Designated funds contain money that has been gifted to us to be spent on a specific ward, area, or speciality. For example, designated Funds may be set up to say ‘thank you’ for a patient’s care, to support a specialty, or to raise money for a research programme.
There are two types of designated funds:
- Trustee managed – administered by our Trustees
- Fund Advisors managed – overseen by two senior Trust staff (known as Fund Advisors)
The Fund Advisor's role is to help shape the grant-making from the Fund. Many Fund Advisors are active fundraisers for King's College Hospital Charity.
Designated funds are restricted to supporting a particular purpose. We work closely with the Fund Advisors to ensure that they are used to provide the maximum possible benefit for patients and staff. Fund Advisors will need to approve grant applications coming out of Fund Advisors managed designated funds before they come to King's College Hospital Charity for assessment and approval.
The process for applying for a small grant (<£5k) from a designated fund is slightly different from applying for a large grant (>£5k).
Small grants from designated funds
Get support with your designated funds
King's College Hospital Charity requires fund advisors to follow our Designated Funds Operating Instructions when overseeing designated funds. This document provides the information needed to administer and manage the designated fund effectively.
Fund advisors receive quarterly statements of fund balances, income, and spending. Any questions regarding financial items in the fund statements can be emailed directly to [email protected].
Please complete the Change of Fund Advisor form to change the fund advisor details on the designated fund.
Browse our frequently asked questions to find the answers to the most common questions. For further queries, email the grants team on [email protected].
Open a designated fund
If you want to raise funds or have a donor interested in a particular area of the hospital or speciality, please check the Designated Fund List first to see if there is an existing fund already serving your purpose.
If no fund serves your area or purpose, please contact the Grants Team on [email protected]
Fundraise into a designated fund
If fund advisors are interested in undertaking any fundraising activity, they should contact King's College Hospital Charity's fundraising team who will assist wherever possible and must always be kept informed of the results of any fundraising. Contact our fundraising team on [email protected] or 020 4526 8051.
List of designated funds
Our Designated Funds Levy Policy
We’ve updated our Designated Funds Policy, to support our work with King’s College Hospital.
We manage designated funds that have been gifted to the Charity, to be spent on specific wards, departments or specialist areas. Starting from October 2024, we're introducing an annual levy of 3.5% on all Designated Funds.
We have consulted with the King’s Executive Team and senior Trust stakeholders, who have confirmed their support for our new approach. We also consulted a sample of 20 Fund Advisors. Many other NHS Charities also charge a similar levy.
The Charity manages over 260 different Designated Funds and allocates £2.5-3m each year in grants. Applying this levy will help to cover the costs required to administer and manage the funds effectively and responsibly, including:
- Allocating grants for the greatest patient benefit and in alignment with Trust processes and donor requirements.
- Complying with Charity Commission regulations and audit requirements;
- Providing grants and financial services to enable accountability to Fund Advisors, Trust colleagues, Trustees, and donors, as well as supporting the procurement of goods and equipment;
- Managing donations including charitable Please do contact [email protected] if you would like any further information about the levy and its application.
Updated: 27 September 2024