To help build a society where people do not face financial insecurity, we’ll be partnering with charities that are supporting Deaf and Disabled people to become more financially secure.
This is an invitation only programme, take a look at our open programmes here.
For 40 years, we have tackled deep rooted and complex issues at the heart of communities. Yet the rising cost of living and change to social security are pushing people further into debt, poverty and destitution.
We are inviting charities to apply that are supporting Deaf and Disabled people by providing tailored financial advice and guidance when they are facing financial hardship.
Through this programme we want to build financial resilience within communities so people can anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to change to personal or household finances. Our focus is on Deaf and Disabled people because they face additional costs associated with disability and ill health and greater barriers to financial security.
We’ll be awarding 25 grants of £75,000 over three years alongside organisational development support. To ensure we are reaching the right organisations we reviewed data from a wide range of organisations including 360Giving and the Charity Commission, working with infrastructure organisations and other funders, and speaking to Deaf and Disabled people’s organisations who have previously applied for our funding.
For those invited to apply, we’ll support them to submit an application form by 15 September 2025 and award funding in December 2025.
This is a one-off invitation only programme in addition to our existing open programmes which you can find here. This has been made possible through an additional donation from Lloyds Banking Group as part of our 40 year partnership helping communities prosper. Learn more about our decades long history and what it means for our future.
Who is eligible to apply for this fund?
The fund is only open to registered charities that have been invited to apply by the Foundation.
What do you mean by "financial resilience"?
Financial resilience is about being prepared for life's ups and downs. It's the ability to foresee, plan for, and adapt to changes and unexpected financial challenges. Whether it's a small shift or a sudden shock to your personal or household finances, financial resilience means having the strength to not just survive but thrive.
What types of activities can the fund be used for?
This is an unrestricted grant and so you can use it to fund the needs of your organisation as you see them. This could include supporting the salaries of existing staff, recruiting new staff, building reserves, and developing new income streams.
How much funding is available?
Grants of £75k over 3 years are available. In total we’ll be investing £1.875m across 25 organisations.
Why is this Fund by invitation only?
For our 40th anniversary this year, we received an additional donation from Lloyds Banking Group to support the financial resilience of Deaf and Disabled people.
Given the limited size of the fund and the targeted nature of its intended impact, we have decided to allocate this funding through an invitation-only process.
This approach is designed to:
Reduce administrative burden: An open call would likely generate a high volume of applications. With limited funds available, most of these applicants would inevitably be unsuccessful, resulting in a significant amount of wasted time and effort for charities.
Ensure alignment with purpose: The specific nature of this funding means that only a small number of organisations are likely to be a good fit. An invitation-only process allows us to engage directly with those charities whose work clearly aligns with this programme’s goals.
We remain committed to transparency and fairness, and our open programmes will continue to be the primary way we distribute the majority of our funding.
We’re a Deaf and Disabled people’s organisation or a charity that supports Deaf and Disabled people why haven’t been invited to apply?
In designing this programme we’ve spoken to and reviewed data from a wide range of organisations including the Charity Commission, Companies House, other funders, infrastructure organisations and organisations we already support to find out about local provision for Deaf and Disabled people in their areas.
One of our priorities is not to waste the time of organisations by inviting them to apply for a programme to which they are very unlikely to succeed. Due to the limited availability of grants we’ll be able to award, we have invited only organisations that, from the information we have gathered, most closely match the aims of this programme.
It may be that your organisation would be a stronger fit for our Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations Programme which is open until 4th September 2025. Find out more here.
Will you fund 100% of the project costs, or do we need match funding?
We will be awarding £25k per year, which may be a contribution towards or fully meet project costs. We will discuss with you as part of our conversation how the financial resilience support is currently funded and where funding shortfall may come from, if it is needed.
When will we find out if our application has been successful?
We will be awarding grants in December 2025.
Is there support available to help us with our application?
If they need it, invited organisations will be supported by one of our regional managers to complete their application for this programme.
What accessibility support is there to help with the application process?
We will fund up to £500 of accessibility support to enable invited organisations to complete their application. This can be used for BSL interpreters, language translation, scribes, dyslexia software. It does not cover funding for external bid writers.
Please note, this fund is invitation-only. Invited organisations will receive a direct link to make an application.
Commissioned by Lloyds Banking Group and its four charitable Foundations to mark 40 years of supporting communities across the UK and Channel Islands, the report, Financial Resilience and the Role of Small Charities, sets out to better understand the role small charities play in supporting financially vulnerable people, and how we can strengthen that support.
This research explores the experiences of those who turn to charities when facing financial challenges, identifies barriers charities face in delivering services, and highlights opportunities for deeper collaboration.
