Skip to content
Community foundation for lancashire logo

Marsden Building Society Charitable Foundation

Marsden Building Society Logo
Grant size Up to £3,000
Location Lancashire
Opening Date Spring – 2025

About the fund

Marsden Building Society was founded in 1860 and has grown to become the largest Lancashire-based building society, placing community at the heart of what they do. The Community Foundation for Lancashire are pleased to manage the Marsden Building Society Charitable Foundation endowment fund, which makes charitable grants to support community organisations in Lancashire each year.

Fund Priorities

The fund can consider community projects that meet at least one of the following priorities:

Financial Well-Being

The Society wants to support projects that promote financial education, teaching invaluable skills about money and money management. This could include community groups or projects delivered to schools and colleges.

A Society for All

The Society wants to promote social inclusion, and this year, are looking to support projects focussed on helping primarily, people over the age of 50 through community cohesion activities, accessibility and engagement.

A Great Place to Be

The Society wants to support projects that focus on making Lancashire a great place to be, and this year, are looking to support projects focussed on the environment and area restoration/regeneration. This could include beach cleans, supporting community allotments, the introduction of green initiatives, preserving wildlife.

Specific eligibility criteria

Funding is available for organisations permanently based in Lancashire matching at least one of the priorities above. We can accept applications from all areas of Lancashire, although priority will be given to those based in:

  • Burnley
  • Barrowford, Colne & Nelson
  • Clitheroe
  • Lytham
  • Poulton & Garstang

What costs can be considered?

Staffing costs

Volunteer costs

Activity/operational costs

Training costs

Small capital items (e.g. equipment, IT)

A proportion of organisational overheads can also be considered

Amount available

Grants of up to £3,000.

Marsden would like to fully fund projects or fund at least 50% on a match basis (therefore applications should be for projects with total costs that do not exceed £6000).

What cannot be funded?

  • Individuals
  • Organisations with less than 3 unrelated Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
  • Projects and activities classed as a statutory responsibility
  • Private businesses
  • CICs limited by shares
  • Retrospective funding
  • National organisations that cannot demonstrate local governance and control of local finances
  • Politically connected or exclusively religious activities
  • Reclaimable VAT

How to apply?

An online application form can be completed via the “Apply Now” button below. You can attach supporting documents to your online application, or email them to us at applications@cflm.org.uk.

Documents which need to be included with your application:

  1. A copy of your governing document.
  2. A copy of your latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document.
  3. A copy of a recent bank statement for your group. If you do not have a bank account in place, you must be able to nominate another organisation to hold the funds (CVS, another local charity, church etc.).
  4. A list of your Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members. A minimum of three un-related must be in place.
  5. A copy of your current Safeguarding Policy. All applicants must ensure that they hold relevant policies and procedures in place to undertake activities, such as Criminal Records Bureau checks and/or a health and safety policy, depending on proposed activity. If unsure, we recommend taking advice from your local CVS.

If you have applied to us within the last 12 months and provided this information, we do not need you to send it again, although we may require a more recent bank statement.

What’s next?  

Completed applications are considered by Community Foundation staff to check eligibility. You may be contacted for more information after applying and a decision-making panel will make recommendations based on the fund’s criteria and the budget available.