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Enabling change
Supporting leadership, social action and applied research projects.
Making a difference together
Since the Charles Plater Trust awarded its first grants in 2008, we have funded over 70 diverse projects, each contributing to our overall aim of advancing social justice through education. For information about what we have previously funded, see our past recipients.
Our three funding priorities
Leadership for laypeople
Projects that deepen the awareness of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought to better equip people to take on leadership roles in tackling poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns.
We funded the Saint Vincent de Paul Society’s leadership project which enabled them to develop an understanding of social justice and Catholic Social Teaching among volunteer holiday camp leaders and how this applies to their work on camp with young people. The Charles Plater Trust funded pilot became a catalyst for wider change and greater involvement from the national SVP office in the camp programme. Subsequently, a national camp co-ordinator was employed and there is much-improved communication with the camps. A handbook developed through this project is still given out to all new camp leaders.
Social Action
Projects that deliver tangible outcomes to tackle poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns for marginalised people and communities.
We funded St Wilfred’s Personal Development Skills project which allowed the organisation to employ their first Development Skills coordinator and to pilot new courses. Having this new staff member allowed other staff to focus on fundraising for their capital development project. They since have built a 20-bed apartment block for homeless people, where a condition of tenancy is that residents sign up to the skills and personal development programme overseen by the Development Skills coordinator.
Applied Research
Projects that develop and apply Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought, in partnership with those who are delivering social action work, to ultimately improve public policy and practice.
We funded the think tank Theos to produce a study about Catholic Social Thought and Catholic Charities. One of the ambitions of the project was to take ‘difficult and ecclesiastical language’ and make it more accessible. The report secured considerable media coverage and brought CST to much broader faith and even secular audiences.
Who is eligible for support?
Our exclusions are:
- We cannot fund charities with an annual income above £10 million. The only exception to this if for Universities and HE Institutions, who irrespective of their size and annual income, can apply for both small or large grants from CPT, on condition that they must be partnering with a micro, small, medium or large charity in their project proposal to us to be eligible for our funding in a joint bid of this nature.
- Projects that are outside our three priority themes – leadership for laypeople; social action and/or applied research.
- Work that is not legally charitable.
- Work that does not have a direct benefit in England or Wales or where the applicant organization is not based in England or Wales.
- Proposals that do not provide all the supporting information required including a supporting reference from an external referee.
- Grants to individuals. Please note that the Trust will consider applications to fund an individual’s postgraduate scholarship on a relevant topic, providing that the applying academic organisation ensures that it holds an open competition to select a candidate to undertake the grant-funded research.
- Organisations without at least three non-executive trustees or directors.
- Grants for over £60,000 in total.
- Grants for any capital costs. CPT will only fund revenue project costs, not capital costs. Revenue costs are the costs of making projects happen. They occur during the project, for that project. Capital costs are for items which last beyond the project, and these cannot be funded by CPT and so should not be included in project budgets.
- Grants for any core costs. Core costs are the running costs of your organisation. This is the money you need to make the work happen. These are also called overheads, running costs or operating costs. Unfortunately, due to the demand on CPT’s limited resources we now do not cover core costs or overheads in project grants, so please do not include these in your project budget to us.
- We will only fund one successful proposal at a time from any one applicant.
- The Trust will consider applications from organisations seeking to use a Plater Trust grant as match funding as part of a larger project, but only if it contributes to the effective delivery of The Charles Plater Trust mission.
- Applications from a consortium of organisations will be given consideration if the project has a clearly listed chief contact from the lead organisation and fulfils all other eligibility criteria.
Apply online
We currently operate a biannual grant-making process, accepting large grant applications in Spring, and small grant applications in the Autumn, of each year. Information about our 2023 large grant round can be found below:
The next CPT large grants round will open on 16th January 2025.
The online application form for proposals will be live until 27th February 2025 and will close for applications at 5pm that day.
All grant applicants will know the outcome of their application by 9th June 2025.
Those who secure funding from us will be asked to attend the awards ceremony on 24th June 2025 in Cardiff. Please put that date in your diary now.
Best of luck with your applications to us.
Dates for the 2023 small grants round will be available on our website by 1st September 2023.
How to Apply
Find out more about our application process.
Who is eligible for support?
Read the guidance
Read our guidance to decide whether your work could contribute to The Charles Plater Trust goals.