JRCT: Peace and Security Grant Programme

JRCT: Peace and Security Grant Programme

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
Last Updated: November 05, 2025

Summary

The JRCT: Peace and Security Grant Programme, from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, focuses on funding initiatives that address the root causes of conflict and injustice. The Trust emphasizes values of equality, human rights, and environmental sustainability, advocating for non-violent approaches and participatory governance. Its funding priorities include challenging militarism, promoting transparency in counter-terrorism, and supporting innovative solutions to the dual impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and systemic racism, primarily aimed at creating lasting societal change.

Overview

NOTE: You must have an account for our grants management system in order to be able to make an application - for account registration deadline see pre-proposal deadline above. Please see separate grant pages for Sustainable Future and Power and Accountability. About Us The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is a Quaker trust which supports people who address the root causes of conflict and injustice. This support is provided, primarily, through funding applied for by applicants. JRCT’s founder, Joseph Rowntree said you must tackle the roots of a problem to achieve any lasting benefit; if you only treat the “superficial manifestations” of social or economic problems then you will ease the symptoms for a time but make no lasting difference. In order to engage in philanthropy which challenges the existing power imbalances in society to effect real change, JRCT does not shy away from supporting those working on unpopular or contentious issues. We believe in creating dialogue to support change towards a better world. We recognise that change can take many years to achieve. We are willing to take the long view, and to take risks. We try to be flexible enough to respond to the changing needs and demands of our world. Peace and Security Vision As a Quaker Trust, we believe that peace and security are built on values of equality, human rights, justice and environmental sustainability. We believe that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through the use of armed violence, which results in countless deaths, long-term physical and mental injury, human rights violations and curtailment of civil liberties, displaced populations, economic damage and impoverishment, and environmental harm. Following more than a decade of the “War on Terror”, we believe that many aspects of the dominant approaches to defence and security are counter-productive and can serve as drivers of violent conflict both overseas and in the UK. We are also deeply concerned at the extent to which the values that underpin these approaches are embedded at all levels of society in the UK. We seek a shift in the UK defence and security paradigm away from highly militarised and “securitised” responses towards a new approach based on participatory and accountable governance, human rights, non-violence, diplomacy and mediation, and environmental sustainability. We wish to support a transition towards: the use of 'soft', rather than 'hard' power as a first line of response to conflict within our society and around the worldthe de-legitimisation of violence as a tool for responding to conflict, securing interests or projecting powera culture of human rights and non-violent problem-solving, promoted at all levels of society. JRCT is also keen to support work that responds to the dual harms of the Covid-19 pandemic and systemic racism. Funding Priorities JRCT wishes to prioritise support for charitable work on the following issues: Challenging militarismWe are interested in funding work which:highlights and holds the UK government to account for the human, economic, environmental and security costs of militarised responses to conflictscrutinises and challenges the use of new technology for warfareexposes and challenges the economic drivers of war, especially the arms tradehighlights and challenges the culture and values of militarism in the UKpromotes conscientious objection to military service as a globally recognised and applied human rights.Scrutiny of counter-terrorism measures in the context of human rights and peace buildingWe are interested in funding work which:promotes greater transparency and accountability in relation to government counter-terrorism policychallenges state abuses of power in relation to counter-terrorismadvocates policy responses to the use of terror tactics which address their underlying causeschallenges the use of counter-terrorism policies which foment conflict or undermine opportunities to build peace.Building support for alternative approaches to defense and securityWe are interested in funding work which:articulates and builds support for models of defence and security which address the root causes of conflict and injustice, and which are based on non-violence, dialogue and mediation, human rights and environmental sustainabilityaddresses the risks of nuclear weapons and articulates options for non nuclear securityoffers ideas and action on the re-shaping of violent masculinities which underpin the military systempromotes the understanding and effective practice of non-violence in social change.Responding to dual harms of the impact of Covid-19 and systemic racismJRCT is keen to support work that responds to the dual harms of the impact post Covid-19 pandemic and systemic racism. Specifically, we wish to encourage work that scrutinises the responses and policies of powerful institutions and actors, and which envisions and builds support for transformative social change based on justice, peace and sustainability, including work which:Scrutinises and holds the government to account for the short, medium, and long term consequences of its security and counter-terrorism policies in response to the Covid-19 pandemicExplores the consequences of UK government’s security and counter terrorism responses to the Covid-19 pandemic on people and communities of colourEnables the development of alternatives to securitised responses to Covid-19 in particular from the perspectives of people and communities of colour and/or through the lens of systemic racism. We wish to support organisations or individuals who promote values similar to our own when working towards peace and security. JRCT understands the interconnected, global nature of issues of peace and security. However, as a UK-based Trust with modest resources, it is primarily interested in supporting work which is focused on achieving impact in the UK context. Work which is focused on European or other international institutions (such as the UN and NATO) will only be considered if it is capable of resulting in significant impact in the UK context.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. JRCT is interested in funding work which:is about removing problems through radical solutions, and not simply about making problems easier to live withhas a clear sense of objectives, and of how to achieve themis innovative and imaginativeand where the grant has a good chance of making a difference.Within its areas of interest, the Trust makes grants to a range of organisations and to individuals.If your organisation is a registered, excepted or exempt charity based within any of the four jurisdictions of the UK and all of your work fits within our published programmes, we encourage you to consider applying for unrestricted or core support, although you may apply for programme or project funding if you prefer.If you are based outside the UK and you are registered as a charitable organistion in your local jurisdiction, you may apply for general support if all of your work fits within our published programmes, and the following criteria are also met:your organisation is governed by an unpaid boardyour organisation is not for profityour organisation's formal purposes fall within the list of charitable purposes recognised within English law.For all other organisations or individual applicants, you may apply for a specific project or defined programme of work that would provide public benefit and further our aims as set out in our published policies.

Ineligibility

We do not fund those who advocate aggressive military responses to conflicts.We cannot fund organisations or work that is party political (eg supporting or opposing a political party) or which is commercial in nature or otherwise intended for private benefit.The Trust will not fund:Organisations:larger, older national charities which have an established constituency of supporters and substantial levels of reservesstatutory bodiesfor-profit organisationsProjects:medical researchacademic research, except as an integral part of policy and campaigning work that is central to our areas of interestbuilding, buying or repairing buildingsbusiness development or job creation schemesservice provision, including providing care, support or training services, such as for elderly people, children and young people, people with learning difficulties, people with physical disabilities, mental health service users, refugees or asylum seekershousing and homelessnessthe arts, except where a project is specifically concerned with issues of interest to the Trust.Individuals:travel or adventure projectseducational bursaries, including graduate and post-graduate studiesthe personal support of individuals in need.Types of funding:general appealswork which we believe should be funded from statutory sources, or which has been in the recent pastwork which has already been undertakenPlace:the Trust funds individuals or groups based in the UK to undertake work at a national level. This means work that seeks to make positive change across the UK as a whole, or across one or more of its member countries - England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Irelandunder some of our programmes, we make a small number of grants for work at a pan-European level, in relation to international institutions, or to replicate or amplify local work in the UK with wider significance. Please see individual grant policies for detailsthe Trust does not fund local or national work anywhere outside the UK.In addition to this the following types of work will not be funded:work focused directly on interpersonal violence, domestic violence, or violence against childrenwork focused solely on specific local or regional conflicts in the UK or overseas (with the exception of work funded through our Northern Ireland programme)work which focuses directly on the recovery of people affected by violent conflictacademic research, except as an integral part of policy and campaigning work that is central to our areas of interestwork focused more exclusively on other governments’ policy than on that of the UK, unless the work is on pacifism or conscientious objection to military servicework which seems only to ‘preach to the converted’.