Welcome to the Charities Aid Foundation

We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

Personal giving From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions. Corporate giving You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals. Services for charities Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient. Insights Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact About us We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work. Donate  
 
 
 

Personal giving

From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions.

DISCOVER OUR PERSONAL GIVING SOLUTIONS

Corporate giving

You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals.

DISCOVER OUR CORPORATE GIVING SOLUTIONS

Services for charities

Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient.

DISCOVER HOW WE SUPPORT CHARITIES

Insights

Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact

Explore

About us

We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

Find out more about CAF

A guide to writing a great grant application

Understanding how to put together a great application will increase your chances of gaining the funding you need

Increased demand for funding has left grantmakers inundated with applications and competition is rife. Understanding how to put together a great application will increase your chances of gaining the funding you need for critical projects, however large or focused they are.

Making sure that you are able to clearly define your organisation’s need for funding and how it will benefit your cause and the communities you serve is vital.  

Kate Peters, Director of Grantmaking at Community Foundation for Surrey, outlines some of the key things to think about to help you write a successful application.

What makes a great grant application?

  • Clearly explain who you are and the difference your charity makes.
  • Keep your application focused and easy to read, with key points early on.
  • Show a strong understanding of the issue or community you are addressing.
  • Request a realistic amount of funding that matches your activities and capacity.

What should you have in place before you apply?

  • Basic financial processes, including a bank account and up-to-date accounts.
  • The ability to show you can manage grant funding responsibly.
  • Key policies in place, particularly around safeguarding for those you work with. 
  • If newly established, consider working with a host organisation and check eligibility carefully.

Can you apply for a second grant?

  • Check whether the funder allows repeat or continuation funding.
  • Make sure you have reported fully on the first grant you received.
  • Clearly explain the impact of the first grant. 
  • Be open about learning and adaptation if things did not go as planned.

What are common mistakes to avoid?

  • Using jargon or specialist language that may not be clear.
  • Making applications hard to follow or overly complex.
  • Failing to read the funder’s guidance carefully.
  • Applying when your charity does not meet the eligibility criteria.

Get the support you need

Grant programmes

Apply for grant programmes that we’re either running ourselves or managing on behalf of companies, trusts or fellow foundations.

See our grant programmes

Expert charity advisory services

Get support on any aspect of strategic planning, board development and governance, or income diversification and fundraising to help achieve your charity’s goals.

Charity advisory services