Eligibility
Please see below our eligibility criteria for organisations wishing to apply. An organisation must be a charity or a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission. We will review entries on the Charity Commission Register to determine whether an organisation is local or national. Any organisation listed as operating throughout England and Wales will be treated as a national charity, even if its main area of activity is London.
To avoid disappointment, we advise you to check your entry on the Charity Commission website before making an application.
Who can apply
Who is eligible
- Registered local charities and charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs) based in the London Borough of Westminster or neighbouring boroughs that deliver services directly to beneficiaries in Westminster.
Who is not eligible
- National charities that operate throughout England and Wales (even if the main area of operation is London)
- Organisations that make grants to others
- Organisations whose primary objective is commercial, even if they have charitable status (e.g. theatres, art galleries and museums aimed at the paying public)
- Institutions of higher education
What we fund
Funding is available for the following areas:
- Addiction
- Children and youth
- Community
- Elderly
- Health and disability
- Homelessness
Grants are available for:
- Specific capital costs
- Revenue funding (including core costs)
- Specific project/service costs
The main criterion is that the project or service must aim to benefit a significant number of Westminster residents in need.
New applicants will be visited to verify the organisation and proposed project.
Monitoring reports are required following project completion.
Grants are awarded as a one-off, on a yearly basis only. WAC does not award rolling grants. Applications may be made once every 12 months.
Application Process
The Charity cannot respond to general letters of appeal; you must submit a direct application using the online form below. All new applicants must register on the grants portal before starting an application. In addition, new applicants will need to meet with us before their application can be submitted to the trustees.
If your application is successful, you will be required to send us a monitoring report once the project has been completed. A monitoring report must be submitted before making any further application. You are welcome to attach it in the application form below. If no monitoring report has been received prior to reapplying, or attached to the form, we regret that we cannot accept your application.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
Please read the following before you access the application form:
Completing Your Application
All applicants are asked to take time to review applications carefully before submission.
Our trustees rely on the information provided within the application form when making funding decisions. Applications that are incomplete, contain material errors, inaccurate financial information, unexplained discrepancies or insufficient detail make it difficult for trustees to assess a proposal fairly.
Whilst we may occasionally seek clarification on specific points, we are unable to extensively revise, rewrite or reconstruct applications after they have been submitted.
Applicants are expected to ensure that:
- All questions have been answered fully;
- Project budgets are complete and accurate;
- Organisational finances are accurate and reconcile correctly;
- Supporting information is relevant to the project being proposed;
- The application provides sufficient evidence of need, anticipated outcomes and project delivery.
Applications that do not contain adequate information for assessment, or that contain significant inaccuracies, will not be considered for funding.
If you have any queries relating to applications, please email wac@3chars.org.uk.
Grant process
The Charity holds four meetings a year (typically in March, June, September and November) and grants range from £500 to £10,000. All grants are made at Trustees' discretion.
Application deadline dates for 2026 are below:
13 February for March meeting (closed)
15 May for June meeting (closed)
21 August for September meeting (closed)
23 October for November meeting (cut-off date for starting an application is 5pm on 19 October)
You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email following the meeting.
Click here to see list of organisations that were awarded a grant in 2025.
Questions
If you have any doubts about your eligibility or questions regarding your application please contact the Operations and Grants Manager.
Other sources of help
If you fail to meet this Charity's eligibility criteria, please click the links below for information on organisations that may be able to help you.