Open Fund Round 3 - who we fund and grants available

Applications open 24 Jul 2025 (deadline for applications 25 Sep 2025 5pm)

We encourage eligible Registered Charities or CICs Limited by Guarantee to apply - 7 new multi-year grants available

SYLA team
Funded partner Spring Community Hub team and guests

Who we fund

  • We fund Black-led UK Registered Charities and CICs Limited by Guarantee that are embedded in their communities, with a strong track record of delivering work in Lambeth or Southwark.
  • We fund organisations with leaders and staff who have lived experience of the challenges experienced by their communities.
  • We fund organisations with strong leadership, a vision for the future and with good governance in place.
  • Our vision is for Black-led organisations in Lambeth and Southwark to have power, agency and funding to drive positive change in their communities.
CEF Lyncx
Service users from CEF Lyncx, funded partner

Grants available 

  • Grants are for up to £30,000 a year for three years, linked to inflation
  • We aim to fund a total of around 7 new charities and CICs Limited by Guarantee in our next round opening on 24 July 2025.  
  • Grants are unrestricted and can be used flexibly by the organisation in a way they choose
  • We open rounds for new applicants every 2-3 years, but continue work with our multi-year partners during this time.

 Are you eligible?

UK Registered Charity or CIC Limited by Guarantee

you are a UK Registered Charity and have submitted at least 3 years of annual returns on time to the Charity Commission, or you are a CIC Limited by Guarantee and have submitted at least 3 years of annual returns on time to Companies House (we don’t fund CICs Limited by Shares)

*if you have been a UK Registered Charity for less than 3 years but converted from a CIC Limited by Guarantee, and the total period is at least 3 years, we will accept your application

Income

your recent* total annual incoming resources are over £25,000 and under £350,000 

* we look at your current financial year as well as the previous two financial years; if your income was above £350,000 or below £25,000 during this time we cannot consider your application.

Black-ledby this we mean organisations that are primarily led by Trustees, directors and staff identifying as Black, African, Caribbean, Black British or Any Other Black, African or Caribbean background (more than half of Trustees or directors, and more than half of staff)
Local

you work predominantly or exclusively with residents from Lambeth and/or Southwark and have a strong track record in the boroughs - by this we mean at least 75% of your work in the current year and the previous two financial years

if your organisation has physical base in Lambeth or Southwark and is registered there, we will prioritise your application; 

we accept applications from organisations that are based remotely or registered outside  the boroughs if they meet our criteria, but will prioritise organisations with a physical base in the boroughs

Embedded in community 

you can show you have a deep understanding of the needs of your community in Lambeth and/or Southwark; you can share this understanding through stories, experiences and telling us about your work and local networks

your leaders and staff have lived experience of the challenges experienced by the communities you work alongside

Strong leadership, making a difference and learning

you have strong leadership, are clear about your purpose and can share how your organisation and its activity is meeting a need in your community 

you can share the difference you see you work making in your communities and what you are learning -  and how you respond to what you see and hear

you can describe your strengths and challenges

Good governance and financial management in place

 

you have good governance and financial management in place including:

  • at least 3 non-related Trustees or Directors on the Board
  • decision-making and operational processes including regular board meetings, forward plans, and policies including conflict-of-interest and safeguarding
  • good financial and budget monitoring procedures including having financial controls, regular finance reports that track and reconcile expenditure against budget (often called management accounts and usually produced at least every 4 months) and annual budgets

See FAQs for why we only fund organisations with good governance and financial management in place. 

Who we don’t fund

We don’t fund individuals or nurseries, schools, colleges, higher education institutions, universities and associated charities (including Parent Teacher Associations), places of worship, organisations engaged in party political activity and one-off events.

How to Apply, our stages and DeadlINES 

Our OPEN FUND Partners