Santander Foundation Discovery Grants

The Santander Foundation's Discovery Grants scheme provides grants to charities, Community Interest Companies and Credit Unions for activities that support disadvantaged people in the UK to improve knowledge, skills and innovation in order to give them the confidence to discover, create and take advantage of new opportunities. 

Funding is available for:

o Small, local projects that last for up to 12 months;
o Complete projects (the Foundation does not make contributions or part-funding); and/or
o Part-time salaries, equipment or materials specific to the project.

Activities must address one or more of the following three priority themes:

1. Explorer - improving people's knowledge, for example:
> A series of Money Management workshops helping people understand how to budget; or
> A Freedom Training course giving abused women knowledge of how to regain control over their lives.

2. Transformer - developing skills and experience, for example:
> Training to help socially isolated people develop skills to get back into work;
> Sign language training for parents with hearing impaired children;
> Teaching young people with autism vocational skills; or
> Volunteering opportunities for disadvantaged young people.

3. Changemaker - innovative solutions to social challenges, for example:
> A new social networking program for visually impaired young people to access the internet; or
> An inclusive cycling social enterprise that adapts bicycles to enable people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors.

One-year grants of up to £5,000 are available. 

There is no requirement for match funding as the Foundation will only fund complete projects rather than part-funding or make a contribution to an appeal.

Funding is not available for:

o Individuals including trips, overseas volunteering, GAP year activity, medical treatment, grants for studying or research;
o Multi-year funding;
o Fundraising activities;
o Unregistered charities, not for profit groups, Community Amateur Sports Clubs, exempt or excepted charities;
o Other funders and grant makers;
o Organisations which restrict their beneficiaries to a single religious or single ethnic group;
o Events, conferences or sponsorship;
o Shortfall funding;
o Party political activity;
o Beneficiaries outside the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man; or
o Start-ups.

Applications may be submitted at any time.

A nomination form can be picked up at a local Santander branch. The completed form should be dropped into the special nomination postbox provided at local branches (this form should NOT be sent to the Foundation).

Applicants that are not near a Santander branch can download a form from the Foundation website. This must be submitted by email not post.

Successful organisations will be notified by e-mail within six weeks of submitting a nomination.

Contact details for the Santander Foundation are:

The Grants Team 
Santander Foundation 
201 Grafton Gate East 
Milton Keynes 
MK9 1AN 
Email: grants@santander.co.uk

(Source: GRIN)