FAQs

We are an independent charity with an expendable endowment. We were established by Lord (Jacob) Rothschild to maintain and promote Waddesdon Manor and to further the Rothschild family’s charitable aims. You can find out more in the ‘Who We Are’ section of our website.

A number of charities have been established by various members of the Rothschild family. Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe and Yad Hanadiv are separate charities to us, with their own dedicated administrations. More information on each can be found at: http://rothschildfoundation.eu/ and http://www.yadhanadiv.org.il/

Our assets are derived from a number of charitable trusts inherited or created by Lord Rothschild, which were merged in 2010 to form The Rothschild Foundation. Our assets are a mixture of investments and fixed assets such as property and art. Lord Rothschild has gifted further assets in the form of land and art to the Foundation over recent years.

Our primary aim is to support and develop Waddesdon Manor for the benefit of the general public. Beyond this, we seek to support activity within arts and heritage, the environment and general social welfare. We have a focus on communities in Buckinghamshire where the Foundation is based and fund further afield when the activity particularly aligns with our areas of interest.

Details of grants awarded may be found in our Annual Review. We also openly publish grants data on our website and on 360 Giving.

We occasionally make grants to charities based outside the UK, but we are not open to unsolicited applications from such charities.

The Foundation makes grants for the benefit of the county of Buckinghamshire. We focus on Buckinghamshire because of the Rothschild family's historic links with the county and as Waddesdon Manor sits within Buckinghamshire. Please note that we focus on Buckinghamshire as defined by the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire Council which excludes Milton Keynes.
Our other grants programme awarding grants in arts and heritage and the environment, fund projects in London and across the UK. Our grants programme awarding grants in London and across the UK is not open to unsolicited applications.

Our Grants are for charities or not for profit organisations. We do not fund the following:

In all Grants Programmes:

• For-profit organisations and businesses. Community Interest Companies may apply, but only those limited by guarantee.
• Projects with budgets detailing more than 50% capital costs, including restoration or refurbishment of buildings.
• Projects with budgets detailing more than 50% costs for procurement of equipment, including IT equipment.
• Reimbursement for work that has already been delivered.
• Proposals that are only for the benefit of one individual including academic research, scholarships, bursaries, or any kind of student fees.
• Proselytizing organisations and the promotion of religion.
• Organisations that engage in, publicly support or align with extreme or partisan political or religious views of any kind.
• Organisations with less than three Directors or Trustees.
• Overseas travel, expeditions, adventure and residential courses, and respite breaks.
• Repayment of loans or debt.
• Statutory bodies including schools, prisons and hospitals.
• Organisations providing medical care or medical equipment.
• Animal welfare charities and campaigns.
• Uniformed groups are not funded unless they can demonstrate they operate in areas of economic deprivation or provide benefit to the wider community

In Buckinghamshire Programmes, such as Community and Strategic Funds:

• Organisations lacking a knowledge of Buckinghamshire communities or a demonstrable track-record of working with them.
• Projects that benefit people living outside the county of Buckinghamshire.
• Statutory bodies including schools, prisons and hospitals. Buckinghamshire Town and Parish Councils or Community Boards may be considered as part of wider strategic initiatives on a case by case basis.
• Schools should consider applying to the Schools Access Fund. In some exceptional circumstances we will accept applications from schools for non-statutory provision and projects.

A pre-application conversation is recommended to confirm your organisation’s eligibility and can be arranged by emailing [email protected]

We fund not-for-profit organisations which deliver activity that is legally charitable and for public benefit. Applicants should provide a governing document or constitution for their organisation. Organisations which are formally constituted but not listed with a regulator, such as the Charity Commission or Companies House, can apply for smaller one year grants. Organisations registered with a regulating body can apply for grants for up to three years. Funded organisations must hold a bank account in their own name.

We primarily focus on not-for-profit registered charities or organisations with charitable status. Community Interest Companies which are limited by guarantee may apply following a confirmation from a Grants Manager – [email protected]

We do not make grants directly to individuals.

The Trustees of the Rothschild Foundation make or ratify all decisions on funding.

We generally only support charities that have been operating for at least 12 months and are able to provide audited accounts for that period.

Please read all the information in the 'How We Fund’ section of our website to confirm if your organisation and project is eligible. Applications can be made to our Community Fund and Strategic Fund on an ongoing basis. There is no deadline for applications. Having read the guidance for applicants for the relevant Fund, please create an account for our grants application portal and submit your application in the online form. If you have any questions about your application please send an email to [email protected]

Our Community Fund aims to respond to the needs of Buckinghamshire communities and supports not-for-profit organisations addressing disadvantage and inequality. The Strategic Fund aims to support the Foundation’s core priorities of culture and sustainable food systems.

Organisations which are formally constituted but not listed with a regulator, such as the Charity Commission or Companies House, can apply for smaller one year grants. Organisations registered with a regulating body can apply for grants for up to three years. The Community Fund offers a maximum grant of £10,000 per year for 3 years. Grants of up to £100,000 per year for 3 years are available through the Strategic Fund.

We fund specific projects and core costs. We can’t replace lost income or reimburse activity which has already taken place. We also make capital grants but prefer to not be the only funder.

Discussing projects with potential partners is a key part of how we identify new projects to fund. Please arrange a pre-application online or in-person meeting by emailing [email protected]

Organisations can apply for funding at any time, but applications will only be considered at set points during the year. Applications of under £30,000 will hear the outcome of funding decisions within six weeks of the quarterly application deadline. Applications must be received before midnight on the application deadline to be included in that round of funding decisions. The application deadlines for grants under £30,000 are the same each year:

27th January
18th April
27th August
18th November

Applications over £30,000 will be discussed at Trustees meetings in July and November each year and announced afterwards. Applications for each Trustee Meeting will need to be received by the Grants Team approximately 4 months prior to the Trustee Meeting.

We welcome applications from organisations which can demonstrate understanding of the wider context in which their service operates. We encourage organisations to work closely with each other and develop a coordinated approach to supporting local communities. If you wish to apply as a consortia please contact us at [email protected] to discuss before making an application.

We are not able to comment on draft applications. For larger financial requests we welcome discussion with applicants prior to submitting an application. If there are any areas that need clarification upon receipt of an application, we will raise these with you by phone or email. We also provide feedback on unsuccessful applications whenever possible.

The first instalment of a successful award will usually be paid within one month of the Foundation receiving the signed grant agreement back.

You can only hold and apply for one grant at a time. In exceptional circumstances we may consider an additional application but you will need to discuss this with one of our team before applying.

When a grant is confirmed we will issue a ‘grant agreement’ detailing its terms, which is signed by both the funded organisation and the Rothschild Foundation. The agreement will say how often progress and expenditure reports are required, usually every 12 months after the grant is paid. Instalments of multi-year grants may be dependent on reporting.

If you wish to publically acknowledge the support of the Rothschild Foundation our logo can be downloaded from our website once you have been awarded a grant. We ask to approve all use of our logo prior to publication. The Rothschild Foundation will also connect with and share information about grant holders on the news section of our website and on social media platforms.

Please contact us to discuss any significant changes by emailing [email protected]. Please let us know if you experience delays in starting the project, if key members of staff leave your organisation or you foresee an over or underspend. We will generally be flexible where possible, and the withdrawal of grants is very rare.

The Charity of the Year is an internal programme for all staff and volunteers at Waddesdon to support a local charity benefiting the communities around the Manor and Estate. Charities can only be nominated by current employees and volunteers, and are then short-listed for a vote to select a preferred Charity of the Year. The chosen charity will benefit through events at Waddesdon to highlight the charity’s work and will also receive a grant from the Rothschild Foundation.

If you already hold a grant from the Rothschild Foundation it is possible to be nominated to become the Charity of the Year. Once selected, the Charity of the Year may also apply for a grant from the Community or Strategic Fund.