisting stage.
Following on from this, please make it clear in your application if funds are being raised for a specific third party organisation or project that is not under the sole control of your own organisation. Fairly obvious examples include a school PTA or a hospital League of Friends, but other situations such as for example play equipment for a recreation ground can be less clear. In these circumstances, it is the ultimate beneficiary that we have to consider under the Common Reporting Standards.

Applications may be submitted at any time. However, the bulk of applications of are decided at our half-yearly meetings in April/May and October/November of each year and thus December / January / February and June / July / August are probably the best times to apply. Applications should be sent to:

The Grants Secretary

Leonard Laity Stoate Charitable Trust

2 Neeld Court,
Foscote, Grittleton

CHIPPENHAM

SN14 6AD

Subsequent Communications

Whilst we do insist that initial applications be submitted in writing, please use email for subsequent communications if at all possible.

Consideration of Applications

As we receive on average about one application per day, not every application can be considered at the meeting itself. In practice, incoming applications are reviewed about every 6 weeks, and a synopsis circulated to the trustees, suggesting which ones should be shortlisted for the next meeting. Allowing a couple of weeks for responses, shortlisted applicants are then notified of their status, and normally in the case of a project, asked for a fundraising update prior to the meeting. The remainder will be notified that their applications have been rejected.

Change of circumstances

It would be a rare thing if every project proceeded as originally conceived. However we do like to be assured that project for which funds are requested is essentially the same as the project eventually undertaken. Changes typically involve reducing scope to meet funds available or an increase in budget to carry out the work needed. Please advise us of any material changes to your project; also if the project becomes fully funded before our decision, is abandoned or if for any other reason the application needs to be withdrawn.

Update

If an update has been requested, please provide this by the date specified. The amount of change will likely depend on the time since the original application, but it is useful to see what progress is being made. If funds are being raised through local community events it is also useful to know how much is being raised by this method as well as through grant-giving bodies. Please ensure that your updated figures are consistent with any earlier figures supplied. Whilst it can also be useful to know to whom you have made other applications, not much weight is given to it; please ensure that for funds raised you include only money actually received or pledged.

Award

Allowing time for the meeting minutes to be circulated and approved, applicants will normally be notified of the results of the meeting about a week to 10 days afterwards. Assuming success, if the award is for a project it will probably be conditional upon and payable when the remainder of the funds have been raised and the project/work commences. Payment of unconditional awards will be spread over the next 6 months to match our anticipated income.

Re-applying

If rejected, please do not reapply for at least a year from your previous application.  As grants are normally paid on a one-off basis, successful beneficiaries should wait a minimum of two years from the date of their original application (or one year from payment of grant if later) before reapplying. Even then we cannot guarantee future applications will be successful.  This is simply down to the wealth of good causes in the area, and we do not want to spread ourselves too thinly. A further application will not be successful where a beneficiary has failed to provide a report or feedback following a grant when requested to do so.

Promotional material

Finally, please note that we do not consent to our contact details being used to supply newsletters and other promotional material. One newsletter or report to follow up a grant is fine – in fact we shall usually ask for this – but not on a regular basis please.

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