Guidelines for Grant Applications

FCM makes a number of awards each year to Cathedrals and other appropriate places of worship. These notes have been written to assist those who make applications

1. FCM accepts applications for Capital funding.  It does not normally accept applications for revenue funding. The vast majority of awards made in recent years have been for endowments towards choristerships, layclerkships, chorister hardship or music lesson funds. Although a small number of items of equipment have been funded, these have tended to be the exception. This list should not be considered exhaustive and FCM welcomes innovative ideas as long as they comply with the general requirement that any funds awarded are used either to buy a capital item or are invested and the income thereby generated is used for a specific purpose.
2. All correspondence concerning applications must be made through the Grants Secretary. The Treasurer can answer general questions about the distinction between Revenue and Capital Grants
3. Applications must be submitted by 30th November each year. The Grants Committee meets in the first quarter of the year and makes recommendations to FCM Council, with which rests the final decision concerning awards. Applicants are informed of decisions made by the Council before the end of May following.
4. FCM asks that grants are publicly presented at or immediately after a Choral Service at the institution to which the award has been made. These presentations usually take place between September and November and are notified to local media by FCM’s Publicity Manager. We also ask that our display is placed in the building for two weeks around the time of the presentation.
5. All applications must be for a specific amount for specific purposes. Applications, which merely state a large target as part of a fundraising campaign, are unlikely to be successful.
6. The accounts of the institution on whose behalf an application is being made must be submitted with the application, together with the accounts of any choral fund and any ' Friends' association. Applications, which are not supported with accounts, will not be considered. Questions about this requirement should be directed to the Treasurer.
7. In order to assess the impact that its grants has made on those organisation to which they have been awarded, FCM may from time to time either request a copy of the organisation’s latest accounts or a short report from the applicant explaining what has been achieved.  Where FCM does not consider that an award is being used for its intended purpose or if the organisation fails to comply with a request to supply information about the use of grant funding, FCM reserves the right to request repayment of the grant.
8. FCM does not usually make more than one grant to an institution in any five year period.
9. Applications should be made on the form which can be downloaded using the link below. Please contact Christopher Gower, Grants Secretary at grants@fcm.org.uk  before sending a completed application.  You will then be given details of the postal address to which the completed application form, accounts and other details should be sent.

Download the Application Form (Word format).