Before Submitting Your Application.
- Before sending your application please read this page carefully - particularly the sections The Foundation’s Main Areas of Funding and What the Foundation Will NOT Support.
- Bear in mind that requests for grants inevitably exceed available funds.
- Applications that are incomplete or that fail to meet our criteria will be rejected
The Foundation’s Main Areas of Funding.
- Nature Conservation: Most of our funds are directed towards nature conservation projects in developing countries.
- Other Focal Areas: We also provide funding to projects on health and medicine, social welfare and overseas development.
- A NOTE ABOUT UK PROJECTS: While most of our funds go to developing countries, we do support some projects in the UK, though these normally have a national rather than regional or local focus.
For more information on the projects the Foundation currently supports, please visit our Funding Programme page.
What the Foundation Will NOT Support.
Please note that we do not generally fund the following:
- Building or construction projects.
- Donations to individuals or projects that directly benefit one individual.
- UK projects with a local or regional focus.
- Loans.
- Endowment Funds.
- Student/Gap Year conservation expeditions.
- General appeals or circulars.
Criteria for Support:
To be considered for support by the Foundation you should fulfil the following criteria.
- All applicants should be UK Registered Charities.
- Projects must fall within the Foundation’s Main Areas of Funding.
Level of Funding Available.
- There are only limited funds currently available due to our existing commitments. Only projects that meet our criteria in full are eligible, so please ensure that this is the case before you apply.
- The minimum grant awarded is £1,000 - there is no set maximum.
- For nature conservation projects, organisations new to the Foundation are unlikely to receive grants in excess of £20,000 to £30,000.
- For social welfare, health and medicine or overseas development projects, grants do not usually exceed £15,000.
What to Include in Your Application.
- A covering letter with contact details.
- A proposal outlining the project for which funding is being sought, including measurable objectives (4 to 6 pages maximum).
- A full budget together with details of funding secured to date, other funding applications being made and the amount being requested from the Foundation.
- A copy of the charity's most recent full audited accounts.
- A copy of the latest annual report (if available).
Failure to include one or more of these items could lead to the application being rejected.
How to Make An Application.
- All applications must be received by post. The Foundation will not accept electronic applications and we are unable to discuss the suitability of an application by telephone.
- There is no deadline for applications - these are accepted throughout the year.
- There is no application form but please read the section above What to Include in Your Application before making a submission.
Please send your application to the following address:
Simon Mickleburgh
Grants Manager
The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation
Babmaes House
2 Babmaes Street
LONDON
SW1Y 6RF
We strive to respond to all applications within 4 weeks of receipt. Please do not telephone us - we will contact you!
Whilst we sympathetically consider all applications which meet with our criteria, with limited funds available it is neither possible to give detailed reasons why applications are not successful nor to enter into any dialogue or correspondence regarding projects which have been refused funding.
In all cases, organisations are only able to make a single application for funding from the Foundation during any one-year period.
The Rufford Small Grants Foundation.
The Rufford Small Grants Foundation is a separate organisation and runs the Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation programme. For details of the criteria of this programme and how to apply please refer to the RSG website. This grants programme has a specific application form and you must refer to their website before considering making an application.