Funder Focus: The Laing Family Trusts
This article focuses in on a particular funder to give you ideas of what they will fund and tips on submitting an application to them. This month: The Laing Family Trusts.
The Laing Family Trusts are a collection of grant-making charities which share a joint administration, two of which are suitable for church-based projects. Each Trust has its own board which consider applications in their individual priority areas, and they are all broadly established for the advancement of the evangelical Christian faith.
Beatrice Laing Trust (https://www.laingfamilytrusts.org.uk/about-us/beatrice-laing-trust/): supports new church building, extension or redevelopment projects, with emphasis on churches using their physical resources to communicate Christian faith. They also support practical services to the homeless, elderly, ex-offenders, former servicemen/women.
Maurice and Hilda Laing Trust (https://www.laingfamilytrusts.org.uk/about-us/maurice-hilda-laing-charitable-trust/) focus on making the Christian message accessible to all through innovative ‘fresh expressions’ of church and pioneer ministries.
Key criteria at a glance:
Grants range from £2,000 to a maximum of £25,000
Projects involving building work, repairs, improvements or extensions are considered
Contributions from Church Reserves and/or congregational/community giving will strengthen an application
Applications are made by sending a letter (3-4 pages in length) by post with a detailed description of the project, email applications are not accepted
Only one application needs to be submitted, the joint administration will triage it to be considered by the most appropriate board.
There are no deadlines, applications are considered on a rolling basis by their boards on a quarterly basis.
Visit the websites for each to find out more.
Need any help?
If you have any questions, require any help identifying possible funders or would like to chat through a project idea please contact:
Helen McCormack, Mersey Synod grants finder/writer
Tel: 0151 722 6590
email: grantsadmin@urcmerseysynod.org.uk