Eaton Fund

The Eaton Fund, a UK-based charitable incorporated organisation established in 1954 by the Eaton family, provides practical financial assistance to prevent and relieve poverty among three core groups: women facing acute hardship, individual visual artists, and nurses. With ongoing family involvement through trustees, its mission emphasises empathy, timely support, and enabling stability, dignity, and opportunity during life crises. Distinctive for its familial stewardship, deep partnerships with frontline charities, and responsive rather than programme-led approach, it delivers aid UK-wide via direct individual grants and strategic collaborations.

It prioritises wraparound support for women in crisis—such as those experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse, addiction, debt, criminal justice involvement, or minority challenges—funding holistic services like counselling, legal advice, job training, and tenancy support through trusted partners like Aberconwy Domestic Abuse Service, Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid, and Dundee Women’s Aid. For UK-resident visual artists, it offers small grants for practice-related essentials like materials, equipment, and exhibition framing. Nurses receive support exclusively via the Cavell Trust partnership, optimising impact without direct applications.

Unsolicited applications are accepted only from individual visual artists via a detailed online form (one grant per applicant, no reapplications); organisational funding for women’s support is invite-only for UK-registered charities, with no open process. Typical artist grants are up to £350 (rolling basis, decisions within eight weeks); partner grants range £5,000–£25,000. Exclusions include living costs, core funding, ongoing expenses, and non-UK residents; it uniquely focuses on tightly defined beneficiaries, swift relief, and safeguarding via governance policies.