Applying for a grant
Providing grants for UK political campaigns
and lobbying with national impact
£2 million per year
funding rounds a year
fast response - up to £10,000
What types of applications do we fund?
If power can be challenged and held accountable, if the political system is open and responsive, collaborative and in touch, if we can fix our democracy – then the social and economic problems we face will be easier to work through together.
JRRT welcomes applicants that match these aspirations and we particularly welcome applications for work on:
Electoral reform
Ensuring that citizens’ votes count, that turnout is high and elections are fair.
Open and responsive democracy
In which executive power is checked by an effective parliament, and power is devolved to the nations, regions and communities.
Democratic culture
Democratic culture is thriving, with respect for diversity, collaboration and informed public debate, encouraging participation.
In the last five years, JRRT has awarded grants ranging from a few thousand pounds to nearly half a million pounds. 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.
The majority of JRRT’s grants are for work on democratic and political reform, but funds are also available to respond quickly to significant new political developments.
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, 72% of all grant applications made to JRRT and the UK Democracy Fund (combined) were successful.
This included 92% of all small grant applications and 66% of large grant applications, as considered by our full Board of Directors at a quarterly meeting.
For all applications to JRRT (both large and small grants), the percentage success rate was 69%. For small grant applications to JRRT, the success rate was 89% and for large grant applications, 64%.
The success rate for all applications to the UK Democracy Fund was higher, at 85%. For small grant applications to the Fund, the success rate was 100% and for large grant applications, 78%.
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:
All grants:
14 grants (25% of grants awarded) to a value of £352,805 (16% of grant expenditure) were designed to benefit black or ethnic minority communities.
Ten grants (18%) to a value of £400,772 (18%) were to organisations with a majority of board and senior staff from black, Asian or minority ethnic groups.
JRRT only:
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 only:
Eight of the 15 UK Democracy Fund grants (53%) with a value of £131,888 (29%) were designed to benefit black, Asian or ethnic minorities.
47% of grants awarded were to organisations that are black, Asian or minority ethnic led organisations (2023: 50%); with the value of the grants to these groups totalling 54% of grant spend.
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-CT
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.
