Protecting and enhancing Christian buildings
Benefact Trust’s Building Improvement Grants programme provides essential support to protect and enhance churches and Christian charity buildings, ensuring their continued use and the safeguarding of their heritage.
The programme is open to applications from churches, cathedrals, denominational bodies and Christian charities based in the UK or Ireland. *
Under Building Improvement Grants, we can support direct capital costs relating to the following types of work:
- Essential, one-off repairs or other capital works to ensure the continued use or viability of a building
- Works or equipment to improve disabled access or meet operational requirements (e.g. essential operational equipment, AV equipment, hearing loops, ramps/handrails, lifts etc)
- Conservation or restoration of historic features (e.g. stained glass, carvings, interior furnishings, clocks, tower bells, organs etc) which contribute to preservation and appreciation of a building’s heritage
- Energy efficiency/renewable energy measures (e.g. heating/lighting upgrades, solar panels, etc) which improve the sustainability of church buildings/facilities and enable their continued use
- Aesthetic enhancements (e.g. interior decoration/furnishings or public realm improvements) to improve indoor or outdoor spaces for users
Please note that we are not able to fund regular maintenance and works normally covered by insurance. Please refer to our Community Impact Grants programme if your project is focused on delivering wider community impact rather than undertaking essential building improvements.
We receive a high volume of applications for Building Improvement Grants, and the Trust aims to support as many projects as possible. Grants sizes can range from £750 to £100,000 and are typically a small contribution to the overall project costs. In 2023, a total of 644 Building Improvement grants were given. The average grant size for projects with total costs up to £1m was £3,300. The average grant size for projects with total costs over £1m was £46,000. For more information please read the Programme Guidance.
How to apply
Please read the Programme Guidance in full before making an application to the Building Improvement Grants programme. This document will answer any questions you may have about the application process.
To apply to the Building Improvement Grants programme, you will need to complete this online application form. You will also need to complete a Building Improvement Grants Project Budget template and submit this with your application form.
If you have any further questions about Benefact Trust and our funding, take a look at our FAQs on our How to Apply page.
*Schools, theological and other educational institutions are not eligible for Building Improvement Grants, but they can apply to our Community Impact Grants programme.
