Applying for a grant
Providing grants to strengthen democratic resilience and to tackle political inequality
£2 million per year
funding rounds a year
fast response - up to £10,000
What types of applications do we fund?
Most of our grants will go to small and medium-sized organisations that are campaigning to improve the resilience of our democracy, in line with the strategic priorities we set out below. This will include interventions to achieve short to medium-term policy or legislative goals, as well as work to lay the foundations for deeper system reform addressing power imbalances.
We fund a mix of interventions including research, advocacy and campaigns.
Download JRRT Democracy Priorities: Our Funding Guide 2025 for more information.
JRRT focuses on change at the national level and operates UK wide.
As a non-charitable funder, we prefer to fund organisations that are not charities.
Money in politics
The rich and powerful cannot buy undue influence
Participation and systems reform
Voting is easy, elections inclusive and turnout high
Political rights
Freedom of speech and the right to protest are protected
Disinformation
Democracy is protected from the weaponisation of information
Checks and balances
Democratic systems are safeguarded against abuse and concentration of power
In the last five years, JRRT has awarded grants ranging from a few thousand pounds to around £300k.
Applications for larger grants can be made to our quarterly application rounds. Small grants, of up to £10,000, can be applied for at any time.
To find out if your project meets our eligibility criteria, more information is available here.
JRRT is a Living Wage Funder and we seek to ensure that all posts which are wholly or partially funded by us pay the real Living Wage. More information about our commitment is available here.
Percentage success rate: 2024
In 2024, 69% of all grant applications submitted were successful. This included 89% of small grant applications (up to £10k) and 64% of large grant applications. This does not include outline approaches that did not proceed to full applications.
Average application size: 2024
In 2024, the average JRRT application was £54,000.
Audit of grants to strengthen racial justice
JRRT has committed to an annual audit of grants to track progress on increasing spend that strengthens racial justice. In 2024, JRRT’s audit of grants shows:
Six JRRT grants (15%) to a value of £220,917 (13% by value) were designed to benefit black or ethnic minority communities.
Three grants (7% by number and 9% by value) were to organisations with a majority of board and senior staff from black, Asian or minority ethnic groups.
UK Democracy Fund
The UK Democracy Fund (the Fund) is a pooled Fund set up by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust (JRRT) in 2019 and supported by a group of committed funders. The Fund is independent and non-partisan, and works to build a healthy democracy – one in which everyone can participate and where political power is shared fairly.
Find out more about the aims and priorities of the UK Democracy Fund in our funding framework.
Find out how to apply for a UK Democracy Fund grant here
JRSST Charitable Trust
The JRSST Charitable Trust was created and funded by The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust in 1955.
JRSST-CT is independent of JRRT, and funds activity that supports its charitable purpose to develop understanding of and participation in our democratic system.
