Benefact Trust has enabled Christian organisations to achieve amazing things over our 50 years of grant giving. And today, we’re clearer now than we’ve ever been on what the key challenges are for the organisations we support. Society has big issues to tackle, and we can play an important role in changing lives and making a difference – by getting behind the organisations on the frontline and giving them the help they need.

 

 

Through extensive research and by talking to key people in the sectors and communities where the need is greatest, the Trust’s grant making has become more focused in recent years. Jeremy explains: “We’ve spent time reviewing our grants programmes, for an even more focused approach to grants and the impact they can make – and this is a journey we’ll continue to be on.”

 

 

We aim to get ahead in the sector when it comes to measuring the outcomes of our grant funding. We’ve been working with NCVO (the National Council for Voluntary Organisations) on how we can better measure the impact our grants make. 

 

“Of course, our funding is only a part of it – a lot more goes into a successful project,” Jeremy continues. “But now, as we’re structuring programmes we’re defining what the success measures should be, alongside conducting surveys with Christian charities and churches to understand what they’ve achieved. It’s quite a sea change in our thinking and philosophy on grant making and how we go about it – a mix of high level impact plus more detailed outcomes for transformational projects, demonstrating the difference we’re making.”

 

Feedback is valuable, not just from organisations, but from the individuals whose lives are changed. Jeremy describes the Trust’s impact: “The difference we help to make is really brought home when we hear people’s personal stories, about how their lives have improved. When we talk to these people who have been helped by our funding, that’s when it becomes real.”

 

Finding funding can be challenging for Churches and Christian charities. Benefact Trust is dedicated to promoting the Christian faith, and the good work carried out in the Christian sector through social action. And the Trust is committed to helping in every way we can. Applicants can talk to us and get support and guidance. Plus, a wide range of expert advice and resources, such as blogs and videos, are available on our website - all geared towards helping organisations plan and launch projects, run them in the right way and measure the difference they make.

 

 

We’ve come a long way as a Trust, particularly in the last few years; and it’s great that we can see the impact we make and how we’re helping the heroes ‘on the ground’ who deliver such great work in our communities. Our response to the pandemic has shown just what our dedicated team can achieve, with initial grants for charities tackling significant issues such as food poverty. This was followed by the launch of our Hope Beyond programme and, more recently, our Afghan Evacuees emergency grants programme.

 

If we can achieve all that in a pandemic, then we’re well placed to really make a lasting difference for years to come.

 

Jeremy sums up: “We want to help instigate profound and evidence-based change in communities. There are big issues in today’s society, homelessness and food poverty are just two of them. We will do all we can to support Christian organisations tackling these issues, and help to create lasting change.”