Maypole Fund

The Maypole Fund was set up in 1986 by women involved in the peace movement, especially with Greenham Common. Today, we are a group of feminists coming from various political backgrounds.

We are an unincorporated non-profit association. Our constitution is drawn up according to the guidelines for voluntary organisations. We have chosen not to seek charitable status.

Grants from the Maypole Fund have contributed to a wide range of activities. So far, Maypole money has helped with printing leaflets, mounting exhibitions and making videos.
Here is a very specific example out of very many:

• a Maypole grant helped to finance legal costs for women arrested for opposing British arms sales to the Indonesian government to use against East Timor.

Deadlines for funding applications are: 31 January and 30 June of each year.

GUIDELINES

Please read these guidelines carefully before applying for a grant.
Your application must be for a project which falls within our AIM/S and fulfil one or more of our CRITERIA. Much as we would wish to support all worthwhile women’s projects, our funds and constitution do not permit this. As we receive more applications than we have money to fund, we are especially looking for imaginative, non-violent and politically expressive projects. We welcome applications from women only for projects and activities that meet the following aims of The Maypole Fund:

• anti-militarism;
• action against the arms trade;
• action against nuclear weapons and weapons systems;
• creating a culture of peace and the prevention of conflict and war;
• action to support disarmament policies, processes and related initiatives.

We have chosen the following CRITERIA to help us prioritise and decide between applications

• Young women’s groups/individuals and lesbian groups/individuals;
• Activities or projects not yet started;
• Women who do not have access to other sources of funding or whose projects find it difficult to attract funding from elsewhere;
• Imaginative/creative activities;
• Individual and small women’s groups over larger established women’s groups,

PLEASE NOTE: We do not make contributions to general funding, and we do not give grants for individual women living in the global North to attend courses/conferences or to travel for personal interest. We only fund women.
Deadlines for funding applications are: 31 January and 30 June of each year. Out of about 200 received applications for each session, we can fund on average about 10-12.
Please note:

1. We only contact successful applicants.
2. If you do not hear from us within 2 months of these dates, your application has been unsuccessful.
3. If you are awarded a grant, the Maypole Fund expects that you will spend it on the agreed activity, and that within the following six months you will write us a short report showing what you have achieved with the money, and attaching receipts for all expenditure.

Moreinfo: http://www.maypolefund.org