Grant Directories

The Scottish Building Society Foundation funds local projects that help strengthen communities across Scotland by making grants to support relevant charitable or community organisations, which make a difference within their local area. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for initiatives that help to ensure future sustainability for vulnerable individuals and communities. The Foundation particularly welcomes applications that support community facilities, transport, open spaces, affordable housing, community development, poverty reduction, care for the elderly, events, youth education, and support for vulnerable people. The funding can be used to support costs such as equipment, running costs, staff or sessional workers, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and capital costs to purchase or develop community assets. The funding is provided in partnership with Foundation Scotland.

The £150 million Community Ownership Fund, which is part of the government’s strategy to build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic, provides grants for communities throughout the UK to take ownership of local facilities, community assets and amenities at risk of closure such as pubs, theatres, post offices, sports grounds, parks and corner shops, etc. Voluntary and community organisations can bid for match funding of up to £250,000 to support the purchase and/or renovation costs of these assets. Expressions of interest can be submitted at any time. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full application during a specified bidding window which will be announced in due course. The fund will run until 2024/25.

The Benefact Trust (formerly known as the All Churches Trust) offers grants to Christian charities and organisations across the United Kingdom and Ireland that aim to help communities thrive and tackle social issues.  The Benefact Trust’s Roof Protection Scheme provides grants to help churches install roof alarms. 

The Benefact Trust (formerly known as the All Churches Trust) offers grants to Christian charities and organisations across the United Kingdom and Ireland that aim to help communities thrive and tackle social issues such as helping vulnerable families, homelessness and poverty to climate change and cultural cohesion.  The Benefact Trust’s Methodist Grants Programme seeks to enhance the mission and ministry of the Methodist Church in the UK and Ireland by supporting significant redevelopment projects on buildings which have been identified as key to the future mission objectives of a circuit or district and schemes which bring significant community benefits beyond those to the immediate congregation

The Benefact Trust (formerly known as the All Churches Trust) offers grants to Christian charities and organisations across the United Kingdom and Ireland that aim to help communities thrive and tackle social issues such as helping vulnerable families, homelessness and poverty to climate change and cultural cohesion. Through the General Grants Programme the Trust supports the repair, restoration, protection and improvement of churches, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship where changes support wider community use and enable greater impact.

The Asda Foundation aims to transform communities and improve lives by providing independent grants and support to locally relevant community projects throughout the UK. Through the Investing in Spaces and Places Grant the foundation provides grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 towards improving community spaces in local communities across the UK. The group needs to own or lease the land/premises and it must be located within the community that the group is based. There are three options within this grant, groups can apply for one option or a mixture of all three: Building Repairs; Building Improvement/Development; Outdoor Improvement/Development.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability. Through its Funding for Universities and Research Institutions funding stream the Foundation aims to support research intensive universities and research institutions. Grants are awarded towards new buildings, refurbishment work and major equipment to enable high quality research. Awards are also made on occasion to support access to university collections held in university-owned museums and research libraries or to improve public engagement with science. Applications from universities should be co-ordinated by the Development Office to ensure that the project presented is the institution’s strategic priority.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability. Through its Funding for Performing Arts Organisations funding stream the Foundation aims to support organisations with an outstanding artistic programme to improve their performance and training facilities. Grants are generally awarded towards refurbishment of artists’ facilities such as dressing rooms or other back stage spaces, refurbishment of auditorium facilities such as seating, and rehearsal spaces; teaching and education facilities; and less often, specialist equipment.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability. Through its Funding for Public Engagement with Science Organisations funding stream the Foundation aims to support organisations that are in possession of significant scientific or natural history collections to improve public engagement with science through projects related to the history of science. Grants are generally awarded towards refurbishing or creating new galleries and, occasionally, education and learning spaces.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability. Through its Funding for Museums and Galleries funding stream the Foundation aims to support organisations undertaking projects to improve the display and interpretation of nationally significant collections for the public. Grants are generally awarded towards refurbishing or creating new galleries and, occasionally, education and learning spaces.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability. Through its Funding for Hospices and Palliative Care Organisations funding stream the Foundation aims to support organisations which provide excellent care to patients and their families. Grants are awarded towards new buildings, refurbishment work and equipment.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability. Through its Funding for Charities Working with Older People funding stream the Foundation aims to support organisations provide care and services for older people, particularly if they have a neurodegenerative condition or are isolated. Grants are awarded new buildings, refurbishment work and equipment.

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science & medicine, the arts & humanities and health & disability.  Through its Funding for Charities Working with Disability funding stream the Foundation aims to support organisations working with disability.  Grants are awarded towards capital projects which encourage independence and the Foundation are particularly interested in projects which focus on training, employment and supported housing, especially when the project aids the transition from children’s services to adults’ services.

Any sports club that is registered with its sports' National Governing body or local authority can apply for up to £2,000 for staff and or volunteers to take part in training, gain qualifications and certifications related to sport or to help with the renovation of current facilities. Previous clubs supported include a new female basketball team and a sailing club wanting to kit out its new Yeoman 20 keelboat. No preference is given to types of sport or the age of people involved with the club, but sports clubs that play an active role in the community are preferred.

Theatres Trust's Urgent Repairs Scheme has been set up in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation. Both organisations are aware of the challenges facing theatres today and the difficulties faced for both urgent and preventative maintenance. Theatres in need of immediate repair and maintenance, and which could otherwise face closure, are able to apply for grants of up to £15,000. Theatres that are not statutory listed will need to demonstrate the architectural significance of their building. Priority will be given to projects that deliver urgent building repairs, and which can demonstrate that without such repairs the viability of the theatre and its future as a place presenting live work to audiences is at risk.

The National Lottery Community Fund is responsible for distributing the National Lottery's good cause money to community groups and charitable projects across the UK. The Community Assets fund for Scotland aims to empower people to create strong, resilient communities by helping them to acquire and/or develop assets in their area. These could be physical assets such as buildings or pieces of land but may also include other types of asset such as renewable energy opportunities. Applications that address disadvantage and inequality will be given priority. Funding of between £10,000 and £1 million is available to voluntary and community organisations for capital funding (such as building or refurbishment costs), revenue funding (such as salaries and running costs) and the cost of acquiring an asset.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme gives grants that cover the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship. The scheme covers repairs to the fabric of the building, along with associated professional fees, plus repairs to turret clocks, pews, bells and pipe organs. Recent changes to the scheme mean that more works are now included and applicants should check the website to see if the works they wish to undertake are now covered.

Schools, charities and community groups can apply for products and waste materials through the B&Q Waste Donate Scheme. B&Q operates this Scheme through all of its stores within the UK. B&Q donates products and waste materials they haven't been able to sell for re-use such as slightly damaged tins of paint, off-cuts of timber, odd rolls of wallpaper and end-of-range materials. Donated products should benefit the local community and the environment and can not be resold. Due to its Health and Safety scheme, electrical, petrol and gas items are not available for donation. Applications must be made directly to B&Q stores.

The Edward Gostling Foundation provides grants to other UK charities with the aim of enhancing quality of life for people in need, more particularly those living on very low incomes who have a physical and/or a mental disability or the elderly. Grants are available under the following 4 themes: Health and Wellbeing; Independent Living at Home; Respite; Transition.