The AB Charitable Trust grants: what they fund and how to apply

Funder Last checked 11 July 2026

The AB Charitable Trust funds small to medium UK charities working on human rights, access to justice, penal reform, and migrants and refugees. Its Open Programme gives mostly unrestricted grants, usually £10,000 to £30,000 a year, often multi-year. It is open, with a deadline of 24 July 2026.

What the Trust funds

The AB Charitable Trust (ABCT) promotes human dignity and defends the human rights of marginalised and excluded people. It works across four priority areas: the human rights framework, access to justice, the criminal legal system and penal reform, and migrants and refugees.

It usually gives unrestricted core funding, so you can spend the grant where your charity needs it most. You can apply for a project instead, but the Trust says this will not improve your chances. It does not fund individuals, the promotion of religion, capital appeals, academic research, or charities working outside the UK.

Grants come through three streams. The Open Programme is the one you apply to. Special Initiatives and the Anchor Programme are by invitation only.

How much you can apply for

You do not name an amount on the form. The Trust’s FAQ gives the Open Programme range as £10,000 to £30,000 a year; its “How to apply” page cites grants of up to £40,000 a year. Grants run from one to three years, and the Trust aims for the large majority of Open Programme grants to be multi-year, typically across three years. Amounts depend on your size, financial need, and the budget available.

Who can apply

You must be a UK-registered charity, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, and delivering work in the UK. Your annual income must sit between £150,000 and £1.5m across three years of figures, including recent accounts and forecasts. You need at least one full year of audited or independently examined accounts, and to have operated for at least a year.

The Trust generally funds single-focus organisations whose sole or majority work sits in one priority area. If your remit is broader, or your income is slightly outside the band in one year, contact the team before applying.

Deadlines and rounds

The Grants Committee meets four times a year. The next Open Programme deadline is 24 July 2026, with decisions in October 2026, and a further round in late October 2026. The Trust has flagged that a July 2026 date previously shown on its site was incorrect, so confirm the date before you plan around it.

One point to note: the Trust paused the Open Programme during 2024/25 (its site shows £0 awarded and no applications that year) while it reviewed its strategy. The programme is now open again, and planned giving for 2025/26 is £9.4m. This is not a spend-down or wind-up.

How to apply

Go to the Apply page and choose the priority area that fits best. Work through the four-step process covering eligibility, what the Trust funds, and what an application involves, then complete the online form. Alongside the form you provide a short two to two-and-a-half page description of your work, your most recent accounts and financial projections, your governing document, and your safeguarding policy. You can save and resume the form within 30 days, though attachments are not saved between sessions.

Tips

  • Apply for unrestricted core funding. The Trust prefers it and says a project bid will not improve your odds.
  • Check all three years of income figures sit within £150,000 to £1.5m before you start; if one year is slightly under, email the team first.
  • You can reuse existing material, such as your annual report narrative or website text, for the two-page description. There is no need to write something new.
  • If the promotion of religion is in your objects, you are not eligible, even if your work is otherwise a good fit.

Official source and last updated

Last updated: July 2026. Always confirm current details on the funder’s own site: abcharitabletrust.org.uk/apply.

Recent grants

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Similar funders

Check if your charity is eligible for funders like this — CharityIQ’s free Grant Finder matches your charity to real, published UK funders and cites the source for each. → /grant-finder/

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The Open Programme is open to applications. The Trust paused this programme during 2024/25 (its site shows £0 and no grants awarded that year), but it has reopened. The next deadline is 24 July 2026, with decisions in October 2026, and a further round in late October 2026. Special Initiatives and the Anchor Programme remain invitation only. Last checked 10 July 2026.

It funds UK charities working in four priority areas: the human rights framework, access to justice, the criminal legal system and penal reform, and migrants and refugees. It usually gives unrestricted core funding. It does not fund individuals, the promotion of religion, capital appeals, academic research, or charities working outside the UK.

The Trust does not ask you to name an amount on the form. Its FAQ gives the Open Programme range as £10,000 to £30,000 a year; its "How to apply" page cites up to £40,000 a year. Grants run from one to three years, and the Trust aims for most Open Programme grants to be multi-year, typically over three years.

You must be a UK-registered charity delivering work in the UK, with annual income between £150,000 and £1.5m across three years of figures. You need at least one full year of audited or independently examined accounts, and your sole or majority focus should sit within one of the four priority areas.

Choose one priority area on the Apply page, work through the four-step eligibility and guidance process, then complete the online application form. You submit a short two to two-and-a-half page description of your work, recent accounts and financial projections, your governing document, and your safeguarding policy. Contact the team first if you are unsure about eligibility.