FAQs
The Rank Foundation funds RankNet member organisations and leaders. In 2025, we invested £8.4m across all our grants and programmes.
Our funding data is publicly available through 360 Giving. Transparency and accountability are at the core of our work, and we are committed to sharing our funding data openly. By publishing open grants data using the 360Giving data standards, we ensure that details about who, where, and what we fund are available in a format that anyone can access and use for free.
Grants are advertised on the RankNet membership portal.
The Grants Committee meets four times a year to consider new applications for funding. Successful applicants will hear the outcome within a few days of the Grants Committee meeting.
Applications are submitted by RankNet members, by invitation only, on the RankNet portal or through Participatory Grant Making in place-based programmes. Links to guidelines, application forms and timelines are available for members on RankNet.
The Grants Committee is made up of members of The Rank Foundation’s board of trustees.
Grants’ criteria vary dependent on the specific grant on offer. All applications must:
- Come from a member of RankNet following an invitation to apply.
- Answer all application questions fully and clearly. While spelling or grammar aren’t judged, decision-makers must be able to understand what they are being asked to fund.
- Fit The Rank Foundation’s charitable values.
If successful:
- The grant must be held in a UK bank account requiring at least two unrelated signatories.
- Grant holders must maintain proper financial records and provide receipts or evidence of expenditure if requested.
- If the project involves working with children, young people, or vulnerable adults, the grant holder must have a safeguarding policy in place.
- We reserve the right to suspend or recover funds if:
The grant is used for purposes outside the agreed scope.
- You fail to comply with this agreement or legal requirements.
- There is evidence of financial mismanagement or improper use of funds.
- The Funded organisation enters insolvency, liquidation, or significant governance issues arise.
We will always seek to resolve issues collaboratively before considering withdrawal of funding.
We encourage all RankNet members to:
- Engage with our online community on the RankNet portal
- Participate in relevant learning opportunities, networking events, or peer support initiatives
- Provide feedback on our funding process so we can continue to improve our approach
The Rank Foundation won’t fund any unsolicited applications for funding from members or non-members of RankNet.
No. Grant applications are only accepted from RankNet members following an invitation to apply.
Applicants are welcome to use AI to write applications. Everything submitted will be taken as an accurate and honest statement so if an application says something inaccurate, it would not be acceptable to blame AI for the inaccuracy. Ensure a human reads anything written by AI before it is submitted.
Requirements are outlined in a grant agreement that goes to all successful applicants. We encourage acknowledgement of The Rank Foundation’s support in communications where appropriate. A logo and branding guidelines are available on request.
The Foundation aims to make reporting as efficient as possible. Annually, grant recipients will be required to:
- Complete an online grant evaluation report. This will include a brief evaluation of what has been achieved, key learnings, and challenges faced.
- Submit a financial report outlining expenditure, including explanations for any variances over 10% above or below planned expenditure.
For multi-year funding, the Foundation requires the above reports before releasing the next instalment.
At the end of the funding period, there may be an informal conversation to discuss the work and ongoing plans.
The Complaints Policy is available here.
Other policies, include The Privacy Policy and the EDI policy.
All policies are reviewed and updated regularly to adhere to the law.
We are committed to ensuring that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) informs how we work, how we support our Network and how we invest in communities. We recognise that this is an ongoing journey and that there is always more to learn and do.
Examples of how EDI is reflected in our work include:
- Recruitment and employment practices that seek to encourage diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Maintaining an accessible website and communications.
- Being an accredited Living Wage Employer and Funder.
- Embedding EDI considerations across our programmes. This includes initiatives such as The Change We Lead, which help leaders create more inclusive cultures and organisations.
To learn more about how our programmes put these principles into practice, please see the examples below:
All policies are reviewed and updated regularly to adhere to the law.
The Rank Foundation’s Investment Policy can be found in the Financial Review section of our Annual Report and Accounts. The policy is reviewed annually by the Investment Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees and reports directly to the Board. The Board approves the Investment Policy annually.