The Santander Foundation is committed to supporting local communities and disadvantaged people, particularly in those areas where Santander has a significant presence.
If you are looking to apply to the Santander Foundation for funding please read the following guidance carefully.
Some of your questions answered.
We aren’t a registered charity – does this matter?
We regret that we can only make donations to registered, excepted or exempt charities. We can fund Industrial & Provident societies only if they are founded under charitable, not membership, rules.
We welcome applications from Credit Unions and they are excepted from the above charitable rule for Industrial & Providents.
What does the Santander Foundation fund?
We can only fund projects that meet one (or more) of the following priorities to help disadvantaged people:
Education and training
This does not have to be formal training or lead to a qualification but could be part of lifelong learning. You would need to demonstrate how disadvantaged people would directly benefit from this training and how it will make a lasting contribution to the local community.
Financial advice to help people manage their money
This priority would include giving advice and helping disadvantaged people to take control of their money. It could include budgeting skills as well as managing the financial challenges that arise from being a carer, unemployment, break up of relationships, disability and ill-health. These are just a few examples - any project helping people to make informed choices about their finances might meet this priority.
All of our funding must directly help disadvantaged people through one or more of our three charitable priorities. We want to make a lasting difference with our donations, so whatever you apply for must be suitable for one-off funding.
What type of costs can I request funding for?
We want to fund tangible items like equipment, workbooks, training materials, guides and other items which can be bought once and reused over several years rather than the things that you need to keep paying for. Here are just a few examples to illustrate what we mean:
We are now able to fund salaries and sessional worker fees, as long as this does not exceed 50% of the value of the donation and it is appropriate for one-off funding. We prefer to fund a complete element of a project and do not make a partial donation to a much larger fundraising appeal.
How much can I apply for?
We prefer to fund projects in those areas of the
However, in those areas where we have a
How do I apply?
We have tried to make applying to Santander Foundation as easy as possible so we do not use an application form. All you need to do is write us a letter on the official headed notepaper of your charity.
You should include a statement that you are authorised to make an application on behalf of your charity. Please don’t forget to get it signed by two people, one of whom should be a Trustee. We regret that we cannot accept on-line applications.
If you require confirmation that we have received your application then please enclose a self addressed envelope or postcard with your application. We like to save paper whenever we can, so please do not send us your annual report and accounts as we can either access these online or will request them if we feel it will help us to make our decision. If you want any of your enclosures returned please enclose a self-addressed envelope.
What do I need to include in my letter?
Where do I send my letter?
Send your letter to:
Santander Foundation
MK 9 1AN
Are there any deadlines?
We operate a rolling programme so there are no deadlines and you can apply at any time of the year.
I’ve read your guidelines and have some questions, who should I contact?
If, after reading our guidelines, there is something that is not clear then please phone our helpline which is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 0870 608 0104. It is not possible to leave a message on this helpline and if we are engaged on a call you will get a recorded message telling you when the helpline is open. You can also e-mail your question to us at communitypartnership@santander.co.uk
What happens if we’re unsuccessful?
Due to the high number of applications we receive we are unable to respond to unsuccessful applications or to offer feedback on the reasons why you haven’t been offered funding. If you have not heard from us within six weeks of your application you should assume that you have been unsuccessful. You are free to reapply at any time for a different piece of work.
Is there anything else you can't fund?
We do not make donations which:
Grant fraud
Santander Foundation takes grant fraud very seriously as this diverts scarce resources and support away from legitimate charitable causes. We appreciate your help in ensuring that all the grants that we make are used for their intended charitable purpose. In those cases where we believe grant fraud has taken place we will request repayment of the grant and will not accept future applications from the charity or individual concerned.
As a necessary part of the application process the Santander Foundation will be collecting data about you, including personal data. We use this information as part of the process of monitoring the use of those grants. From time to time Santander Foundation will share the information with other grant providers and external auditors for the following purposes:
We will not keep your information on file for longer than we need to. In usual circumstances your file will be shredded after seven years.
By sending us an application you give your explicit consent for us to use data relating to you and your organisation for the purposes outlined above.
Santander Foundation. Registered with the Charity Commission for England & Wales Charity No.803655 Registered office:
Registered in