The Army Benevolent Fund offers grants to registered charities, CICs, housing associations and community organisations that support the Army family (serving soldiers, veterans, their dependants). They don’t fund government bodies or councils.
New applicants (not funded in past 24 months) must email in advance with a project outline, outcomes, costs and sustainability plan before submitting a full application.
They typically do not fund:
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organisations that don’t support the Army community
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applications made within 12 months of any previous application (successful or not)
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specific named posts or full salaries (though they may consider core operating costs)
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full project cost recovery (they expect the applicant to contribute or leverage other funding)
- Unlikely to fund over £15k for first time applicants
When assessing applications, the Grants Committee looks at:
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strong governance, risk management and financial stability
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evidence of need and reach (how many from the Army community the project will support)
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clear demonstration of funds already secured and how shortfalls will be met
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proportionate administrative costs (they expect admin overheads to be reasonable relative to project costs)
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how the AF Fund’s grant will be publicly recognised and used for communications / storytelling
Checklist to submit with your application includes:
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latest annual report & audited accounts
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supporting documents (e.g. architectural plans, case studies)
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completed application form
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all necessary attachments and declarations
Full guidelines & application info:
https://armybenevolentfund.org/need-our-help/charity-grants/grant-application-guidelines/