Since the outset, we have been supporting smaller charities that can substantially benefit from our grant funding. We aim to enable transformational change through our charity partnerships, which will have a significant and long term impact within their communities.
Approximately 85% of the money we raise goes to supporting UK charities, with the remaining 15% being allocated to charities overseas, particularly those helping children and young people to escape poverty, malnutrition and neglect.
Our funding themes
Our work stretches across five main themes:
We partner with charities that support children and young people under 25 who are experiencing physical, social, or economic disadvantage. Our mission is to help build a more inclusive and accessible society for young people who face significant barriers in their lives.
Our focus is on supporting charities that deliver services for people with a cancer diagnosis, helping them feel informed, empowered, and supported. This also includes support for their immediate family members.
Our funding enables organisations to deliver mental health services and early interventions that strengthen resilience, address stigma, and improve outcomes for those who are most vulnerable.
We fund community and hospice-based programmes that support people living with a debilitating or life-limiting illness access specialist services, respite, and end-of-life care.
This is a restricted fund generously provided by St James’s Place which will offer funding from 2026 to 2028 specifically for charities delivering financial wellbeing for disadvantaged people and communities.
What we fund
The SJP Foundation funds small and medium sized UK registered charitable organisations with an annual income under £7m. We fund the direct delivery costs of services and support activities across our core themes — for example, salary costs or specific programme expenses. We also offer multi-year funding to charities.
We do not fund charities with reserves that are outside of their own policy, activities primarily the responsibility of statutory agencies, NHS charities, pilot programmes, retrospective funding, research, events, advertising, holidays, sponsorship, or charities that are raising funds on behalf of another charity. Charities must also demonstrate that their project is open access and fully inclusive, regardless of race, faith or religion.
Funding applications are by invitation only. For our programme Guidelines please click here.
How we’re transforming our grant making
Over the past year, we’ve listened closely to our charity partners and reflected on our practices and on how we can ensure our funding is more impactful, equitable and responsive.
The result is a new chapter in our grant making. From January 2026 we will be moving to quarterly calls for applications, with two calls for each of our five main funding themes annually.
Applicant and Grantee Support
If you should need help accessing the online portal or have any questions that are not answered in the guidelines (make this a link to the updated guidelines) please contact our office at [email protected].