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Charles Hayward Foundation: Overseas

Open (with deadline for applications) International issues Overseas aid and development World issues Great Britain International Northern Ireland Medium (up to £60,000)

Overview

They fund projects that improve the livelihoods of disadvantaged communities in Commonwealth countries of Africa.

Who can apply

UK registered charities that have an annual income of between £150,000 and £4,000,000.

They fund projects being delivered in the Commonwealth countries of Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia.

They have strict criteria for awarding grants. Use their eligibility checker to see if your charity complies with their guidelines: Eligibility quiz

What they fund

They only fund projects in the following sub-categories:

  • Clean water and sanitation.
  • Development of sustainable livelihoods in the context of environmental and wildlife conservation.
  • Self-sustainability through training in farming skills and other income generation activities.

Project funding priorities

The trustees look for projects which:

  • Adopt a holistic approach throughout all project stages and have a well-defined ‘exit strategy’.
  • Are delivered at the grass-roots level through an established and proven delivery partner who is fully engaged with the local community.
  • Clearly demonstrate local communities’ involvement, and that necessary training and education is in place to sustain the project beyond the delivery partner’s departure.

The applicant must also be able to demonstrate that robust governance and monitoring procedures are in place.

Funding Level & Notes

The trustees will fund projects with a one year grant of up to £15,000.

Charles Hayward Foundation is committed to transparency, and they publish details of grants made to the 360Giving data standard. 

To see details of grants made by the Foundation since 2020, click here, or you can download the individual spreadsheets for each year listed here.

Key dates

Application deadline 31/01/2025
Application deadline 23/05/2025
Application deadline 19/09/2025