The Phoenix Fund is currently closed to new applicants.
Phoenix Fund grantholders receive flexible, core funding to meet critical needs and continue their organisations’ missions. Learn which groups are eligible for Phoenix Fund grants, and find answers to frequently asked questions about applying.
Eligibility criteria and guidelines
The Phoenix Fund supports groups that:
- Are registered, unregistered, incorporated, unincorporated, and/or unconstituted
- Work with participants and communities of any age
- Are led by representatives of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic* communities and work within BAME communities**
- Have annual operating budgets of up to £100,000 per year
- Are located and work in England
The Phoenix Fund is not able to support:
- Local offices, affiliates, or projects of large NGOs, governments, or intergovernmental organisations
- Efforts to support or oppose candidates for public office
- Evangelism or proselytizing, or programmes that require adherence to or conversion to religious doctrine
- Organisations that, in policy or in practice, discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation
- Groups that conduct or support violent activities or violate criminal law
Application FAQs
- Can I apply for a grant if my organisation does not have a bank account?
Yes. You can apply even if your organisation does not have its own bank account. Another organisation that can hold funds on your behalf can serve as your fiscal sponsor. - Does my organisation have to be a registered charity to apply for a grant?
No. Both registered and unregistered groups are eligible to apply. - Does my organisation have to work with children and youth to be eligible for this grant?
No. Any organisation can apply, regardless of the ages of its participants. - Can an organisation that has been around for less than a year apply for this grant?
Yes. Any organisation can apply, regardless of when it was established. - What can my organisation use a Phoenix Fund grant for?
The Phoenix Fund provides core funding. This means you can apply for funding for whatever you need. For example, this may include staff costs, running costs, activities, equipment, and other resources needed to support your organisation. - What is the maximum amount my organisation can apply for through the Phoenix Fund?
In 2020, organisations could apply for grants of up to £20,000 through the Phoenix Fund. - Are there really only 13 questions total on the application?
Yes! - Where can my organisation seek outside help to complete my Phoenix Fund application?
Information on fundraising and grants for voluntary organisations, as well as how-to guides, is currently available for free for all organisations on the NCVO Knowhow center.
Do you have another question? Please email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to respond.
The Phoenix Fund was established with the support of The National Lottery Community Fund and Global Fund for Children. The £2.4 million commitment from The National Lottery Community Fund was made possible thanks to National Lottery players and made available £2 million in grants to Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities across England and a further £400,000 to support further development of the fund.
Header photo provided by the Ubele Initiative, a convening partner of the Phoenix Fund.
* We recognize the diversity of individual identities and lived experiences, and we recognize that BAME is an imperfect term that does not fully capture the racial, cultural, and ethnic identities that experience structural and systematic inequality. Whenever possible, we attempt to name individuals as they themselves prefer to be named.
** (1) 51% or more of the board and senior management team are from BAME backgrounds, or (2) the organisation self-defines as BAME-led based on who is making their key strategic decisions. By “making key decisions” we mean that decisions on core strategic and financial matters are taken by a diverse group of decision-makers, not that consultation is undertaken as part of decisions that are subsequently taken by a group that is not BAME-led.