Apply for Funding

The trustees welcome applications for the funding of individuals or for projects. The trust focuses on the UK, supporting projects outside the UK only where there is a clear UK connection. Also, the trust prioritises churches over parachurch organisations.

The trust gives grants up to £10,000, but rarely provides all the funding for any individual or project and - because of the nature of the trust’s income - it cannot guarantee funding for more than one year. Where appropriate, the trustees may express an intention - without commitment - to grant funding for more than one year, up to a maximum of four years.

Trustees usually meet four times a year and, God willing, will next meet in March. The deadline for applications, including references, to be considered at that meeting is Tuesday 28 February.

Funding for individuals
Your application should include:

• What you are applying for funding for
• Christian background
• Age, education, Christian ministry and other work (eg, non-Church paid employment)
• Hopes, ambitions and plans
• An annual budget - accounting for any spouse, children or other dependents - showing:
  - how much money you need
  - what funds you already have and from where
  - how much you are applying to the trust for and/or your shortfall
  - how you intend to raise the remaining funds
• Two references, sent direct by referees to the trustees. Do not send referees' contact details to the trust. Please direct your referees to our briefing notes.*

If you are applying for funding for theological or ministry training, please refer to our specific briefing notes.

Send your application to:

Email:	info@gospelpartnerstrust.org The trust prefers to receive correspondence electronically.
Post:	The Trust Administrator Gospel Partners Trust PO Box 46191 London EC3A 6WA

Funding for projects
Please provide as much information about your project as possible. The trustees are particularly interested in:

• The rationale for your plans
• Information about the key individuals involved
• How you hope the work will develop and at what stage (if any) you hope it to become self-financing
• Budgets for the next three years and money raised so far. Where the application is from a church, the trustees require a copy of the latest church accounts.

The trustees will also require two references for the main individuals involved in the project. Ideally these should be from people who know both the proposed project and the key individuals involved. Please direct your referees to our briefing notes. References should be sent by the referee direct to the trustees.*

Please send applications to:

Email:	info@gospelpartnerstrust.org The trust prefers to receive correspondence electronically.
Post:	The Trust Administrator Gospel Partners Trust PO Box 46191 London EC3A 6WA

Briefing notes for referees
Please send the reference direct to the trustees at the address below, stating in what capacity you know the applicant (eg their minister, small group leader, etc) and for how long you have known them. The trustees will treat this reference confidentially.*

The trustees are looking for a frank reference and would like you to include the following:

• Your opinion of the individual’s ability and personal suitability for the planned venture and how you have formed that opinion.
• Concerns or reservations about the individual and/or the planned venture
• Whether you would be prepared to back them with your own money

Please send your reference to:

Email:	info@gospelpartnerstrust.org The trust prefers to receive correspondence electronically.
Post:	The Trust Administrator Gospel Partners Trust PO Box 46191 London EC3A 6WA

Briefing notes for individuals applying for funding for theological or ministry training

Trustees prefer to receive applications which demonstrate that applicants have mostly exhausted their available avenues of support (eg family, friends, churches, individuals among whom they have been involved in ministry, other trusts, personal savings, etc).

The trustees believe that it is not right for applicants to be budgeting to give away substantial monies themselves - they feel that applicants are already in effect giving all of themselves as they study to prepare for a life-time of service.  Trustees are also aware of their obligation to ensure that funds are given to individuals/projects whose requests for funding meet the objects of the trust and who genuinely need financial support.

Trustees normally expect current and prospective theological students applying for funding to provide a reference from a church minister to whom they consider themselves spiritually accountable. For their second reference, current students should provide an academic reference, and prospective students a reference from a mature Christian who knows them and their ministry well. Applicants are discouraged from providing references from a fellow student at a theological college.

* Under the Data Protection Act, applicants can apply for copies of references provided about them.