Wolfson Family Charitable Trust grants
Wolfson Family Charitable Trust funds capital infrastructure and, to a lesser extent, scholarships and fellowships across the UK, and does not fund projects with a total cost below £15,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Wolfson Family Charitable Trust is a national charity funding education and training, environment and heritage, disability, health, and arts and culture. About 85% of its funding is for capital infrastructure — buildings, whether new build or refurbishment, and equipment — and it does not fund projects with a total cost below £15,000. A smaller share, about 15%, goes to scholarships and fellowships, though it does not accept unsolicited applications for these. Over 95% of its funding is within the UK, and it welcomes applications from all parts of the UK, but only from charities or organisations with charitable status or equivalent; it does not fund Community Interest Companies. Grants cannot cover VAT or the purchase of land or property, and the assessment process takes at least five months between a Stage 1 submission and a Stage 2 decision. In its most recent recorded year, it gave around £2.05m in grants to organisations.
What they fund
Wolfson Family Charitable Trust is registered for education and training, environment and heritage, disability, health, and arts and culture.
Who and where
It is registered to support people with disabilities, older people and the general public across England and Wales.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Wolfson Family Charitable Trust says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
Who they say they'll fund
“Over 95% of our funding is within the UK, and we welcome applications from all parts of the UK.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“We do not fund feasibility studies, or projects where the total cost is below £15,000.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“Generally, there should be at least 15 years to run on the lease at the time the application is made (assuming the project is for major refurbishment work).”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
What they say they won't fund
“Our grants cannot cover certain costs, such as VAT or purchasing land or property. We do not fund feasibility studies, or projects where the total cost is below £15,000.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“We only award grants to charities or organisations with charitable status or equivalent.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“Do you fund Community Interest Companies? No, unfortunately not. We only fund charities or organisations with charitable status (or equivalent).”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
How they say to apply
“We ask that you wait five years between the date an award is offered (not paid) and submitting another application.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“A smaller proportion of our funding (about 15%) is for people, through scholarships or fellowships. We do not accept unsolicited applications under these programmes.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding →
“In most cases, you should have match funding in place by the time you submit a Stage 2 application.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“We have a rigorous assessment process and carefully consider all applications. This means that it takes at least five months between submitting your Stage 1 application and hearing whether your Stage 2 application has been successful.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding FAQs →
“About 85% of our funding is for capital infrastructure – buildings (new build or refurbishments) and equipment.”
Source: wolfson.org.uk — Funding →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
General charitable purposes at the trustees discretion, having special regard to medical research, education and religion.
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does it give?
There is no published typical grant size, but it does not fund projects with a total cost below £15,000. In its most recent recorded year, it gave around £2.05m in grants to organisations.
What does it fund?
Mainly capital infrastructure — buildings and equipment — across education, environment and heritage, disability, health, and arts and culture. About 15% of its funding goes to scholarships and fellowships, though these are not open to unsolicited applications.
Who can apply?
Charities or organisations with charitable status or equivalent, from anywhere in the UK. Where a project involves major refurbishment, the trust generally expects at least 15 years remaining on the lease.
What won't it fund?
Community Interest Companies, feasibility studies, projects with a total cost below £15,000, VAT, or the purchase of land or property. Applicants who have received an award are asked to wait five years before applying again.
How do I apply?
Applicants should have match funding in place by the time they submit a Stage 2 application. The process takes at least five months between a Stage 1 submission and a Stage 2 decision. Check the funder's own website (www.wolfson.org.uk) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 228382) for current guidance, as processes can change.
Is your charity a fit for Wolfson Family Charitable Trust?
Type your charity’s name and we’ll check this funder — and every other active UK grant-maker — against your purposes, your area and your size. Free, and nothing to fill in: we read your entry on the official register.
Check my charity’s matches — free →Thinking of applying? Start here.
Finding a funder is the easy part. These short guides help with the part that decides whether you get the money.
Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Wolfson Family Charitable Trust.