FAQs: Sussex Community Foundation and East Brighton Trust

Since Summer 2016, East Brighton Trust small grants are processed through the Sussex Community Foundation, meaning we can benefit from their wealth of expertise and experience working with hundreds of local charities. Here are some answers to questions you may have about this.

What is the Sussex Community Foundation?

Sussex Community Foundation raises funds for and makes grants to local charities and community groups across East and West Sussex and Brighton & Hove. They support Sussex donors (like East Brighton Trust) to maximise their local charitable giving, connecting them to the causes and communities they want to support. They've raised £20 million for good causes in Sussex, have given out over £8.5 million in grants and are building an endowment fund which will benefit Sussex communities for years to come. The East Brighton Trust Fund at Sussex Community Foundation is awarded at least twice a year and grants of up to £500 are available.

How do we apply for a small grant?

Information on the East Brighton Trust Fund (including criteria and guidance notes for applications) can be found on the Sussex Community Foundation website. 

If your project meets the East Brighton Trust criteria you should complete and submit an application form online, available on the Sussex Community Foundation website. Application forms can also be downloaded and submitted by email to [email protected]. If you are unable to apply online or email your application, you may print the form out and send it by post to

Sussex Community Foundation, 15 Western Road, Lewes, BN7 1RL.

How will our application be assessed?

Your application will be scored and presented to the East Brighton Trust Grants Panel after the grants deadline. You will be advised of the Panel's decision around 6 weeks after the deadline.

What's changed since Summer 2016?

  1. Your application should now be submitted via the Sussex Community Foundation website online application form. No small grants application should be submitted to East Brighton Trust directly.
  2. Instead of having a one month window to apply for a grant as before, you can now apply at any time up until the grant-giving deadlines. The next deadlines for applications are 5pm on the dates as detailed on our home page - these dates fall in January, May and September)
  3. Once the deadline has passed, the grants committee will meet and then it will be around 6 weeks until you hear back on whether your grant has been successful. As we are not able to award grants for activities retrospectively, please ensure the event or activity will take place at least 8 weeks after the deadline that you are applying for or you may not receive the funds in time.  
  4. Any queries should be directed to the SCF Grants Team on 01273 409440 or by email: [email protected]
  5. You can only receive one East Brighton Trust small grant award in any 12 month period (previously was one financial year: 1st April - 31st March).  

What stays the same?

  1. The East Brighton Trust Small Grants Fund is open to all not-for-profit organisations, including charities, community and voluntary groups.
  2. Small grants of up to £500 are available towards the cost of a project or event.
  3. There are currently at least 2 funding rounds per year.
  4. The East Brighton Trust grants panel will recommend which grants are awarded.
  5. Our partnership grants and the Colin Sayers Random Acts of Kindness grants programmes will remain unchanged. These will continue to be administered by East Brighton Trust.

What are the timings?

  • Submit your application on time and you should expect to hear back from Sussex Community Foundation approximately 6 weeks after the grants deadline. 

How do we submit feedback?

For any grant awarded from Summer 2016 onwards, feedback should be submitted via the Sussex Community Foundation monitoring form. Please note that SCF are required to audit 10% of projects so may ask for evidence of expenditure. From now on, please also note that without return of a completed monitoring form your group will be ineligible for future funding.

If your grant was awarded in January 2016 or earlier, please submit feedback directly to East Brighton Trust using our online feedback form.

Why the change?

The change in the administration of our small grants will provide many benefits to East Brighton Trust and its beneficiaries, these include:

  • Insights, advice and expertise from the Sussex Community Foundation who have a wealth of experience working with charities in Sussex.
  • The chance to reach a wider number of groups through the Sussex Community Foundation communities network.
  • Providing opportunities for the groups we currently support by exposing them to potential new funding streams via the Sussex Community Foundation.
  • Some financial benefits in the form of tax relief, releasing more funds for East Brighton Trust to distribute amongst communities in the East Brighton area.