Applications should be for the benefit of the College and not external parties, such as local community groups. All funding decisions would be reported back to the donors, the alumni body, and the Wadham community through the Gazette. Preference will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Offer the widest possible benefit to the College as a whole or to a large constituency, broadly interpreted to include proposals that enhance the quality of college life.(Projects benefiting only one individual will be given lowest priority);
• Are innovative and assist in advancing Wadham’s unique reputation to stakeholders and the broader community;
• Offer long-term benefit or added-value to existing initiatives;
• Would struggle to find funding from alternative sources;
• Fall within the charitable objectives of the College.

The following will not be considered for funding:

• Research projects eligible for grants from standard grant sources;
• Retrospective funding;
• Applications from individuals seeking support for tuition, other course fees, or personal maintenance costs;
• Projects requiring recurrent funding (including salaries and subscriptions). These project will generally only be funded for one year and will not be considered unless other funds are available to meet the recurrent costs after year one;
• Projects requiring part-funding. These projects will only be considered if it is demonstrated that the rest of the project funds are available or very likely to be secured.