About this fund

In response to the current cost of living crisis, the Volant Charitable Trust is for the foreseeable future prioritising the focus of its awards on charities and organisations who are particularly addressing poverty and deprivation, helping to support vulnerable groups who are most affected, with an emphasis on women, children and young people.

Purpose of this fund

Your project must meet at least one of the specific themes below and ensure you read the corresponding list after each theme as this explains what will be considered for support (again, you must meet at least one).

Please note when applying under theme 2 ‘Women’: In view of the 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling, the fund will only consider applications for projects and services that provide single-sex spaces for women, in compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Top tip: it does not strengthen your application to meet as many of the themes and corresponding listed areas of support as possible.  Therefore, remain focused and don’t risk diluting your request by appearing to spread yourself across multiple causes.

Project themes of interest, in order of priority, include:

1. Poverty and deprivation (with an emphasis on women, children and young people):
•    Support for vulnerable families facing extreme poverty
•    Food provision and promotion of healthy eating in areas of extreme deprivation
•    Mental health projects for vulnerable groups living in poverty.

2. Women:
•    Support for isolated and lone mothers
•    Community integration support for black and minority ethnic women and children and asylum seekers
•    Support services for women prisoners and their families
•    Support for victims of sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence, and those working in the sex industry
•    Provision of antenatal and postnatal care for young mothers or those affected by postnatal depression.

3. Children and Young people:
•    Counselling for vulnerable children
•    Support services and outreach projects for those who are disadvantaged or deemed to be ‘at risk’ through neglect, emotional and physical abuse, alcohol, or drug misuse.

Additional criteria

You can apply for up to £5,000 for one year maximum.

You can apply for core and project costs.

There is an income cap of £350,000 as reflected in your most recent annual accounts.

If you are a current recipient of a Volant grant from the large, multi-year, programme then you are not eligible to apply to this programme.

You cannot apply to both the small and large Volant grants programme at the same time.

If you have been previously rejected from the Volant large multi-year programme there is no time limit to re-apply provided your feedback does not prevent you due to being ineligible (and please note the difference in the amount you can request and the different income caps between the two programmes).

Please note when applying under the ‘Women’ theme: In view of the 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling, the fund will only consider applications for projects and services that provide single-sex spaces for women, in compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Who can apply?

All applicants must fit Foundation Scotland’s funding criteria. Before progressing with your application please visit our Common eligibility criteria

What can’t be funded?

Requests for capital projects (i.e. building/ground works, renovations/refurbs, purchasing large capital items/equipment).

Organisations with an annual income in the most recent annual accounts exceeding £350,000.

At Foundation Scotland we have some standard exclusions that apply to all funds. Before progressing with your application please visit What can’t be funded.

How are decisions made?

Volant Charitable Trust Trustees make the final decisions on applications presented to them twice a year in April and October.

£120,000 is available for distribution through this programme.

For more information on our decision making processes, please visit how funding decisions are made.