Deadline: 01-Sep-2026
The Kelly Family Charitable Trust provides grants to UK charities that support families facing social, emotional, and economic challenges. The trust typically awards grants of up to £5,000 for core costs, project activities, and capacity building, with a particular focus on family support, early intervention, mediation, prison services, and services addressing abuse, addiction, and family breakdown.
About the Kelly Family Charitable Trust
The Kelly Family Charitable Trust is a UK grant-making foundation that supports charitable organisations working to strengthen families, improve relationships, and assist vulnerable family members.
The trust funds initiatives that involve multiple members of a family unit and address issues affecting individuals and families. It places particular emphasis on preventing family breakdown and promoting long-term family stability through practical support services.
The trust supports both established and emerging charities and recognises the importance of early intervention in addressing family-related challenges.
Program Objectives
The trust aims to:
- Strengthen family relationships and family resilience.
- Prevent family breakdown and social isolation.
- Support vulnerable individuals within family environments.
- Improve access to family support services.
- Promote early intervention and preventative approaches.
- Help families affected by abuse, violence, addiction, and imprisonment.
- Build the capacity of smaller and developing charities.
- Support innovative and community-based family support initiatives.
Priority Funding Areas
Funding is available for charities working in areas such as:
- Family support services.
- Early intervention programs.
- Family mediation services.
- Relationship counselling.
- Prison services and rehabilitation support.
- Support for prisoners and their families.
- Domestic violence prevention and support.
- Protection of families affected by sexual abuse.
- Support for families affected by physical abuse.
- Alcohol misuse support services.
- Drug abuse prevention and recovery support.
- Family welfare and wellbeing initiatives.
- Prevention of family breakdown.
Types of Funding Available
The trust supports:
- Core operational costs.
- Project-based funding.
- Capacity-building activities.
- Revenue funding.
- Capital funding where appropriate.
- Organisational development support for emerging charities.
Funding is flexible and may be used to strengthen both service delivery and organisational sustainability.
Grant Amount
- Typical grants are up to £5,000.
- Higher grant amounts may be considered at the discretion of the trustees.
- Funding requests are assessed based on organisational need, project impact, and alignment with trust priorities.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants must:
- Be a registered charity or charitable organisation.
- Operate within the United Kingdom.
- Deliver activities that directly support families.
- Involve multiple family members in their services or interventions.
- Demonstrate charitable objectives aligned with the trust’s priorities.
The trust primarily supports:
- Charities with an annual income below £500,000.
- Small and medium-sized family support organisations.
- Emerging charities seeking to establish and expand services.
Larger organisations may be considered if they are implementing innovative or pioneering pilot projects.
Eligible Activities
Examples of activities that may receive funding include:
- Family counselling programs.
- Parenting support services.
- Family mediation initiatives.
- Early intervention projects.
- Prison family support programs.
- Domestic abuse support services.
- Addiction recovery programs involving families.
- Community-based family wellbeing projects.
- Services that strengthen family relationships and communication.
- Capacity-building and organisational development initiatives.
How the Funding Process Works
- Confirm that the organisation operates within the United Kingdom.
- Ensure activities align with the trust’s family-focused priorities.
- Prepare a funding proposal outlining the project or organisational need.
- Develop a clear budget and expected outcomes.
- Submit an application to the Kelly Family Charitable Trust.
- Applications are reviewed by trustees.
- Shortlisted organisations may be contacted by the grants administrator or a trustee for additional information.
- Funding decisions are made following the assessment process.
- Successful organisations receive grant support and may be monitored throughout the funding period.
Selection Criteria
Applications are typically assessed based on:
- Alignment with the trust’s family support mission.
- Evidence of community need.
- Potential impact on families and vulnerable individuals.
- Organisational capacity and effectiveness.
- Financial sustainability.
- Innovation and quality of service delivery.
- Ability to prevent or address family-related challenges.
Why This Funding Matters
Strong family relationships contribute to healthier communities, improved wellbeing, and better outcomes for children and vulnerable individuals.
The Kelly Family Charitable Trust supports organisations that:
- Address the root causes of family difficulties.
- Provide practical and emotional support.
- Strengthen family resilience.
- Reduce the impact of abuse, addiction, and social exclusion.
- Support rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners and their families.
- Create long-term positive change within communities.
Tips for a Strong Application
- Clearly explain how the project benefits families.
- Demonstrate measurable outcomes and community impact.
- Show evidence of need within the target population.
- Provide a realistic budget and funding request.
- Explain how services involve and support multiple family members.
- Highlight organisational experience and effectiveness.
- Describe how funding will strengthen long-term outcomes.
Common Application Mistakes
- Focusing solely on individual beneficiaries without family involvement.
- Submitting vague project descriptions.
- Providing insufficient evidence of impact.
- Requesting funding for activities outside the trust’s priorities.
- Failing to explain how family relationships will be strengthened.
- Presenting unrealistic budgets or timelines.
- Omitting information about organisational capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Kelly Family Charitable Trust?
The Kelly Family Charitable Trust is a UK grant-making charity that funds organisations working to strengthen families, prevent family breakdown, and support vulnerable family members.
How much funding can organisations receive?
The trust generally awards grants of up to £5,000, although larger grants may be considered in exceptional cases.
Who can apply?
Charitable organisations operating within the United Kingdom that provide family-focused services and support are eligible to apply.
Does the trust fund core costs?
Yes. The trust supports both core operational costs and project-based activities.
Are new charities eligible?
Yes. The trust encourages applications from newer and developing charities to help them become established and expand their impact.
What types of family issues are supported?
The trust supports work related to family support, mediation, relationship counselling, domestic violence, abuse prevention, prison services, addiction recovery, and family wellbeing.
Can larger charities apply?
Yes. Larger organisations may be considered if they are delivering innovative or pioneering pilot projects aligned with the trust’s objectives.
Conclusion
The Kelly Family Charitable Trust provides valuable funding for UK charities working to strengthen families, prevent family breakdown, and support vulnerable individuals. Through flexible grants for core costs, projects, and organisational development, the trust helps charities deliver meaningful services that improve family wellbeing and create lasting social impact across communities.
For more information, visit Kelly Family Charitable Trust.