Applications to PHF
We operate a two-stage application process. We accept first-stage applications to all of our Open Grants programmes throughout the year. If selected, applicants are invited to make a second-stage application. Successful applications are developed as proposals to quarterly programme committee or board of trustees meetings, for a final decision.
The process takes at least four months, so be sure that your work is not due to start imminently when you apply. We do not support applications for work that has already started by the time it reaches the final approval stage.
Requirements for the first stage of the process
Applications to the Foundation are made via an online form. Upon beginning an application, you will first be asked a series of eligibility questions. We cannot support every application that comes our way so we have set strict criteria for what type of organisation and activity we will fund, in order to best meet our aims.
If you are eligible, you will be asked to provide us with details about your organisation, and some specific questions about the nature of the work you would like us to support.
Alongside details of the proposed activity, we will ask for information on three particular areas that we consider to be important. We are interested in:
- The Impact of your work: How your work will effect change, and how you propose to measure its outcomes
- How Innovative your work is: We want to help organisations find new ways of doing things
- Participation: We believe that the people we are trying to help should have a role in shaping their own destiny by being involved in developing activities that will affect them.
We will ask specific questions on each of these areas during the first stage of your application so it is essential that you consider each of them carefully when planning your application.
We understand that these issues can be confusing and we want to help all applicants to address them. We have published guidance on each of the areas which you can refer to during your application. However, we also require that you fully read all programme information and guidance notes before beginning your application. All relevant information can be found on the pages listed in the left-hand column of this page, and in the individual programmes' pages.
We try to respond to all first-stage applications within 28 days, either with a declination or an invitation to make a second-stage application.
Second stage
Applications that we consider to be sufficiently impactful, innovative and participatory will be invited to make a second-stage application. During this stage, our grants programme teams will work closely with you to shape your application and make it as strong as possible before putting it to the programme committee or board of trustees for a final decision.
We will need you to provide further evidence during this stage of all the areas we ask about during the first stage of the application, as well as going into greater detail about the project budget. We also have processes of due diligence, where we look at your organisation's credentials and the environment you are working in, that we need to carry out. This stage can take several months, and the timings of final decisions will depend on the schedule of our programme committees and board meetings.
Please note: Not all applications that reach the second stage will definitely progress to being considered by the programme committee or board; many will be declined during this stage.