Apply for a Grant

Helping Others to Help Themselves.

Who can apply?

Sustain for Life is a small, hands-on NGO with limited resources. We seek like-minded partners who share our practical approach and values to improve future opportunities for very poor, vulnerable and marginalised communities. We make grants to registered charities/non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs). We do not provide grants to organisations that are seeking funding towards the promotion of religion or political campaigns or to organisations that discriminate against minority groups or on the basis of race, creed, colour, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, age or disability.

What do we support?

Sustain for Life funds projects in line with our mission – those that help the “poorest of the poor”, most vulnerable or most marginalised. We do not provide long-term aid, but rather support projects that help people develop the skills and resources to look after themselves. All projects supported by Sustain for Life must have an element of sustainability and a clear exit strategy. Sustain for Life does not set funding limits but rather expects our partners to develop realistic and cost-efficient budgets based on competitive market rates and the necessary inputs required to deliver an impactful project. We only work with partners who seek to maximise every penny spent, look at low-cost alternative solutions and minimize administrative costs. We value partnership and welcome co-funding.

How To Apply?

Step 1: Tell us a little bit about your project

As a general rule, Sustain for Life does not accept unsolicited applications, but we are keen to be made aware of outstanding projects that are in line with our mission, vision and values! So, if your organisation has a project that we might be interested in, please get in touch via email. Please send a clear, concise 1-2 pager describing your project or concept to [email protected]. Make sure to demonstrate how you will make an impact, who you will benefit and how you will make your project sustainable. If we are interested in learning more, we will aim to get back to you within 30 days.

Step 2: Be invited to submit a concept note

If we want to learn more about your organisation and project, we will invite you to submit a concept note and outline budget. The concept note is intended to help us decide whether or not you are eligible to be invited to apply for a grant and whether your proposed project fits within Sustain for Life’s current funding priorities and overall strategic objectives. You will receive acknowledgement by email that your concept note has been received and will normally have a decision within three months of receipt. We are not able to provide feedback on declined concept notes. If your concept note is approved, we will invite you to submit a full grant application and budget.

Step 3: Submit a full grant application and budget (invitation only)

If successful at the concept note stage, you will be invited to submit a comprehensive application and budget. The application form focuses heavily on outcomes and the activities necessary to reach those outcomes, so at this point your project must be very well thought through. We will also ask you to include copies of your annual accounts, references and some information on your organisation’s policies and procedures. Your application will be reviewed by Sustain for Life’s Application Review Committee (ARC) and then put forward for decision to our Board of Trustees, who usually meets twice per year.

Step 4: Partnership

At Sustain for Life, we see our grantees and our funders as partners and maintain close involvement with all of the projects we support. If a grant from us is approved, we will work closely with you to agree the project framework, outcomes, and a monitoring and evaluation plan. Our expectations and terms will be clearly spelled-out in a grant agreement and we will work closely with you from project inception to completion. Our aim is to learn from one another and to strengthen our projects for maximum impact to our beneficiaries. We strive for 100% transparency and regular, open and honest communication between partners.

Our Current Project Areas

Agriculture and Nutrition

Education and Training

Healthcare and Health Education

We help poor and marginalised individuals develop sustainable nutritious food supplies and income-generating potential through the practice, training and outreach of sustainable organic agriculture, especially at the institution and community level.

We provide vulnerable youth with improved living conditions, nutrition, psychological support, education, vocational training and other support in order to give them a self-sustainable future. We have focused on children with disabilities and those living in extreme poverty or in juvenile detention facilities.

We have supported projects improving maternal and child health and those that offer sustainable solutions for healthcare, including innovative community insurance schemes.

Words From Our Grantees

“We have overall enjoyed working with Sustain for Life as a development partner more than just a funder.”

Dr Birungi, Executive Director, Bwindi Community Hospital
“With kind support from Sustain For Life, we were able to transform the lives of 300 youth at Uganda’s only juvenille rehabilitation centre through training in agriculture and lifeskills and integrating them into the community as responsible citizens.”

Patrick Sambaga, Country Director, Send a Cow, Uganda
“Sustain for Life, we sincerely appreciate the great work that has enabled the disadvantaged and the poorest of the poor to live normal lives.”

Dr Jerome Mugisha, Medical Superintendent, St Francis Mutolere Hospital, Kisoro, Uganda