Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity
Applicants are now encouraged to submit applications for the Lush Charity Pot Grant.
Charity Pot is a Lush hand and body cream where 100% of all sales (minus local taxes) are distributed as grants, to groups working in the areas of Animal Protection, Environment and Human Rights (incl. social justice, peace & equality)
Funding Information
- Charity Pot grants range from £100, up to a maximum of £10,000 per project/application. The average Charity Pot grant is between £2,000 – £4,000. It is unusual to award the maximum of £10,000, as this reduces the range of projects that can be supported.
What is funded?
- Charity Pot grants provide targeted funding to small, grassroots groups. Not just because they are often best placed to make a real difference with limited resources; but also, because they often struggle to find funding. Almost all the groups funded by Charity Pot have an annual income of less than £350,000 (most are substantially less) and run entirely or predominantly by volunteers.
- Charity Pot grants prioritise projects that aim to create long-term change – because it’s crucially important to fund projects that aim to prevent and address the root cause of the problem. That’s why, for example, priority would be given to a project that aims to stop deforestation (e.g. by challenging the palm oil industry) over one that aims to plant trees to restore an area that’s already deforested.
- Charity Pot grants will support ‘non-violent direct action’ groups, i.e. those which have no intention of physically harming others or threatening to do so. This includes protests, demonstrations, non-cooperation, non-violent interventions, or, occasionally, facilitating (e.g. communication costs) peaceful civil disobedience; because Lush recognise that these non-violent actions can play an important part in bringing about social change. However, although free speech is a core Charity Pot value; groups or projects that support, incite or promote violence, aggression or oppression towards others would not be funded. Charity Pot grants do not fund or facilitate law-breaking.
- Charity Pot grants also recognise that there is an absolute need for delivering basic life needs and care to those in need (people, animals or the planet). So, projects that provide aid and support, such as animal shelters and refugee support and advice groups, have also been funded. However, those groups providing welfare that reaches beyond basic life needs, such as therapies, community social groups, and counselling, would not be prioritised.
- Charity Pot grants do not fund animal farming projects, culling for conservation, the captivity of wild animals (incl. captive breeding programs), or overseas rehoming of animals. However, Charity Pot grants have funded vegan, vegetarian and animal rights campaigning, anti-vivisection groups, TNR projects, wildlife sanctuaries that home animals no longer able to be released, and animal sanctuaries with a no-destruction policy and where the animals are not ‘used’ (e.g. in animal assisted therapies, being ridden, or as part of a petting zoo etc). They will therefore only fund food costs where these are vegetarian/vegan.
- Environmental responsibility is central to Lush, so Charity Pot grants only fund printed materials where recycled resources are used unless there is a justifiable reason that prevents it (e.g. availability in certain countries is limited). Similarly, flights aren’t funded, however, alternative travel costs would be considered. Charity Pot grants do not support market-based solutions to climate change, such as carbon trading, carbon offsetting, clean development mechanism or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). Similarly, Charity Pot funding is not offered for social enterprises, growing projects or reforesting, however, projects working in this area might like to explore the Lush Spring Prize as an alternative.
- Significant asset purchases (e.g. land) would generally not be considered, and applications for legal challenges, are only very occasionally successful. If applying for a legal challenge you will be required to demonstrate the national importance of the case and provide evidence of a favourable barrister’s opinion.
- It is rare for film projects, theatrical productions or arts-based projects to be funded. This is because they favour campaigning. If you wish to apply for an arts-based project, it must be campaigning-focussed and demonstrate it will actively engage the audience’s participation in campaigns within the sectors they fund. If successful, this would be a donation, and not an investment, and the production would need to be not-for-profit.
- Similarly, events and parades would only be considered where there is a clear campaigning goal, and, as Charity Pot grants are prioritised to projects in most need of funding, large attendance events, which have a greater audience and funding opportunity, would be less of a priority.
- Funding is also not available for student expeditions, schools, councils, volunteer-tourism projects, academic studies, sponsored activities (e.g. walks, runs, challenges etc), fundraising initiatives, or event sponsorship.
- Charity Pot grants are generally directed towards campaigning project costs; however, core costs are occasionally considered where a detailed budget and explanation is provided. However, salary costs would not be funded as Charity Pot funds are targeted to support underfunded voluntary groups and could not sustain the large-scale costs of campaigning salaries, and it would not be fair to fund some and not others.
Eligibility Criteria
- Charity Pot grants are looking for organisations that take on issues that others don’t, those that push the boundaries and challenge the mainstream opinion.
- To apply, your group should have annual incomes of less than £350,000 and be run entirely or predominantly by volunteers. You don’t have to be UK based, but, in the case of overseas projects, these should be run by local people and with their direction.
- Charity Pot grants do not fund individuals, only organisations and groups. Your group does not need to be a registered charity, Charity Pot grants support all kinds of groups, including new organisations and start-ups. However, your group should be not-for-profit. Applications from non-secular, religious or military organisations are not accepted.
- Charity Pot grants prioritises those projects/organisations that best match the Lush values and ethics. This means applications are NOT accepted from organisations that:
- Deny the human rights of others
- Are involved in cruelty/subjugation of animals (incl. farming, testing or research)
- Coerces or forces others to change their beliefs or proselytizes
- Harbour racism or prejudice
- Prevents or impedes the free-speech of others
- Judge others on anything other than their actions
- Have not made every effort to be environmentally responsible
- Promote/support violence, aggression or oppression towards others (they will only support direct action groups if they are non-violent)
- Charity Pot grants try to direct funding towards causes that are often overlooked by other funders. This means less popular issues, which are more difficult to raise funds for, are likely to be prioritised over an organisation that has, for example, many supporters, corporate sponsors, or has sufficient profile to be able to secure mainstream funding such as government grants. Typical popular causes tend to be health charities (medical research, hospices etc.), social welfare, religious causes, children/ young people and military-related causes, so that normally make these less of a priority for a Charity Pot grant.
For more information, visit Lush Charity Pot Grant.
