The Charles Hayward Foundation supports projects which help to prevent people entering the criminal justice system, and which support those in contact with the system to rebuild their lives.

UK registered charities with an annual income of between £350,000 and £4 million can apply for grants of between £15,000 and £25,000 per year over one to three years.

The funding is for projects that address the following:

• Targeted early intervention programmes aimed at reaching the most troubled and vulnerable families in a community.
• Tailored preventative and diversionary projects for young people at risk of offending, including interventions identifying and addressing the particular needs of girls and young women.
• Programmes combining prison-based and community interventions dealing with the rehabilitation of offenders, accommodation and support on release, maintaining family relationships, mentoring, and creating pathways to employment.
• Schemes offering viable alternatives to custody, in particular for women and young people.
• Programmes of support that alleviate the consequences of domestic abuse.

The trustees look for projects which:

• Address multiple and complex needs with a range of appropriate interventions.
• Are tailored to individual needs and local situations involving families and communities; these can be designed and delivered in partnership.
• Are of appropriate duration and intensity, have a clear rationale, and are properly monitored and evaluated.
• Have a plan for the future, including an ‘exit strategy’.

The Foundation is also open to creative and specialist approaches and trialling new solutions.

There is a two-stage application process. This year, there are three deadlines for Stage 1 applications.

Applications are currently being accepted for the third round of 2025.

The deadline for Stage 1 applications is 19 September 2025.

The Henry Smith Charity, now known as the Henry Smith Foundation, has published its new strategy, Elevate Your Impact (2025-2030) which ‘reaffirms its commitment to the people and organisations driving change across the UK’.

Over the next five years, the Foundation will focus on supporting people facing some of life’s toughest transitions.

It will offer flexible, long-term funding through its new funding programmes:

• Together We Begin – Getting Started – will fund in-home, face-to-face support for families with young children. The funding is for organisations that strengthen parenting, build parental confidence, and improve early child development; helping families feel connected, supported, and better able to navigate local services and opportunities.
• Shout! - Building independence - Helping young people move into adulthood with confidence, skills and hope. The funding will support advocacy services helping care-experienced, LGBT+, neurodivergent or learning-disabled young people speak up, make informed choices, and secure their rights.
• Domestic Abuse Fund - Safer futures - Supporting people to rebuild their lives after abuse, displacement or prison. The funding is for ‘led by and for’ organisations providing specialist domestic abuse services. The Foundation will fund deep, consistent, person-centred services designed around the needs of people from marginalised communities who have experienced domestic abuse.

In addition, there is also the new Opportunity Fund to support early-stage ideas, test bold approaches, strengthen leadership and boost inclusion across the sector. The Foundation is starting with a proactive invitation-led approach, backing organisations to take strategic risks and share learning that can drive wider change.

The Foundation will provide further details during the following webinars:

• Shout! on 22 July (13:00 to 14:00)
• Together We Begin on 30 July (14:00 to 15:00)
• Domestic Abuse Fund on 12 August (13:00 to 14:00)

Registration is required.

The full strategy is available to read on the Henry Smith Foundation's website.

The specific details of the new funding programmes will be published as soon as they become available.

The Foundation has published its new strategy, A Time for Bold Transitions (2025-2030), which aims ‘to respond to this age of significant disruption and interconnected global threats’ and it has ‘re-committed’ to its aim to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world.

The Foundation has dispensed with funding categories and will now focus on funding charitable organisations that at their core are committed to ensuring the rights of people, society and the natural world for current and future generations.

In order to be considered for funding, organisations will need to demonstrate ‘that intrinsic to their approach’ they are:

• Changemaking organisations that understand their role within existing and/or new systems and have a clear strategy for how and why they intend to make change.
• Committed to advancing justice through the active involvement of individuals and communities with personal or direct experience of the issues.

And they will need to share how their work relates to at least one of the following:

• Tackling the triple planetary crisis by mitigating and adapting to climate impacts, reducing pollution, and protecting and restoring nature.
• Building greater trust and connection, reducing polarisation within society and increasing the levels of participation and influence in the political process.
• Promoting the development and adoption of economic models and systems that support people and planet, and reduce wealth inequalities.
• Advancing equity and justice for marginalised communities impacted by these issues.

Grants of up to a maximum of £60,000 per year are available with a maximum of £180,000 up to five years and will support core costs, including (but not limited to):

• Staff salaries, training and expenses.
• Day-to-day running costs and operations.
• Monitoring and evaluation, including research.
• Communications and digital innovation.

Applications will be considered from registered, excepted or exempt charities who are doing work that has a national footprint or a wide reach, such as working in more than one country, region or county.

Eligible organisations will be UK based registered charities with an annual income of between £100,000 and £10 million. Consideration may be given to a company limited by guarantee, including CICs, with an asset lock or as a fiscally hosted organisation.

The Foundation will be running weekly Q&A sessions from 25 June to 12 August. Details can be found on the Foundation's website 'apply for funding' page

There is a two stage application process. The first step is to submit a proposal describing what the organisation is seeking funding for.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

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Material Focus, an independent not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to stop electricals from being hoarded and thrown away, is offering grants to support projects that make it easier for the public to repair, reuse or recycle their consumer electricals.

Projects should either:

• Expand existing collection methods for small electricals.
• Trial new approaches to repairing, reusing and/or recycling electricals.

A total of £750,000 is available for 2025/26 with grants of up to:

• £100,000 (per applicant) for projects to expand collection methods for small electricals. Organisations can apply up to £0.50 per household receiving the service.
• £50,000 per project to trial new approaches to repairing, reusing and/or recycling electricals. Applications above £50,000 may be considered if the project demonstrates significant impact (in terms of households covered and/or projected tonnes/items collected) and longevity.

Projects should be at least a year long.

A range of registered organisations can apply, including charities, local authorities, waste partnerships, private waste contractors, other private companies, and compliance schemes.

Material Focus will provide successful applicants with project management support.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.